import os
path = './bbc/'
files = []
business = []
entertainment = []
politics = []
sport = []
tech = []
for r, d, f in os.walk(path):
for file in f:
if '.txt' in file:
files.append(os.path.join(r, file))
for x in files:
if 'business' in x:
business.append(x)
elif 'entertainment' in x:
entertainment.append(x)
elif 'politics' in x:
politics.append(x)
elif 'sport' in x:
sport.append(x)
else:
tech.append(x)
print("Total number of files in dataset by category:")
print('Business',len(business))
print('Entertainment',len(entertainment))
print('Politics',len(politics))
print('Sport',len(sport))
print('Tech',len(tech))
Total number of files in dataset by category: Business 510 Entertainment 386 Politics 417 Sport 511 Tech 401
businessArticles, entertainmentArticles, politicsArticles, sportArticles, techArticles = [],[],[],[],[]
def getData(x,category):
f = open(x)
if category == 'business':
businessArticles.append(f.read().replace("\n", " "))
elif category == 'entertainment':
entertainmentArticles.append(f.read().replace("\n", " "))
elif category == 'politics':
politicsArticles.append(f.read().replace("\n", " "))
elif category == 'sport':
sportArticles.append(f.read().replace("\n", " "))
elif category == 'tech':
techArticles.append(f.read().replace("\n", " "))
for x in business:
getData(x,'business')
for x in entertainment:
getData(x,'entertainment')
for x in politics:
getData(x,'politics')
for x in sport:
getData(x,'sport')
for x in tech:
getData(x,'tech')
allArticles = businessArticles + entertainmentArticles + politicsArticles + sportArticles + techArticles
print(len(businessArticles))
print(len(entertainmentArticles))
print(len(politicsArticles))
print(len(sportArticles))
print(len(techArticles))
print('Amount of articles:',len(allArticles))
510 386 417 511 401 Amount of articles: 2225
print(businessArticles[0:5],sep='\n')
print(entertainmentArticles[0:5],sep='\n')
print(politicsArticles[0:5],sep='\n')
print(sportArticles[0:5],sep='\n')
print(techArticles[0:5],sep='\n')
['Ad sales boost Time Warner profit Quarterly profits at US media giant TimeWarner jumped 76% to $1.13bn (£600m) for the three months to December, from $639m year-earlier. The firm, which is now one of the biggest investors in Google, benefited from sales of high-speed internet connections and higher advert sales. TimeWarner said fourth quarter sales rose 2% to $11.1bn from $10.9bn. Its profits were buoyed by one-off gains which offset a profit dip at Warner Bros, and less users for AOL. Time Warner said on Friday that it now owns 8% of search-engine Google. But its own internet business, AOL, had has mixed fortunes. It lost 464,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter profits were lower than in the preceding three quarters. However, the company said AOL\'s underlying profit before exceptional items rose 8% on the back of stronger internet advertising revenues. It hopes to increase subscribers by offering the online service free to TimeWarner internet customers and will try to sign up AOL\'s existing customers for high-speed broadband. TimeWarner also has to restate 2000 and 2003 results following a probe by the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), which is close to concluding. Time Warner\'s fourth quarter profits were slightly better than analysts\' expectations. But its film division saw profits slump 27% to $284m, helped by box-office flops Alexander and Catwoman, a sharp contrast to year-earlier, when the third and final film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy boosted results. For the full-year, TimeWarner posted a profit of $3.36bn, up 27% from its 2003 performance, while revenues grew 6.4% to $42.09bn. "Our financial performance was strong, meeting or exceeding all of our full-year objectives and greatly enhancing our flexibility," chairman and chief executive Richard Parsons said. For 2005, TimeWarner is projecting operating earnings growth of around 5%, and also expects higher revenue and wider profit margins. TimeWarner is to restate its accounts as part of efforts to resolve an inquiry into AOL by US market regulators. It has already offered to pay $300m to settle charges, in a deal that is under review by the SEC. The company said it was unable to estimate the amount it needed to set aside for legal reserves, which it previously set at $500m. It intends to adjust the way it accounts for a deal with German music publisher Bertelsmann\'s purchase of a stake in AOL Europe, which it had reported as advertising revenue. It will now book the sale of its stake in AOL Europe as a loss on the value of that stake. ', 'Dollar gains on Greenspan speech The dollar has hit its highest level against the euro in almost three months after the Federal Reserve head said the US trade deficit is set to stabilise. And Alan Greenspan highlighted the US government\'s willingness to curb spending and rising household savings as factors which may help to reduce it. In late trading in New York, the dollar reached $1.2871 against the euro, from $1.2974 on Thursday. Market concerns about the deficit has hit the greenback in recent months. On Friday, Federal Reserve chairman Mr Greenspan\'s speech in London ahead of the meeting of G7 finance ministers sent the dollar higher after it had earlier tumbled on the back of worse-than-expected US jobs data. "I think the chairman\'s taking a much more sanguine view on the current account deficit than he\'s taken for some time," said Robert Sinche, head of currency strategy at Bank of America in New York. "He\'s taking a longer-term view, laying out a set of conditions under which the current account deficit can improve this year and next." Worries about the deficit concerns about China do, however, remain. China\'s currency remains pegged to the dollar and the US currency\'s sharp falls in recent months have therefore made Chinese export prices highly competitive. But calls for a shift in Beijing\'s policy have fallen on deaf ears, despite recent comments in a major Chinese newspaper that the "time is ripe" for a loosening of the peg. The G7 meeting is thought unlikely to produce any meaningful movement in Chinese policy. In the meantime, the US Federal Reserve\'s decision on 2 February to boost interest rates by a quarter of a point - the sixth such move in as many months - has opened up a differential with European rates. The half-point window, some believe, could be enough to keep US assets looking more attractive, and could help prop up the dollar. The recent falls have partly been the result of big budget deficits, as well as the US\'s yawning current account gap, both of which need to be funded by the buying of US bonds and assets by foreign firms and governments. The White House will announce its budget on Monday, and many commentators believe the deficit will remain at close to half a trillion dollars. ', 'Yukos unit buyer faces loan claim The owners of embattled Russian oil giant Yukos are to ask the buyer of its former production unit to pay back a $900m (£479m) loan. State-owned Rosneft bought the Yugansk unit for $9.3bn in a sale forced by Russia to part settle a $27.5bn tax claim against Yukos. Yukos\' owner Menatep Group says it will ask Rosneft to repay a loan that Yugansk had secured on its assets. Rosneft already faces a similar $540m repayment demand from foreign banks. Legal experts said Rosneft\'s purchase of Yugansk would include such obligations. "The pledged assets are with Rosneft, so it will have to pay real money to the creditors to avoid seizure of Yugansk assets," said Moscow-based US lawyer Jamie Firestone, who is not connected to the case. Menatep Group\'s managing director Tim Osborne told the Reuters news agency: "If they default, we will fight them where the rule of law exists under the international arbitration clauses of the credit." Rosneft officials were unavailable for comment. But the company has said it intends to take action against Menatep to recover some of the tax claims and debts owed by Yugansk. Yukos had filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court in an attempt to prevent the forced sale of its main production arm. The sale went ahead in December and Yugansk was sold to a little-known shell company which in turn was bought by Rosneft. Yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky and has vowed to sue any participant in the sale. ', 'High fuel prices hit BA\'s profits British Airways has blamed high fuel prices for a 40% drop in profits. Reporting its results for the three months to 31 December 2004, the airline made a pre-tax profit of £75m ($141m) compared with £125m a year earlier. Rod Eddington, BA\'s chief executive, said the results were "respectable" in a third quarter when fuel costs rose by £106m or 47.3%. BA\'s profits were still better than market expectation of £59m, and it expects a rise in full-year revenues. To help offset the increased price of aviation fuel, BA last year introduced a fuel surcharge for passengers. In October, it increased this from £6 to £10 one-way for all long-haul flights, while the short-haul surcharge was raised from £2.50 to £4 a leg. Yet aviation analyst Mike Powell of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein says BA\'s estimated annual surcharge revenues - £160m - will still be way short of its additional fuel costs - a predicted extra £250m. Turnover for the quarter was up 4.3% to £1.97bn, further benefiting from a rise in cargo revenue. Looking ahead to its full year results to March 2005, BA warned that yields - average revenues per passenger - were expected to decline as it continues to lower prices in the face of competition from low-cost carriers. However, it said sales would be better than previously forecast. "For the year to March 2005, the total revenue outlook is slightly better than previous guidance with a 3% to 3.5% improvement anticipated," BA chairman Martin Broughton said. BA had previously forecast a 2% to 3% rise in full-year revenue. It also reported on Friday that passenger numbers rose 8.1% in January. Aviation analyst Nick Van den Brul of BNP Paribas described BA\'s latest quarterly results as "pretty modest". "It is quite good on the revenue side and it shows the impact of fuel surcharges and a positive cargo development, however, operating margins down and cost impact of fuel are very strong," he said. Since the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, BA has cut 13,000 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting drive. "Our focus remains on reducing controllable costs and debt whilst continuing to invest in our products," Mr Eddington said. "For example, we have taken delivery of six Airbus A321 aircraft and next month we will start further improvements to our Club World flat beds." BA\'s shares closed up four pence at 274.5 pence. ', "Pernod takeover talk lifts Domecq Shares in UK drinks and food firm Allied Domecq have risen on speculation that it could be the target of a takeover by France's Pernod Ricard. Reports in the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times suggested that the French spirits firm is considering a bid, but has yet to contact its target. Allied Domecq shares in London rose 4% by 1200 GMT, while Pernod shares in Paris slipped 1.2%. Pernod said it was seeking acquisitions but refused to comment on specifics. Pernod's last major purchase was a third of US giant Seagram in 2000, the move which propelled it into the global top three of drinks firms. The other two-thirds of Seagram was bought by market leader Diageo. In terms of market value, Pernod - at 7.5bn euros ($9.7bn) - is about 9% smaller than Allied Domecq, which has a capitalisation of £5.7bn ($10.7bn; 8.2bn euros). Last year Pernod tried to buy Glenmorangie, one of Scotland's premier whisky firms, but lost out to luxury goods firm LVMH. Pernod is home to brands including Chivas Regal Scotch whisky, Havana Club rum and Jacob's Creek wine. Allied Domecq's big names include Malibu rum, Courvoisier brandy, Stolichnaya vodka and Ballantine's whisky - as well as snack food chains such as Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins ice cream. The WSJ said that the two were ripe for consolidation, having each dealt with problematic parts of their portfolio. Pernod has reduced the debt it took on to fund the Seagram purchase to just 1.8bn euros, while Allied has improved the performance of its fast-food chains. "] ['Gallery unveils interactive tree A Christmas tree that can receive text messages has been unveiled at London\'s Tate Britain art gallery. The spruce has an antenna which can receive Bluetooth texts sent by visitors to the Tate. The messages will be "unwrapped" by sculptor Richard Wentworth, who is responsible for decorating the tree with broken plates and light bulbs. It is the 17th year that the gallery has invited an artist to dress their Christmas tree. Artists who have decorated the Tate tree in previous years include Tracey Emin in 2002. The plain green Norway spruce is displayed in the gallery\'s foyer. Its light bulb adornments are dimmed, ordinary domestic ones joined together with string. The plates decorating the branches will be auctioned off for the children\'s charity ArtWorks. Wentworth worked as an assistant to sculptor Henry Moore in the late 1960s. His reputation as a sculptor grew in the 1980s, while he has been one of the most influential teachers during the last two decades. Wentworth is also known for his photography of mundane, everyday subjects such as a cigarette packet jammed under the wonky leg of a table. ', 'Jarre joins fairytale celebration French musician Jean-Michel Jarre is to perform at a concert in Copenhagen to mark the bicentennial of the birth of writer Hans Christian Andersen. Denmark is holding a three-day celebration of the life of the fairy-tale author, with a concert at Parken stadium on 2 April. Other stars are expected to join the line-up in the coming months, and the Danish royal family will attend. "Christian Andersen\'s fairy tales are timeless and universal," said Jarre. "For all of us, at any age there is always - beyond the pure enjoyment of the tale - a message to learn." There are year-long celebrations planned across the world to celebrate Andersen and his work, which includes The Emperor\'s New Clothes and The Little Mermaid. Denmark\'s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited New York on Monday to help promote the festivities. The pair were at a Manhattan library to honour US literary critic Harold Bloom "the international icon we thought we knew so well". "Bloom recognizes the darker aspects of Andersen\'s authorship," Prince Frederik said. Bloom is to be formally presented with the Hans Christian Andersen Award this spring in Anderson\'s hometown of Odense. The royal couple also visited the Hans Christian Anderson School complex, where Queen Mary read The Ugly Duckling to the young audience. Later at a gala dinner, Danish supermodel Helena Christensen was named a Hans Christian Andersen ambassador. Other ambassadors include actors Harvey Keitel and Sir Roger Moore, athlete Cathy Freeman and Brazilian soccer legend Pele. ', 'Musical treatment for Capra film The classic film It\'s A Wonderful Life is to be turned into a musical by the producer of the controversial hit show Jerry Springer - The Opera. Frank Capra\'s 1946 movie starring James Stewart, is being turned into a £7m musical by producer Jon Thoday. He is working with Steve Brown, who wrote the award-winning musical Spend Spend Spend. A spokeswoman said the plans were in the "very early stages", with no cast, opening date or theatre announced. A series of workshops have been held in London, and on Wednesday a cast of singers unveiled the musical to a select group of potential investors. Mr Thoday said the idea of turning the film into a musical had been an ambition of his for almost 20 years. It\'s a Wonderful Life was based on a short story, The Greatest Gift, by Philip van Doren Stern. Mr Thoday managed to buy the rights to the story from Van Doren Stern\'s family in 1999, following Mr Brown\'s success with Spend Spend Spend. He later secured the film rights from Paramount, enabling them to use the title It\'s A Wonderful Life. ', 'Richard and Judy choose top books The 10 authors shortlisted for a Richard and Judy book award in 2005 are hoping for a boost in sales following the success of this year\'s winner. The TV couple\'s interest in the book world coined the term "the Richard & Judy effect" and created the top two best-selling paperbacks of 2004 so far. The finalists for 2005 include Andrew Taylor\'s The American Boy and Robbie Williams\' autobiography Feel. This year\'s winner, Alice Sebold\'s The Lovely Bones, sold over one million. Joseph O\'Connor\'s Star of the Sea came second and saw sales increase by 350%. The best read award, on Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan\'s Channel 4 show, is part of the British Book Awards. David Mitchell\'s Booker-shortlisted novel, Cloud Atlas, makes it into this year\'s top 10 along with several lesser known works. "There\'s no doubt that this year\'s selection of book club entries is the best yet. If anything, the choice is even wider than last time," said Madeley. "It was very hard to follow last year\'s extremely successful list, but we think this year\'s books will do even better," said Richard and Judy executive producer Amanda Ross. "We were spoiled for choice and it was tough getting down to only 10 from the 301 submitted." ', "Poppins musical gets flying start The stage adaptation of children's film Mary Poppins has had its opening night in London's West End. Sir Cameron Mackintosh's lavish production, which has cost £9m to bring to the stage, was given a 10-minute standing ovation. Lead actress Laura Michelle Kelly soared over the heads of the audience holding the nanny's trademark umbrella. Technical hitches had prevented Mary Poppins' flight into the auditorium during preview performances. A number of celebrities turned out for the musical's premiere, including actress Barbara Windsor, comic Graham Norton and Sir Richard Attenborough. The show's director Richard Eyre issued a warning earlier in the week that the show was unsuitable for children under seven, while under-threes are barred. Mary Poppins was originally created by author Pamela Travers, who is said to have cried when she saw Disney's 1964 film starring Julie Andrews. Travers had intended the story to be a lot darker than the perennial family favourite. Theatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh has said he hopes the musical is a blend of the sweet-natured film and the original book. "] ['Labour plans maternity pay rise Maternity pay for new mothers is to rise by £1,400 as part of new proposals announced by the Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt. It would mean paid leave would be increased to nine months by 2007, Ms Hewitt told GMTV\'s Sunday programme. Other plans include letting maternity pay be given to fathers and extending rights to parents of older children. The Tories dismissed the maternity pay plan as "desperate", while the Liberal Democrats said it was misdirected. Ms Hewitt said: "We have already doubled the length of maternity pay, it was 13 weeks when we were elected, we have already taken it up to 26 weeks. "We are going to extend the pay to nine months by 2007 and the aim is to get it right up to the full 12 months by the end of the next Parliament." She said new mothers were already entitled to 12 months leave, but that many women could not take it as only six of those months were paid. "We have made a firm commitment. We will definitely extend the maternity pay, from the six months where it now is to nine months, that\'s the extra £1,400." She said ministers would consult on other proposals that could see fathers being allowed to take some of their partner\'s maternity pay or leave period, or extending the rights of flexible working to carers or parents of older children. The Shadow Secretary of State for the Family, Theresa May, said: "These plans were announced by Gordon Brown in his pre-budget review in December and Tony Blair is now recycling it in his desperate bid to win back women voters." She said the Conservatives would announce their proposals closer to the General Election. Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for women Sandra Gidley said: "While mothers would welcome any extra maternity pay the Liberal Democrats feel this money is being misdirected." She said her party would boost maternity pay in the first six months to allow more women to stay at home in that time. Ms Hewitt also stressed the plans would be paid for by taxpayers, not employers. But David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, warned that many small firms could be "crippled" by the move. "While the majority of any salary costs may be covered by the government\'s statutory pay, recruitment costs, advertising costs, retraining costs and the strain on the company will not be," he said. Further details of the government\'s plans will be outlined on Monday. New mothers are currently entitled to 90% of average earnings for the first six weeks after giving birth, followed by £102.80 a week until the baby is six months old. ', 'Watchdog probes e-mail deletions The information commissioner says he is urgently asking for details of Cabinet Office orders telling staff to delete e-mails more than three months old. Richard Thomas "totally condemned" the deletion of e-mails to prevent their disclosure under freedom of information laws coming into force on 1 January. Government guidance said e-mails should only be deleted if they served "no current purpose", Mr Thomas said. The Tories and the Lib Dems have questioned the timing of the new rules. Tory leader Michael Howard has written to Tony Blair demanding an explanation of the new rules on e-mail retention. On Monday Lib Dem constitutional affairs committee chairman Alan Beith warned that the deletion of millions of government e-mails could harm the ability of key probes like the Hutton Inquiry. The timing of the new rules just before the Freedom of Information Act comes into forces was "too unlikely to have been a coincidence", Mr Beith said. But a Cabinet Office spokeswoman said the move was not about the new laws or "the destruction of important records". Mr Beith urged the information commissioner to look at how the "e-mail regime" could "support the freedom of information regime". Mr Thomas said: "The new Act of Parliament makes it very clear that to destroy records in order to prevent their disclosure becomes a criminal offence." He said there was already clear guidance on the retention of e-mails contained in a code of practice from the lord chancellor. All e-mails are subject to the freedom of information laws, but the important thing was the content of the e-mail, said Mr Thomas. "If in doubt retain, that has been the long-standing principle of the civil service and public authorities. It\'s only when you\'ve got no further use for the particular record that it may be legitimate to destroy it. "But any deliberate destruction to avoid the possibility of later disclosure is to be totally condemned." The Freedom of Information Act will cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland from next year. Similar measures are being brought in at the same time in Scotland. It provides the public with a right of access to information held by about 100,000 public bodies, subject to various exemptions. Its implementation will be monitored by the information commissioner. ', 'Hewitt decries \'career sexism\' Plans to extend paid maternity leave beyond six months should be prominent in Labour\'s election manifesto, the Trade and Industry Secretary has said. Patricia Hewitt said the cost of the proposals was being evaluated, but it was an "increasingly high priority" and a "shared goal across government". Ms Hewitt was speaking at a gender and productivity seminar organised by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). Mothers can currently take up to six months\' paid leave - and six unpaid. Ms Hewitt told the seminar: "Clearly, one of the things we need to do in the future is to extend the period of payment for maternity leave beyond the first six months into the second six months. "We are looking at how quickly we can do that, because obviously there are cost implications because the taxpayer reimburses the employers for the cost of that." Ms Hewitt also announced a new drive to help women who want to work in male dominated sectors, saying sexism at work was still preventing women reaching their full potential. Plans include funding for universities to help female science and engineering graduates find jobs and "taster courses" for men and women in non-traditional jobs. Women in full-time work earn 19% less than men, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). The minister told delegates that getting rid of "career sexism" was vital to closing the gender pay gap. "Career sexism limits opportunities for women of all ages and prevents them from achieving their full potential. "It is simply wrong to assume someone cannot do a job on the grounds of their sex," she said. Earlier, she told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme: "What we are talking about here is the fact that about six out of 20 women work in jobs that are low-paid and typically dominated by women, so we have got very segregated employment. "Unfortunately, in some cases, this reflects very old-fashioned and stereotypical ideas about the appropriate jobs for women, or indeed for men. "Career sexism is about saying that engineering, for instance, where only 10% of employees are women, is really a male-dominated industry. Construction is even worse. "But it is also about saying childcare jobs are really there for women and not suitable for men. Career sexism goes both ways." She added that while progress had been made, there was still a gap in pay figures. "The average woman working full-time is being paid about 80p for every pound a man is earning. For women working part-time it is 60p." The Department for Trade and Industry will also provide funding to help a new pay experts panel run by the TUC. It has been set up to advise hundreds of companies on equal wage policies. Research conducted by the EOC last year revealed that many Britons believe the pay gap between men and women is the result of "natural differences" between the sexes. Women hold less than 10% of the top positions in FTSE 100 companies, the police, the judiciary and trade unions, according to their figures. And retired women have just over half the income of their male counterparts on average. ', 'Labour chooses Manchester The Labour Party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in Manchester and not Blackpool, it has been confirmed. The much trailed decision was ratified by Labour\'s ruling National Executive Committee in a break with the traditional choice of a seaside venue. It will be the first time since 1917 that the party has chosen Manchester to host the annual event. Blackpool will get the much smaller February spring conference instead in what will be seen as a placatory move. For years the main political parties have rotated between Blackpool, Bournemouth and Brighton. And the news the much larger annual conference is not to gather in Blackpool will be seen as a blow in the coastal resort. In 1998 the party said it would not return to Blackpool but did so in 2002. The following year Bournemouth hosted the event before the party signed a two year deal for Brighton to host the autumn conference. Colin Asplin, Blackpool Hotel Association said: "We have tried very hard to make sure they come back to Blackpool. "Obviously we have failed in that. I just hope Manchester can handle the crowds. "It amazes me that the Labour Party, which is a working class party, doesn\'t want to come to the main working class resort in the country." The exact cost to Blackpool in terms of lost revenue for hotel accommodation is not yet known but it is thought that block bookings will be taken at the major Manchester hotels after the official announcement. ', 'Brown ally rejects Budget spree Chancellor Gordon Brown\'s closest ally has denied suggestions there will be a Budget giveaway on 16 March. Ed Balls, ex-chief economic adviser to the Treasury, said there would be no spending spree before polling day. But Mr Balls, a prospective Labour MP, said he was confident the chancellor would meet his fiscal rules. He was speaking as Sir Digby Jones, CBI director general, warned Mr Brown not to be tempted to use any extra cash on pre-election bribes. Mr Balls, who stepped down from his Treasury post to stand as a Labour candidate in the election, had suggested that Mr Brown would meet his golden economic rule - "with a margin to spare". He said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules. He also stressed rise in interest rates ahead of an expected May election would not affect the Labour Party\'s chances of winning. Expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed house prices are still rising. Consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in January. "If the MPC (the Bank of England\'s Monetary Policy Committee) were to judge that a rate rise was justified before the election because of the strength of the economy - and I\'m not predicting that they will - I do not believe that this will be a big election issue in Britain for Labour," he told a Parliamentary lunch. "This is a big change in our political culture." During an interview with BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme, Mr Balls said he was sure Mr Brown\'s Budget would not put at risk the stability of the economy. "I don\'t think we\'ll see a pre-election spending spree - we certainly did not see that before 2001," he said. His assurances came after Sir Digby Jones said stability was all important and any extra cash should be spent on improving workers\' skills. His message to the chancellor was: "Please don\'t give it away in any form of electioneering." Sir Digby added: "I don\'t think he will. I have to say he has been a prudent chancellor right the way through. Stability is the key word - British business needs boring stability more than anything. "We would say to him \'don\'t increase your public spending, don\'t give it away. But if you are going to anywhere, just add something to the competitiveness of Britain, put it into skilling our people\'. "That would be a good way to spend any excess." Mr Balls refused to say whether Mr Brown would remain as chancellor after the election, amid speculation he will be offered the job of Foreign Secretary. "I think that Gordon Brown wants to be part of the successful Labour government which delivers in the third term for the priorities of the people and sees off a Conservative Party that will take Britain backwards," Mr Balls told Today. Prime Minister Tony Blair has yet to name the date of the election, but most pundits are betting on 5 May. '] ['Claxton hunting first major medal British hurdler Sarah Claxton is confident she can win her first major medal at next month\'s European Indoor Championships in Madrid. The 25-year-old has already smashed the British record over 60m hurdles twice this season, setting a new mark of 7.96 seconds to win the AAAs title. "I am quite confident," said Claxton. "But I take each race as it comes. "As long as I keep up my training but not do too much I think there is a chance of a medal." Claxton has won the national 60m hurdles title for the past three years but has struggled to translate her domestic success to the international stage. Now, the Scotland-born athlete owns the equal fifth-fastest time in the world this year. And at last week\'s Birmingham Grand Prix, Claxton left European medal favourite Russian Irina Shevchenko trailing in sixth spot. For the first time, Claxton has only been preparing for a campaign over the hurdles - which could explain her leap in form. In previous seasons, the 25-year-old also contested the long jump but since moving from Colchester to London she has re-focused her attentions. Claxton will see if her new training regime pays dividends at the European Indoors which take place on 5-6 March. ', "O'Sullivan could run in Worlds Sonia O'Sullivan has indicated that she would like to participate in next month's World Cross Country Championships in St Etienne. Athletics Ireland have hinted that the 35-year-old Cobh runner may be included in the official line-up for the event in France on 19-20 March. Provincial teams were selected after last Saturday's Nationals in Santry and will be officially announced this week. O'Sullivan is at present preparing for the London marathon on 17 April. The participation of O'Sullivan, currentily training at her base in Australia, would boost the Ireland team who won the bronze three years agio. The first three at Santry last Saturday, Jolene Byrne, Maria McCambridge and Fionnualla Britton, are automatic selections and will most likely form part of the long-course team. O'Sullivan will also take part in the Bupa Great Ireland Run on 9 April in Dublin. ", 'Greene sets sights on world title Maurice Greene aims to wipe out the pain of losing his Olympic 100m title in Athens by winning a fourth World Championship crown this summer. He had to settle for bronze in Greece behind fellow American Justin Gatlin and Francis Obikwelu of Portugal. "It really hurts to look at that medal. It was my mistake. I lost because of the things I did," said Greene, who races in Birmingham on Friday. "It\'s never going to happen again. My goal - I\'m going to win the worlds." Greene crossed the line just 0.02 seconds behind Gatlin, who won in 9.87 seconds in one of the closest and fastest sprints of all time. But Greene believes he lost the race and his title in the semi-finals. "In my semi-final race, I should have won the race but I was conserving energy. "That\'s when Francis Obikwelu came up and I took third because I didn\'t know he was there. "I believe that\'s what put me in lane seven in the final and, while I was in lane seven, I couldn\'t feel anything in the race. "I just felt like I was running all alone. "I believe if I was in the middle of the race I would have been able to react to people that came ahead of me." Greene was also denied Olympic gold in the 4x100m men\'s relay when he could not catch Britain\'s Mark Lewis-Francis on the final leg. The Kansas star is set to go head-to-head with Lewis-Francis again at Friday\'s Norwich Union Grand Prix. The pair contest the 60m, the distance over which Greene currently holds the world record of 6.39 seconds. He then has another indoor meeting in France before resuming training for the outdoor season and the task of recapturing his world title in Helsinki in August. Greene believes Gatlin will again prove the biggest threat to his ambitions in Finland. But he also admits he faces more than one rival for the world crown. "There\'s always someone else coming. I think when I was coming up I would say there was me and Ato (Boldon) in the young crowd," Greene said. "Now you\'ve got about five or six young guys coming up at the same time." ', 'IAAF launches fight against drugs The IAAF - athletics\' world governing body - has met anti-doping officials, coaches and athletes to co-ordinate the fight against drugs in sport. Two task forces have been set up to examine doping and nutrition issues. It was also agreed that a programme to "de-mystify" the issue to athletes, the public and the media was a priority. "Nothing was decided to change things - it was more to have a forum of the stakeholders allowing them to express themselves," said an IAAF spokesman. "Getting everyone together gave us a lot of food for thought." About 60 people attended Sunday\'s meeting in Monaco, including IAAF chief Lamine Diack and Namibian athlete Frankie Fredericks, now a member of the Athletes\' Commission. "I am very happy to see you all, members of the athletics family, respond positively to the IAAF call to sit together and discuss what more we can do in the fight against doping," said Diack. "We are the leading Federation in this field and it is our duty to keep our sport clean." The two task forces will report back to the IAAF Council, at its April meeting in Qatar. ', 'Dibaba breaks 5,000m world record Ethiopia\'s Tirunesh Dibaba set a new world record in winning the women\'s 5,000m at the Boston Indoor Games. Dibaba won in 14 minutes 32.93 seconds to erase the previous world indoor mark of 14:39.29 set by another Ethiopian, Berhane Adera, in Stuttgart last year. But compatriot Kenenisa Bekele\'s record hopes were dashed when he miscounted his laps in the men\'s 3,000m and staged his sprint finish a lap too soon. Ireland\'s Alistair Cragg won in 7:39.89 as Bekele battled to second in 7:41.42. "I didn\'t want to sit back and get out-kicked," said Cragg. "So I kept on the pace. The plan was to go with 500m to go no matter what, but when Bekele made the mistake that was it. The race was mine." Sweden\'s Carolina Kluft, the Olympic heptathlon champion, and Slovenia\'s Jolanda Ceplak had winning performances, too. Kluft took the long jump at 6.63m, while Ceplak easily won the women\'s 800m in 2:01.52. '] ['Ink helps drive democracy in Asia The Kyrgyz Republic, a small, mountainous state of the former Soviet republic, is using invisible ink and ultraviolet readers in the country\'s elections as part of a drive to prevent multiple voting. This new technology is causing both worries and guarded optimism among different sectors of the population. In an effort to live up to its reputation in the 1990s as "an island of democracy", the Kyrgyz President, Askar Akaev, pushed through the law requiring the use of ink during the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections. The US government agreed to fund all expenses associated with this decision. The Kyrgyz Republic is seen by many experts as backsliding from the high point it reached in the mid-1990s with a hastily pushed through referendum in 2003, reducing the legislative branch to one chamber with 75 deputies. The use of ink is only one part of a general effort to show commitment towards more open elections - the German Embassy, the Soros Foundation and the Kyrgyz government have all contributed to purchase transparent ballot boxes. The actual technology behind the ink is not that complicated. The ink is sprayed on a person\'s left thumb. It dries and is not visible under normal light. However, the presence of ultraviolet light (of the kind used to verify money) causes the ink to glow with a neon yellow light. At the entrance to each polling station, one election official will scan voter\'s fingers with UV lamp before allowing them to enter, and every voter will have his/her left thumb sprayed with ink before receiving the ballot. If the ink shows under the UV light the voter will not be allowed to enter the polling station. Likewise, any voter who refuses to be inked will not receive the ballot. These elections are assuming even greater significance because of two large factors - the upcoming parliamentary elections are a prelude to a potentially regime changing presidential election in the Autumn as well as the echo of recent elections in other former Soviet Republics, notably Ukraine and Georgia. The use of ink has been controversial - especially among groups perceived to be pro-government. Widely circulated articles compared the use of ink to the rural practice of marking sheep - a still common metaphor in this primarily agricultural society. The author of one such article began a petition drive against the use of the ink. The greatest part of the opposition to ink has often been sheer ignorance. Local newspapers have carried stories that the ink is harmful, radioactive or even that the ultraviolet readers may cause health problems. Others, such as the aggressively middle of the road, Coalition of Non-governmental Organizations, have lauded the move as an important step forward. This type of ink has been used in many elections in the world, in countries as varied as Serbia, South Africa, Indonesia and Turkey. The other common type of ink in elections is indelible visible ink - but as the elections in Afghanistan showed, improper use of this type of ink can cause additional problems. The use of "invisible" ink is not without its own problems. In most elections, numerous rumors have spread about it. In Serbia, for example, both Christian and Islamic leaders assured their populations that its use was not contrary to religion. Other rumours are associated with how to remove the ink - various soft drinks, solvents and cleaning products are put forward. However, in reality, the ink is very effective at getting under the cuticle of the thumb and difficult to wash off. The ink stays on the finger for at least 72 hours and for up to a week. The use of ink and readers by itself is not a panacea for election ills. The passage of the inking law is, nevertheless, a clear step forward towards free and fair elections." The country\'s widely watched parliamentary elections are scheduled for 27 February. David Mikosz works for the IFES, an international, non-profit organisation that supports the building of democratic societies. ', 'China net cafe culture crackdown Chinese authorities closed 12,575 net cafes in the closing months of 2004, the country\'s government said. According to the official news agency most of the net cafes were closed down because they were operating illegally. Chinese net cafes operate under a set of strict guidelines and many of those most recently closed broke rules that limit how close they can be to schools. The move is the latest in a series of steps the Chinese government has taken to crack down on what it considers to be immoral net use. The official Xinhua News Agency said the crackdown was carried out to create a "safer environment for young people in China". Rules introduced in 2002 demand that net cafes be at least 200 metres away from middle and elementary schools. The hours that children can use net cafes are also tightly regulated. China has long been worried that net cafes are an unhealthy influence on young people. The 12,575 cafes were shut in the three months from October to December. China also tries to dictate the types of computer games people can play to limit the amount of violence people are exposed to. Net cafes are hugely popular in China because the relatively high cost of computer hardware means that few people have PCs in their homes. This is not the first time that the Chinese government has moved against net cafes that are not operating within its strict guidelines. All the 100,000 or so net cafes in the country are required to use software that controls what websites users can see. Logs of sites people visit are also kept. Laws on net cafe opening hours and who can use them were introduced in 2002 following a fire at one cafe that killed 25 people. During the crackdown following the blaze authorities moved to clean up net cafes and demanded that all of them get permits to operate. In August 2004 Chinese authorities shut down 700 websites and arrested 224 people in a crackdown on net porn. At the same time it introduced new controls to block overseas sex sites. The Reporters Without Borders group said in a report that Chinese government technologies for e-mail interception and net censorship are among the most highly developed in the world. ', "Microsoft seeking spyware trojan Microsoft is investigating a trojan program that attempts to switch off the firm's anti-spyware software. The spyware tool was only released by Microsoft in the last few weeks and has been downloaded by six million people. Stephen Toulouse, a security manager at Microsoft, said the malicious program was called Bankash-A Trojan and was being sent as an e-mail attachment. Microsoft said it did not believe the program was widespread and recommended users to use an anti-virus program. The program attempts to disable or delete Microsoft's anti-spyware tool and suppress warning messages given to users. It may also try to steal online banking passwords or other personal information by tracking users' keystrokes. Microsoft said in a statement it is investigating what it called a criminal attack on its software. Earlier this week, Microsoft said it would buy anti-virus software maker Sybari Software to improve its security in its Windows and e-mail software. Microsoft has said it plans to offer its own paid-for anti-virus software but it has not yet set a date for its release. The anti-spyware program being targeted is currently only in beta form and aims to help users find and remove spyware - programs which monitor internet use, causes advert pop-ups and slow a PC's performance. ", 'Digital guru floats sub-$100 PC Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT\'s Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53). He told the BBC World Service programme Go Digital he hoped it would become an education tool in developing countries. He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood". He said the child could use the laptop like a text book. He described the device as a stripped down laptop, which would run a Linux-based operating system, "We have to get the display down to below $20, to do this we need to rear project the image rather than using an ordinary flat panel. "The second trick is to get rid of the fat , if you can skinny it down you can gain speed and the ability to use smaller processors and slower memory." The device will probably be exported as a kit of parts to be assembled locally to keep costs down. Mr Negroponte said this was a not for profit venture, though he recognised that the manufacturers of the components would be making money. In 1995 Mr Negroponte published the bestselling Being Digital, now widely seen as predicting the digital age. The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on. While the idea was popular amongst the children, it initially received some resistance from the teachers and there were problems with laptops getting broken. However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops. "We put in 25 laptops three years ago , only one has been broken, the kids cherish these things, it\'s also a TV a telephone and a games machine, not just a textbook." Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious. "Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we\'re going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we\'re not talking about doing it in three or five years, we\'re talking about months." He plans to be distributing them by the end of 2006 and is already in discussion with the Chinese education ministry who are expected to make a large order. "In China they spend $17 per child per year on textbooks. That\'s for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that\'s cheaper and the marketing overheads go away." ', 'Technology gets the creative bug The hi-tech and the arts worlds have for some time danced around each other and offered creative and technical help when required. Often this help has come in the form of corporate art sponsorship or infrastructure provision. But that dance is growing more intimate as hi-tech firms look to the creative industries for inspiration. And vice versa. UK telco BT is serious about the idea and has launched its Connected World initiative. The idea, says BT, is to shape a "21st Century model" which will help cement the art, technology, and business worlds together. "We are hoping to understand the creative industry that has a natural thirst for broadband technology," said Frank Stone, head of the BT\'s business sector programmes. He looks after several "centres of excellence" which the telco has set up with other institutions and organisations, one of which is focused on creative industries. To mark the initiative\'s launch, a major international art installation is to open on 15 April in Brussels, with a further exhibit in Madrid later in the summer. They have both been created using the telco\'s technology that it has been incubating at its research and development arm, including a sophisticated graphics rendering program. Using a 3D graphics engine, the type commonly used in gaming, Bafta-winning artists Langlands & Bell have created a virtual, story-based, 3D model of Brussels\' Coudenberg Cellars. They have recently been excavated and are thought to be the remnants of Coudenberg Palace, an historical seat of European power. The 3D world can be navigated using a joystick and offers an immersive experience of a landscape that historically had a river running through it until it was bricked up in the 19th Century. "The river was integral to the city\'s survival for hundreds of years and it was equally essential to the city that it disappeared," said the artists. "We hope that by uncovering the river, we can greater understand the connections between the past and the present, and appreciate the flow of modernity, once concealing, but now revealing the River Senne." In their previous works they used the Quake game graphics engine. The game engine is the core component of a video game because it handles graphics rendering, game AI, and how objects behave and relate to each other in a game. They are so time-consuming and expensive to create, the engines can be licensed out to handle other graphics-intensive games. BT\'s own engine, Tara (Total Abstract Rendering Architecture) has been in development since 2001 and has been used to recreate virtual interactive models of buildings for planners. It was also used in 2003 in Encounter, an urban-based, pervasive game that combined both virtual play in conjunction with physical, on-the-street action. Because the artists wanted video and interactive elements in their worlds, new features were added to Tara in order to handle the complex data sets. But collaboration between art and digital technology is by no means new, and many keen coders, designers, games makers and animators argue that what they create is art itself. As more tools for self-expression are given to the person on the street, enabling people to take photos with a phone and upload them to the web for instance, creativity will become an integral part of technology. The Orange Expressionist exhibition last year, for example, displayed thousands of picture messages from people all over the UK to create an interactive installation. Technology as a way of unleashing creativity has massive potential, not least because it gives people something to do with their technology. Big businesses know it is good for them to get in on the creative vein too. The art world is "fantastically rich", said Mr Stone, with creative people and ideas which means traditional companies like BT want to get in with them. Between 1997 and 2002, the creative industry brought £21 billion to London alone. It is an industry that is growing by 6% a year too. The partnership between artists and technologists is part of trying to understand the creative potential of technologies like broadband net, according to Mr Stone. "This is not just about putting art galleries and museums online," he said. "It is about how can everyone have the best seat in house and asking if technology has a role in solving that problem." With broadband penetration reaching 100% in the UK, businesses with a stake in the technology want to give people reasons to want and use it. The creative drive is not purely altruistic obviously. It is about both industries borrowing strategies and creative ideas together which can result in better business practices for creative industries, or more patent ideas for tech companies. "What we are trying to do is have outside-in thinking. "We are creating a future cultural drive for the economy," said Mr Stone. ']
G20 = ['Argentina', 'Australia', 'Brazil', 'China', 'Canada', 'European Union', 'France', 'Germany',
'India', 'Indonesia', 'Italy', 'Japan', 'Mexico', 'Russia', 'Saudi Arabia', 'South Africa', 'South Korea', 'Turkey',
'United Kingdom', 'United States', 'US', 'UK', 'EU', 'Europe']
print(G20)
['Argentina', 'Australia', 'Brazil', 'China', 'Canada', 'European Union', 'France', 'Germany', 'India', 'Indonesia', 'Italy', 'Japan', 'Mexico', 'Russia', 'Saudi Arabia', 'South Africa', 'South Korea', 'Turkey', 'United Kingdom', 'United States', 'US', 'UK', 'EU', 'Europe']
#NEED TO CHECK IF 1 Article contains multiple countries
business = {}
entertainment = {}
politics = {}
sports = {}
tech = {}
def CheckG20(topic,category):
for x in topic:
for y in G20:
if y in x:
if category == 'business':
business.update({y:x})
elif category == 'entertainment':
entertainment.update({y:x})
elif category == 'politics':
politics.update({y:x})
elif category == 'sport':
sports.update({y:x})
elif category == 'tech':
tech.update({y:x})
return
CheckG20(businessArticles, 'business')
CheckG20(entertainmentArticles, 'entertainment')
CheckG20(politicsArticles, 'politics')
CheckG20(sportArticles, 'sport')
CheckG20(techArticles, 'tech')
print(sports)
{'Russia': 'Safin relieved at Aussie recovery Marat Safin admitted he thought he was suffering another Australian Open final nightmare when he lost the opening set to Lleyton Hewitt. The Russian, who lost the 2002 and 2004 finals, fought back brilliantly to win 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4. "I was nervous and I couldn\'t play tennis," said Safin. "He started really well. He wasn\'t as nervous as I was because I was thinking of the two finals that I played and wasn\'t successful." He added: "You really have to deal with the pressure because normally it never happens but when you come to the final you are so tight because you want to win. "I tried to play some tennis but I couldn\'t. He has huge experience, he\'s won two Grand Slam titles, he\'s won 24 titles, he\'s a great player and he deals with pressure." From 4-1 down in the third set, Safin played some of his best tennis to reel off seven games and take control of the match. "In the third set, just all of a sudden, it all turn around completely in a way I couldn\'t expect," said Safin. "Because he made a couple of mistakes, I was a little bit lucky at some point, then the confidence came back and I was back in the game." And the Russian revealed that the victory, and his semi-final win over world number one Roger Federer, had given him a massive boost for the future. "You get huge confidence because Roger is a great player," said Safin. "Once I beat him, and then Lleyton, it\'s like you get so much confidence in yourself that you really can play great. "You can win big titles and you can beat huge players in the finals and semi-finals." ', 'Europe': "Roche 'turns down Federer offer' Australian tennis coach Tony Roche has turned down an approach from Roger Federer to be the world number one's new full-time coach, say reports. Melbourne's Herald-Sun said Roche, troubled by a hip complaint, did not want to travel full-time again. However, Roche is happy to work with the Swiss star on a casual basis and is helping him prepare for next month's defence of his Australian Open crown. Federer has been without a coach since splitting with Peter Lundgren in 2003. Roche, a former Davis Cup player for Australia, won the French Open, reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals and won five Wimbledon doubles titles with John Newcombe. He also coached former number one Ivan Lendl and Pat Rafter to Grand Slam victories and has worked with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt. Some reports claim Federer initially wanted Andre Agassi's Australian coach Darren Cahill, before Agassi confirmed he would play on in 2005. Federer was named Swiss sportsman of the year on Saturday, to add to the BBC overseas sportsman and European Sports Journalists Association awards he has already won. ", 'Australia': 'Mirza makes Indian tennis history Teenager Sania Mirza completed a superb week at the Hyderabad Open by becoming the first Indian in history to win a WTA singles title. In front of a delirious home crowd, the 18-year-old battled past Alyona Bondarenko of the Ukraine 6-4 5-7 6-3. Mirza, ranked 134 in the world, sunk to her knees in celebration after serving out the match against Bondarenko. "It is a big moment in my career and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my effort," she said. "This win has made me believe more in myself and I can now hope to do better in the coming days. "I wanted to win this tournament very badly since it was in my hometown." At the Australian Open in January, Mirza became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. And a year ago, she became the youngest Indian to win a professional title by claiming the doubles at the Hyderabad Open. Mirza, playing in her first WTA final, began nervously in front of a raucous home crowd - committing three double faults in her opening service game. But from 0-2 down, Mirza broke serve twice in a row and held on to her advantage to take the first set. In a see-saw second set, Bondarenko raced into a 5-2 lead and though Mirza hauled herself level, the Ukrainian broke again before finally levelling the match. Mirza rediscovered the aggressive strokes that took her to the first set in the decider established a 5-2 lead. At 5-3, the stadium erupted in celebration when Mirza thought she had delivered an ace to secure victory but the serve was ruled to have clipped the net. Mirza eventually lost the point but to the relief of the crowd, she broke Bondarenko again in the next game to clinch the title. ', 'France': 'Minister digs in over doping row The Belgian sports minister at the centre of the Svetlana Kuznetsova doping row says he will not apologise for making allegations against her. Claude Eerdekens claims the US Open champion tested positive for ephedrine at an exhibition event last month. Criticised for making the announcement, he said: "I will never apologise. This product is banned and it\'s up to her to explain why it\'s there." Kuznetsova says the stimulant may have been in a cold remedy she took. The Russian said she did nothing wrong by taking the medicine during the event. The Women\'s Tennis Association cleared Kuznetsova of any offence because the drug is not banned when taken out of competition. Eerdekens said he made the statement in order to protect the other three players that took part in the tournament, Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, Nathalie Dechy of France and Russia\'s Elena Dementieva. But Dechy is fuming that she has been implicated in the row. "How can you be happy when you see your face on the cover page and talking about doping?" Dechy said. "I\'m really upset about it and I think the Belgian government did a really bad job about this. "I think we deserve an apology from the guy. You cannot say anything like this - you cannot say some stuff like this, saying it\'s one of these girls. This is terrible." Dementieva is also angry and says that Dechy and herself are the real victims of the scandal. "You have no idea what I have been through all these days. It\'s been too hard on me," she said. "The WTA are trying to handle this problem by saying there are three victims, but I see only two victims in this story - me and Nathalie Dechy, who really have nothing to do with this. "To be honest with you, I don\'t feel like I want to talk to Sveta at all. I\'m just very upset with the way everything has happened." ', 'Brazil': 'Almagro continues Spanish surge Unseeded Nicolas Almagro became the fifth Spaniard to reach the last eight at the Buenos Aires Open, ousting eighth seed Mariano Zabaleta. He showed admirable resolve to win a rain-affected match 6-7 6-4 6-4. Compatriot and seventh seed Rafael Nadal also reached the last eight, beating Italian Potito Starace 6-1 6-3. Nadal, playing in the outdoor clay event for the first time, hit some powerful forehands to oust Starace in a match delayed over an hour by rain. "It\'s always a problem to have to stop for rain but one gets used to it," said Spanish teenager Nadal. "Luckily, I was able to keep my pace going throughout the match." He will now play Gaston Gaudio, who beat unseeded Brazilian Flavio Saretta 6-3 6-2 in the day\'s late match. ', 'Germany': 'Roddick to face Saulnier in final Andy Roddick will play Cyril Saulnier in the final of the SAP Open in San Jose on Sunday. The American top seed and defending champion overcame Germany\'s Tommy Haas, the third seed, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3. "I was feeling horrible earlier in the week," Roddick said. "I thought tonight was a step in the right direction." Saulnier battled to a 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3 win over seventh seed Jurgen Melzer, who twisted his ankle early in the second set. Roddick won the last four points of the first-set tie-break before being broken at the start of the second set. But he broke straight back and then broke Haas again to lead 4-2. "It\'s extremely frustrating when you have chances against a top-five player and don\'t do anything with them," admitted Haas. "I rushed a few backhands and he took advantage." Saulnier will move into the world\'s top 50 for the first time after his passage through to the final. "It\'s taken a lot of work and a lot of fighting in my mind," he revealed. "Sometimes I didn\'t believe I could get to a final and now I am here. I\'ve stayed mentally strong. "I\'m on the way. I\'ll keep fighting and work a lot and I\'ll be up there." ', 'UK': 'All Black magic: New Zealand rugby Playing colours: All black The Haka and more! The All Blacks Charles John Munro discovered rugby at London\'s Christ College, and on his return to Nelson he staged New Zealand\'s first game. Nelson Town met Nelson College on 14 May, 1870, the Town triumphing by two goals to nil, instigating a game that would become a national obsession and come to dominate the country\'s sporting passions. The game appealed to the Kiwi psyche and quickly spread, the native Maoris finding a particular empathy with the sport\'s warrior ethos. In 1888 a British team led by AE Stoddart toured New Zealand and Australia, and soon after a Maori named Joe Warbrick and an English ex-pat called Thomas Eyton decided to gather a combined New Zealand team. Twenty-two Maori and four \'pakiha\' formed the \'New Zealand Native Team,\' who played a total of 107 matches in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. The integration of white and Maori was a reflecion of enlightened New Zealand rugby and society, even if the British press were somewhat mystified by the pre-match tradition of the Maori war dance, the Haka! The other great symbol of New Zealand rugby, the all black kit with the silver fern on the breast, was proposed by Tom Ellison at the first annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1893. New Zealand played their first international against Australia in 1903, the Kiwis triumphing 22-3 in Sydney, and the following year an official British touring team came to New Zealand for the first time. The tourists had gone through Australia undefeated but their captain, David Revell Bedell-Sivright, created animosity in New Zealand with his patronising attitude. The Kiwis shocked the rugby world with a 9-3 triumph in Wellington, sparking great celebrations across the country, but Bedell-Sivright churlishly suggested that the victors would have no chance when they visited the UK. Their opportunity to prove him wrong came in 1905 with the first official New Zealand tour to Europe. The tourists won their early games with a quick-thinking, inventive approach, but press criticism began to grow over their 2-3-2 scrum formation that left a \'roving\' forward free to disrupt opposition attacks. The tactic was effective, two late tries seeing the Kiwis to a 12-7 win over Scotland, before Ireland were despatched 15-0 in Dublin. A huge crowd at Crystal Palace convulsed with laughter at the sight of the Haka - but the smiles were soon wiped from their faces when the tourists ran in five tries in a 15-0 hammering of England. New Zealand headed to Wales to meet a country in the midst of its first \'Golden Age,\' and the encounter would be the first in a series of controversial clashes between the sides. An excellent try on the left wing by Teddy Morgan sealed a 3-0 win in a hard-fought encounter at Cardiff Arms Park, but post-match talk was dominated by a Bob Deans try that was ruled out by Scottish referee John Dallas. Dallas said that Deans was tackled short, but the Kiwi said he was dragged back into the field of play after grounding a try - on his death-bed three years later he exclaimed: "I did score that try in Cardiff." Four of the 1905 All Blacks went over to the newly formed \'All Golds\' rugby league side soon after the tour, but New Zealand were strong enough to crush an Anglo-Welsh touring team in 1908. The first South Africa tour of New Zealand in 1921 saw honours shared in a three-Test series, starting the greatest rivalry in rugby - and the long-running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks\' inclusion of Maori players. The awesome 1924-5 All Black tourists became known as \'The Invincibles\' after winning all 30 of their games in France, Britain and Ireland, including a crushing 19-0 victory over Wales at St Helen\'s. Despite their success, the All Blacks\' 2-3-2 scrum formation left them somewhat short of possession at times, and the flaws were exploited by the Springboks in South Africa in 1928. Employing the modern 3-4-1 scrum line-up against the New Zealand \'rover\' system for the first time, South African teams defeated the All Blacks in five games and the Test series was drawn two-all. The controversial New Zealand scrum method finally disappeared after the 1930 Lions tour (a series won 3-1 by New Zealand), the Lions manager describing the tactic as \'cheating,\' prompting the International Rugby Board to rule that three men had to pack down in the front row of the scrum. The All Blacks\' 1935 European tour started inauspiciously with an 11-3 loss to a Swansea side inspired by teenage, schoolboy half-backs Hayden Tanner and Willie Davies. A thrilling Test at Cardiff Arms Park went to Wales 13-12, although the winning try from Geoffrey Rees-Jones was controversial following an illegal Claude Davey tackle in the build-up. New Zealand\'s next visit to Wales in 1953 proved difficult as they lost 8-3 to Cardiff and drew 6-6 at Swansea. The All Blacks were on top in the Test with Wales at the Arms Park, but the teams were locked at 8-8 when a Clem Thomas cross kick was gathered by Ken Jones for a famous, match-winning try. The tourists made some amends with wins over the other home nations, before a 19-5 success over the Barbarians in an Arms Park thriller. New Zealand built from that tour, and by the time they returned in 1963-4 they were undoubtedly the leading side in the world. That made the shock all the greater when a drop goal by student John Uzzell gave Newport an unlikely 3-0 win over the tourists at Rodney Parade. Wilson Whinneray\'s side rallied to beat Wales 6-0, their first win at the Arms Park in four attempts, and went unbeaten through the rest of the tour, but when they returned home the first question put to them was: "What happened in Newport?" The only blemish on the record of the awesome 1967 tourists was a draw with East Wales, as they beat the full Wales team 13-6 in Cardiff to take the lead in the series between the countries for the first time. That lead was increased with two comfortable wins for the home side in New Zealand in 1969, the first time Wales had toured the country as an independent team. A ferocious game at the Arms Park in 1972 was edged 19-16 by the All Blacks, a measure of revenge for the defeat inflicted on New Zealand by the Carwyn James-inspired Lions of 1971. James guided Llanelli to a famous 9-3 win over the tourists at Stradey Park, though, and in the final game of the tour the Barbarians defeated the All Blacks 23-11 in Cardiff in a game regarded by many as the greatest ever played. New Zealand defeated a Wales XV 12-3 at the Arms Park in a non-cap game in 1974, but it was the 1978 game in Cardiff that would reignite the history of controversy between the two countries. Wales were leading 12-10 with one minute left when Andy Haden flew to the floor from a line-out. Television pictures clearly showed that he dived, but English referee Roger Quittenton was fooled and awarded a penalty, duly converted by Brian McKechnie for a 13-12 win. Since that infamous game, the competition has largely left Wales v New Zealand fixtures as the men in red have slipped from the pinnacle of the world game. A crushing 23-3 win for New Zealand in Cardiff in the Welsh Rugby Union\'s 1980 centenary game was a sign of things to come. The new professionalism in the southern hemisphere game that had left Europe behind was shown as the All Blacks swatted Wales aside 49-6 in Brisbane in the semi-final of the inaugural World Cup. The Kiwis went on to claim the Cup, and would inflict further misery on Wales on their ill-fated 1988 tour of New Zealand. A young, talented Wales side left Britain full of confidence as Triple Crown winners, but one of the greatest ever New Zealand teams demolished them 52-3 and 54-9. After also taking some fearful beatings in the provincial games, Wales captain Jonathan Davies returned home calling for urgent change in the national game, but as his views were ignored he - along with a generation of Wales\' best players - chose to head north to rugby league. A 34-9 win in Cardiff followed for New Zealand in 1989, and at the 1995 World Cup Wales\' big talk was made to look embarrassing as the All Blacks eased to victory in Johannesburg. A crushing 42-7 Kiwi triumph in Wembley followed in 1997, and as Wales\' misery increased they turned to New Zealand for their salvation in the shape of coaches Graham Henry and Steve Hansen. There was a temporary resurgence in the Welsh game, but when an experimental New Zealand side came to Cardiff\'s new Millennium Stadium in 2002 they left with a 43-17 victory. A bruising 55-3 defeat followed for Wales in Hamilton in 2003 as Hansen built towards the World Cup, but in Australia it was a remarkable performance against the All Blacks that gave his side renewed hope. Wales were given no chance going into the game, but in the course of the match they rediscovered the value of attacking flair to lead 37-33 early in the second half. New Zealand rallied to a 53-37 win, but the style shown by Wales has been used as an inspiration as they look to a better future. They now face an All Blacks team led by Henry and Hansen, coming to Europe with a weakened squad at the end of a long season. An encouraging display against South Africa has inspired a confident Wales camp to believe they can claim their first win over the men in black for over 50 years. They have a chance, but clearly history is not on their side. ', 'Canada': 'England given tough Sevens draw England will have to negotiate their way through a tough draw if they are to win the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong next month. The second seeds have been drawn against Samoa, France, Italy, Georgia and Chinese Taipei. The top two sides in each pool qualify but England could face 2001 winners New Zealand in the quarter-finals if they stumble against Samoa. Scotland and Ireland are in Pool A together with the All Blacks. England won the first event of the International Rugby Board World Sevens series in Dubai but have slipped to fourth in the table after failing to build on that victory. However, they beat Samoa in the recent Los Angeles Sevens before losing to Argentina in the semi-finals. "England have the ability and determination to win this World Cup and create sporting history by being the only nation to hold both the 15s and Sevens World Cups at the same time," said England sevens coach Mike Friday. "England have a fantastic record in Hong Kong and have won there the last three years, but the World Cup is on a different level. "Every pool contains teams who have caused upsets before and we will have to work hard to ensure we progress from our group. "We have not performed consistently to our true potential so far in the IRB Sevens which has been disappointing - but we can only look forward." England won the first Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993 with a side that included the likes of Lawrence Dallaglio and Matt Dawson. In 1997 and 2001, England lost in the quarter-finals. (seeds in brackets) New Zealand (1), Scotland (8), Tonga, Ireland, Korea, USA. England (2), Samoa (7), France, Italy, Georgia, Chinese Taipei. Fiji (3), Australia (6), Canada, Portugal, Japan, Hong Kong. Argentina (4), South Africa (5), Kenya, Tunisia, Russia, Uruguay. ', 'US': 'Minister digs in over doping row The Belgian sports minister at the centre of the Svetlana Kuznetsova doping row says he will not apologise for making allegations against her. Claude Eerdekens claims the US Open champion tested positive for ephedrine at an exhibition event last month. Criticised for making the announcement, he said: "I will never apologise. This product is banned and it\'s up to her to explain why it\'s there." Kuznetsova says the stimulant may have been in a cold remedy she took. The Russian said she did nothing wrong by taking the medicine during the event. The Women\'s Tennis Association cleared Kuznetsova of any offence because the drug is not banned when taken out of competition. Eerdekens said he made the statement in order to protect the other three players that took part in the tournament, Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, Nathalie Dechy of France and Russia\'s Elena Dementieva. But Dechy is fuming that she has been implicated in the row. "How can you be happy when you see your face on the cover page and talking about doping?" Dechy said. "I\'m really upset about it and I think the Belgian government did a really bad job about this. "I think we deserve an apology from the guy. You cannot say anything like this - you cannot say some stuff like this, saying it\'s one of these girls. This is terrible." Dementieva is also angry and says that Dechy and herself are the real victims of the scandal. "You have no idea what I have been through all these days. It\'s been too hard on me," she said. "The WTA are trying to handle this problem by saying there are three victims, but I see only two victims in this story - me and Nathalie Dechy, who really have nothing to do with this. "To be honest with you, I don\'t feel like I want to talk to Sveta at all. I\'m just very upset with the way everything has happened." ', 'Italy': 'Henman & Murray claim LTA awards Tim Henman was named player of the year for 2004 by the Lawn Tennis Association at Wimbledon on Monday. The Briton was recognised for the best year of his career, which saw him reach the semis at the French and US Opens. Scotland\'s Andrew Murray was named young player of the year after winning the US Open juniors, as well as a Futures event in Italy. And world number one Peter Norfolk won disabled player of the year after claiming his third US Open crown. Great Britain\'s under 14 boys won the team of the year prize for their victory at the World Junior Tennis event in August. Henman will start his 2005 campaign at the Kooyong event on 12 January in a field that includes Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi. And the Briton is optimistic of surpassing his best effort of a fourth-round place at the Australian Open, which begins the following week. "I\'ve often felt that the conditions suit my game in Melbourne so I\'d love to be able to start next year by doing well at the Australian Open," Henman told his website. "That\'s why I\'ve changed my schedule slightly by committing to play in the Kooyong Classic. "I\'ll be able to acclimatise while practising before the event and then will be guaranteed matches against the best players in the world. "I think that will give me the best possible chance of doing well at the Australian Open." ', 'United States': 'Slovakia reach Hopman Cup final Slovakia will play Argentina in the final of the Hopman Cup after beating Group B rivals the Netherlands 3-0. Daniela Hantuchova defeated Michaella Krajicek 6-4 6-2 to give the Slovaks the perfect start before Dutchman Peter Wessels retired against Dominik Hrbaty. Wessels was unable to compete in the mixed doubles but Slovakia had already booked their place in the final for the second year running. Argentina claimed top spot in Group A with three wins from three matches. In the other Group B match, the United States defeated Australia 2-1. Meghann Shaughnessy lost the opening match against Alicia Molik but James Blake levelled the tie with a 6-3 6-4 win over Paul Baccanello, who came in as a replacement for the injured Mark Philippoussis. Blake and Shaughnessy then beat Molik and Baccanello in a tense mixed doubles contest to take the win. Hantuchova, who did not win a Hopman Cup singles match in 2004, has been in good form during this year\'s event and has won two of her three matches. "I feel like it\'s really deserved this time as I\'ve helped Dominik to get through," she said. "I think if I keep going the way I have been in the past few matches then I will be okay. "I was really pleased with my last two singles, even the first one, which was a really high standard. "You can\'t ask for a better preparation than to play a few matches here for the Australian Open." ', 'South Africa': 'O\'Connor aims to grab opportunity Johnny O\'Connor is determined to make a big impression when he makes his RBS Six Nations debut for Ireland against Scotland on Saturday. The Wasps flanker replaces Denis Leamy but O\'Connor knows that the Munster man will be pushing hard for a recall for the following game against England. "It\'s a \'horses for courses\' selection really," said O\'Connor. "There\'s a lot of competition here and I can\'t just drag my heels around if I don\'t get picked." It looks a definite head-to-head battle between himself and 23-year-old Leamy - three stone heavier than O\'Connor - for the number seven role against the world champions. Nonetheless, all O\'Connor is currently concerned about is making an impression while winning his third cap. "Missing the Italian game was disappointing certainly, but you can\'t dwell on these things - it\'s part and parcel of rugby. "Denis has been playing really well and deserved his opportunity. "It\'s a good situation to be in if there are good players around you, pushing for a place in the side." O\'Connor, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday, was touted by Wasps director of rugby Warren Gatland as a possible 2005 Lions Test openside as far back as last September. And his reputation as a breakdown scavenger and heavy hitter has seen him come to the forefront of O\'Sullivan\'s mind for the Scottish tussle. O\'Connor added: "It will be interesting to see how situations on the deck is reffed, with the new laws having come in. "Obviously the breakdown a big part of what I do on the pitch so I\'m hoping to hold some influence there against what is a very solid Scottish pack." O\'Connor will be winning his third cap after making his debut in the victory over South Africa last November. ', 'Japan': 'Henman to face Saulnier test British number one Tim Henman will face France\'s Cyril Saulnier in the first round of next week\'s Australian Open. Greg Rusedski, the British number two, is in the same quarter of the draw and could face Andy Roddick in the second round if he beats Swede Jonas Bjorkman. Local favourite Lleyton Hewitt will meet France\'s Arnaud Clement, while defending champion and world number one Roger Federer faces Fabrice Santoro. Women\'s top seed Lindsay Davenport drew Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez. Henman came from two sets down to defeat Saulnier in the first round of the French Open last year, so he knows he faces a tough test in Melbourne. The seventh seed, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the year\'s first major and is lined up to meet Roddick in the last eight, is looking forward to the match. "He\'s tough player on any surface, he\'s got a lot of ability," he said. "We had a really tight one in Paris that went my way so I\'m going to need to play well from the outset because he\'s a dangerous competitor." Switzerland\'s Federer, seeded one, is the hot favourite having won three of the four grand slam titles in 2004. He has beaten Santoro in five of their seven previous encounters, but is taking nothing for granted. "It\'s a tricky match," Federer said. "I played him at the US Open and won quite comfortably then. But you never know, if the rhythm is a bit off, he can keep you guessing and make it difficult. "The most important thing, though, is to get used to playing five-set matches and winning them." The 23-year-old could meet four-time champion Andre Agassi in the quarter-finals before meeting Russian Marat Safin, the player he beat in last year\'s final. Eighth-seeded American Agassi is set to play a qualifier in round one if he can shake off a hip injury which ruled him out of the Kooyong Classic. Second seed Andy Roddick will open his campaign against Irakli Labadze of Georgia. The American could meet Rusedski in the second round, seventh seed Henman in the quarter-finals and Hewitt in the last four. Hewitt is hoping to become the first Australian man to win the event since Mark Edmondson in 1976. The 23-year-old has never been beyond round four in eight attempts at Melbourne Park but has at least secured the opposite half of the draw to Federer, who beat him in the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open last year. Safin, seeded four, opens his campaign against a qualifier with 16th seed Tommy Haas, the player he beat in the semi-finals in 2002, a possible fourth-round opponent. In the women\'s draw, Davenport could encounter eighth-seeded Venus Williams in the quarter-finals and third-ranked Anastasia Myskina, the French Open champion, in the semi-finals. Bronchitis ruled Davenport, the 2000 Australian Open champion, out of her Sydney quarter-final on Thursday. Venus Williams, who lost to younger sister Serena in the Melbourne final two years ago, opens against Eleni Daniilidou of Greece. Serena Williams, who won her fourth consecutive grand slam at the 2003 Australian Open, was drawn in the bottom quarter with second seed Amelie Mauresmo, a runner-up in 1999. Serena will open against another Frenchwoman Camille Pin, while Mauresmo plays Australia\'s Samantha Stosur. Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, seeded fourth, drew a qualifier in the first round but could meet fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, the US Open winner, in the last eight 1 Roger Federer (Switzerland) 2 Andy Roddick (US) 3 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 4 Marat Safin (Russia) 5 Carlos Moya (Spain) 6 Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 7 Tim Henman (Britain) 8 Andre Agassi (US) 9 David Nalbandian (Argentina) 10 Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 11 Joachim Johansson (Sweden) 12 Guillermo Canas (Argentina) 13 Tommy Robredo (Spain) 14 Sebastien Grosjean (France) 15 Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 16 Tommy Haas (Germany) 17 Andrei Pavel (Romania) 18 Nicolas Massu (Chile) 19 Vincent Spadea (US) 20 Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 21 Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 22 Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 23 Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 24 Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 25 Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 26 Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 27 Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 28 Mario Ancic (Croatia) 29 Taylor Dent (US) 30 Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 31 Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 32 Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 1 Lindsay Davenport (US) 2 Amelie Mauresmo (France) 3 Anastasia Myskina (Russia) 4 Maria Sharapova (Russia) 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6 Elena Dementieva (Russia) 7 Serena Williams (US) 8 Venus Williams (US) 9 Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 10 Alicia Molik (Australia) 11 Nadia Petrova (Russia) 12 Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 13 Karolina Sprem (Croatia) 14 Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 15 Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) 16 Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 17 Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 18 Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 19 Nathalie Dechy (France) 20 Tatiana Golovin (France) 21 Amy Frazier (US) 22 Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 23 Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro) 24 Mary Pierce (France) 25 Lisa Raymond (US) 26 Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 27 Anna Smashnova (Israel) 28 Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 29 Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 30 Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 31 Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 32 Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) ', 'China': "Martinez sees off Vinci challenge Veteran Spaniard Conchita Martinez came from a set down to beat Italian Roberta Vinci at the Qatar Open in Doha. The 1994 Wimbledon champion won 5-7 6-0 6-2 to earn a second round meeting with French Open champion Anastasia Myskina. Fifth seed Patty Schnyder also had a battle as she needed three sets to beat China's Na Li 7-5 3-6 7-5. Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova beat Bulgarian Magdaleena Maleeva 4-6 6-4 6-3 to set up a second round clash with Russian Elena Bovina. The veteran Martinez found herself in trouble early on against Vinci with the Italian clinching the set thanks to breaks in the third and 11th games. But Vinci's game fell to pieces after that and Martinez swept her aside with some crisp cross-court returns and deft volleys. In the day's other matches, Japan's Ai Sugiyama defeated Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-3 while Australian Nicole Pratt beat Tunisian Selima Sfar 7-5 6-2 and will next face compatriot Alicia Molik. ", 'Turkey': 'Ferguson fears Milan cutting edge Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said his side\'s task against AC Milan would not be made any easier by the absence of Andriy Shevchenko. Milan\'s talismanic European footballer of the year misses Wednesday\'s Champions League first-leg tie after fracturing his cheekbone. "It\'s a loss (to Milan), but it could be worse if they didn\'t have such quality to bring in," Ferguson said. "How much they miss him I think they\'ll know tomorrow night." Ferguson said Milan\'s front line would still represent a formidable challenge for his defenders. "They can play Rui Costa and play Kaka forward. They can bring Serginho in and they can play (Jon Dahl) Tomasson," he said. Ferguson\'s own goalscoring talisman Ruud van Nistelrooy is fit again, but the Scot admitted he was unsure whether to start the Dutchman, who has not played for three months. "Ruud is the best striker in Europe. What I have to judge is whether he will struggle with the early pace after being out for so long," he said. "His ability puts him in with a big shout but it is a major decision." Ferguson, though, is confident his young players, particularly Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, are up to the task. "We have an opportunity to win this cup this year, no question about that," he declared. "With the maturity we see every week in Ronaldo and Rooney, the return of Van Nistelrooy and the form of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, we must have a fantastic chance." It is a view shared by Rooney, who believes "if we can get past Milan, we have a great chance". "As soon as I knew we were playing Milan, I got excited. Looking at the draw, it is anyone\'s trophy but we have every chance. "Hopefully, we can get to that final in Turkey and bring the cup back to Manchester." Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team were looking forward to returning to the venue where they lifted Europe\'s most prestigious club title two seasons ago. Milan beat Juventus in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 tie at Old Trafford and Ancelotti said: "We are all very happy to return (to Old Trafford) to play in the Champions League and this will give us great motivation." Ancelotti said he was aware of the threat United posed to his hopes of Champions League glory. "It\'s fundamental that we don\'t allow them to take control of the game. Our intention is not to adapt to their play but to play our game," he said. "They have great quality in attack, they use the wings a lot and we will have to make sure we stop them." ', 'Mexico': "Nadal marches on in Mexico Rafael Nadal continued his run of fine form to beat Guillermo Canas and reach the Mexican Open semis in Acapulco. Eighth seed Nadal, who picked up his second ATP title when he beat Alberto Martin in last week's Brazil Open, saw off the Argentine third seed 7-5 6-3. He now meets Argentine wild card Mariano Puerta, who followed up his win over top seed Carlos Moya by overcoming Spain's Felix Mantilla, 6-4 3-6 7-6. Czech fifth seed Czech Jiri Novak was eliminated 7-5 6-1 by Agustin Calleri. The unseeded Argentine, who won the tournament two years ago, now plays Spain's Albert Montanes. Montanes advanced to his first semi-final of the year with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 triumph over sixth-seeded Italian Filippo Volandri. Argentina's Agustin Calleri beat fourth seed Jiri Novak 7-5 6-1 in a battle of former champions at the Mexican Open. Calleri won his only ATP title in Acapulco two years ago while Novak won the singles and doubles titles in 1998. Calleri will face Albert Montanes in the semi-finals after the Spaniard ousted sixth seed Filippo Volandri of Italy 4-6 6-3 6-4. Argentine wild card Mariano Puerta continued his improbable run, outlasting Felix Mantilla 6-4 3-6 7-6. ", 'Argentina': 'Slovakia reach Hopman Cup final Slovakia will play Argentina in the final of the Hopman Cup after beating Group B rivals the Netherlands 3-0. Daniela Hantuchova defeated Michaella Krajicek 6-4 6-2 to give the Slovaks the perfect start before Dutchman Peter Wessels retired against Dominik Hrbaty. Wessels was unable to compete in the mixed doubles but Slovakia had already booked their place in the final for the second year running. Argentina claimed top spot in Group A with three wins from three matches. In the other Group B match, the United States defeated Australia 2-1. Meghann Shaughnessy lost the opening match against Alicia Molik but James Blake levelled the tie with a 6-3 6-4 win over Paul Baccanello, who came in as a replacement for the injured Mark Philippoussis. Blake and Shaughnessy then beat Molik and Baccanello in a tense mixed doubles contest to take the win. Hantuchova, who did not win a Hopman Cup singles match in 2004, has been in good form during this year\'s event and has won two of her three matches. "I feel like it\'s really deserved this time as I\'ve helped Dominik to get through," she said. "I think if I keep going the way I have been in the past few matches then I will be okay. "I was really pleased with my last two singles, even the first one, which was a really high standard. "You can\'t ask for a better preparation than to play a few matches here for the Australian Open." ', 'South Korea': 'Young debut cut short by Ginepri Fifteen-year-old Donald Young\'s first appearance in an ATP tennis tournament proved brief as the teenager went out in round one of the San Jose Open. Young shot to the top of the junior world rankings when he won the boys\' singles at January\'s Australian Open. But the wildcard entry was dispatched by fellow American Robby Ginepri in straight sets, 6-2 6-2, in California. Despite that he was happy with his Tour debut. "It was fun. I had my chances, but they didn\'t come through," he said. Young, who beat two players ranked in the top 200 when he was just 14, was only 2-1 down in the first set before losing 10 of the next 13 games. And Ginepri - six years older than the youngest player to ever win a junior slam and top the global standings - admitted he was impressed. "He\'s very talented," said Ginepri. "He\'s got a long future ahead of him. "Being left-handed, he was very quick around the court. "His serve is a little deceptive. He came into the net and volleyed better than I thought." Earlier, South Korean Hyung-Taik Lee defeated American Jan-Michael Gambill 6-3 7-6 (7-4). American Kevin Kim defeated Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 7-5 6-3, Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic downed American Jeff Morrison 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0, and Denmark\'s Kenneth Carlsen beat Irakli Labadze of the Republic of Georgia 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-3. Top seed Andy Roddick launches his defence of the title on Wednesday against qualifier Paul Goldstein. Second seed Andre Agassi opens his campaign on Tuesday against wildcard Bobby Reynolds, last year\'s US collegiate champion. Agassi has won the San Jose five times, but his run of three straight titles ended last year when he fell to Mardy Fish in the semi-finals. Fish went on to lose to Roddick in the final. ', 'India': 'Mirza makes Indian tennis history Teenager Sania Mirza completed a superb week at the Hyderabad Open by becoming the first Indian in history to win a WTA singles title. In front of a delirious home crowd, the 18-year-old battled past Alyona Bondarenko of the Ukraine 6-4 5-7 6-3. Mirza, ranked 134 in the world, sunk to her knees in celebration after serving out the match against Bondarenko. "It is a big moment in my career and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my effort," she said. "This win has made me believe more in myself and I can now hope to do better in the coming days. "I wanted to win this tournament very badly since it was in my hometown." At the Australian Open in January, Mirza became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. And a year ago, she became the youngest Indian to win a professional title by claiming the doubles at the Hyderabad Open. Mirza, playing in her first WTA final, began nervously in front of a raucous home crowd - committing three double faults in her opening service game. But from 0-2 down, Mirza broke serve twice in a row and held on to her advantage to take the first set. In a see-saw second set, Bondarenko raced into a 5-2 lead and though Mirza hauled herself level, the Ukrainian broke again before finally levelling the match. Mirza rediscovered the aggressive strokes that took her to the first set in the decider established a 5-2 lead. At 5-3, the stadium erupted in celebration when Mirza thought she had delivered an ace to secure victory but the serve was ruled to have clipped the net. Mirza eventually lost the point but to the relief of the crowd, she broke Bondarenko again in the next game to clinch the title. '}
politics
{'UK': '\'Last chance\' warning for voters People in England, Scotland and Wales must have registered by 1700 GMT to be able to vote in the general election if it is held, as expected, on 5 May. Those who filled in forms last autumn should already be on the register - but those who have moved house or were on holiday may have been left off. There will also be elections for local councils and mayors in parts of England on 5 May. The deadline for voters to register in Northern Ireland expired on Thursday. Completed registration forms can be handed into local authorities throughout the day on Friday, and some will accept them by fax. As well as for English county councils, polls for unitary authorities at Bristol, Isle of Wight and Stockton-on-Tees and mayors at Doncaster, Hartlepool, North Tyneside and Stoke-on-Trent are also scheduled for 5 May. Last week Preston City Council reported that more than 14,000 of its voters were not registered. Its electoral roll fell by 17.5% in a year - the biggest dip in the UK. An Electoral Commission spokeswoman said: "Political decisions are made on your behalf every day but only by using your right to vote at an election can you really have a say on the issues you care about. "If you want your voice to be heard on 5 May you will need to have registered by Friday 11 March." Council tax payers are not eligible to vote without registration, officials have stressed. ',
'Europe': 'Lib Dems unveil election slogan The Liberal Democrats will present themselves as "the real alternative" in the forthcoming general election campaign, Charles Kennedy has said. Unveiling the slogan at the party\'s spring conference, he said there was no "glass ceiling" to its ambitions. He told delegates that Labour had abused the public\'s trust and that the Tories had failed to oppose them. In response, the Conservatives insisted that theirs was the party that understood the "forgotten majority". Speaking in Harrogate Mr Kennedy said: "People want a credible, principled political party which offers a different vision of what Britain can be." Only the Liberal Democrats stood against the Iraq war, he said, and they had also provided strong opposition to the government\'s plans on ID cards, anti-terror measures and taxation. He said: "If you voted Conservative in 2001 ... what good did it do you? Your vote was wasted. "What people needed was ... a party which was listening to their concerns; a party which was prepared to stand up and say so; a party which said no to the prime minister." Responding to the claims Tory Party co-chairman Liam Fox said: "Like Labour, the Lib Dems are soft on crime, support higher taxes, oppose controlled immigration and support giving Europe more control over our lives." Mr Kennedy also outlined his party\'s plan to impose a 50% income tax rate on earnings over £100,000 a year. The money would be used to help pay for key policies such as abolishing university tuition fees, scrapping council tax in favour of local income tax, and providing free care for the elderly, he said. Labour and the Tories claim the sums do not add up, and that working families would be hardest hit. Mr Kennedy said: "Britain is the fourth-largest economy in the world. We have world class businesses and a world class workforce. "So why are two million of our pensioners living below the poverty line?" All the parties are campaigning hard for an expected election in May, although Prime Minister Tony Blair has not confirmed any timing. Earlier, Mr Kennedy told Radio 4\'s Today programme there was no possibility of forming a coalition with Labour in the event of a hung Parliament. "We go into the election as an independent party and we come out as an independent party," he said. Mr Kennedy has been under fire in recent days for missing Monday\'s Commons vote on the government\'s controversial anti-terrorism laws, along with 16 other Lib Dem MPs. On Saturday, the Lib Dem chief executive said it was "just a cock-up" that Mr Kennedy and his colleagues missed the vote, which the government won by a majority of only 14. "Nobody had any idea that was going to happen," Lord Rennard told reporters at the party conference. He said he was certain MPs would get another chance to vote against the plans. ',
'Canada': 'At a glance: Tory health checks The UK\' opposition Conservatives have unveiled plans to introduce health checks for immigrants if they win the General Election. Here\'s a guide to the plan: People coming to live and work in Britain from outside the EU. If they plan to stay six months or more and are from a country with lots of TB, they would have to have a chest x-ray and further tests if appropriate. All people from outside the European Union who want to stay a year or more will have to undergo a full medical. Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and HIV. A positive test for TB would automatically mean visa applications being turned down. All other conditions would be dealt with on a case by case basis. People would have to prove they have an acceptable standard of health and are unlikely to be a danger to public health in the UK, or impose significant costs or demands on the NHS. They would also, if appropriate, have to be able to undertake the work or study they applied to come here for. People coming to Britain for less than six months would not be medically tested unless they intended to work in health care, childcare or teaching. Children and pregnant women wanting to live in Britain permanently would not have to have a chest X-ray for TB. Under 16s would not face tests for hepatitis and HIV. The Tories say people fleeing persecution will not be denied sanctuary in Britain because of poor health. However, they will undergo health checks to ensure they receive the right medical treatment and do not spread infectious diseases. They claim government figures show that TB in England has increased by 25% over the last 10 years and that nearly two-thirds of people with the disease were born overseas. They also believe there should be stricter controls over who comes into Britain to ensure they are not a public health risk. They say the plans will protect access to the NHS. Applicants will be tested in their home country. Only asylum seekers will be tested in the UK once their refugee status is established. Home Office Minister Des Browne says the Government already routinely checks people for TB if they come into the UK for six months or more from high-risk countries. Recent medical checks were carried out on 175,000 people at Heathrow Airport and 10,000 at Gatwick. From those tests, about 100 infectious cases of TB were found. The Tories say 47 other countries across the world impose requirements of this kind. The party has looked at the way the system is operated in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Tory proposals are "quite closely modelled" on the New Zealand system. Labour claims the policy is little more than a "desperate attempt to catch up with Labour\'s five-year plan" for immigration and asylum, which was published last week. This says health screening for TB will be targeted on applicants from high-risk areas before they are given entry clearance. Those who are diagnosed with the disease would then need to seek treatment at home before being allowed to enter the UK. The Liberal Democrats have warned Labour and the Tories they were "in danger of pandering to prejudice rather than challenging it". ',
'Germany': 'UK rebate \'unjustified\' - Chirac French president Jacques Chirac has called the UK\'s £3bn rebate from the European Union "unjustified". Speaking after a summit meeting he said unless it was put up for discussion the EU would never be able to reach agreement on its medium term finances. Earlier Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the UK was prepared to veto any bid to reduce the rebate secured by Margaret Thatcher in 1984. He said it remained justified because less EU farm money came to the UK. Mr Chirac told reporters in Brussels: "One can only have a reasonable budgetary balance if we put back on the table the British cheque. It can no longer be justified. It was from the past." But a UK Government official responded: "Even with the rebate, the UK pays two and a half times more than France contributes to the EU budget. Without it we would pay 14 times as much as France. "There can be no deal on future financing which does not protect the rebate." The 25-member EU is gearing up for tough negotiations on its budget plans for the period 2007-2013, with the bloc\'s Luxembourg presidency hoping to strike a deal at a June summit. Earlier Conservative Graham Brady said the rebate was a "crucial test" of how firmly ministers were prepared to stand up for Britain. EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has indicated he wants the rebate to come to an end. Mr Straw said that as well as the veto over the rebate the UK wanted to keep a tight rein on national contributions. The UK, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden want the EU budget to be capped at 1% of member states\' combined national incomes - the European Commission has urged an increase to 1.26%. Mr Straw has said the EU commission\'s proposal would mean a 35% hike in the budget. Shadow Europe minister Mr Brady said: "I believe it is essential that Britain keeps the rebate and I think it\'s a crucial test of how firmly the British government is prepared to stand up for Britain internationally in Europe. "The UK is already one of the biggest net contributors to the EU ." The foreign secretary meanwhile said the "justice" of the rebate remained. "We have one of the lowest net receipts of any EU country because of the relatively small size of our agriculture sector and its efficiency. "That continues to be the case." UK Independence Party leader Roger Knapman said the rebate was "set in stone" and there was no reason to negotiate about it. "It is extraordinary to do it at this time, just as we are becoming the biggest contributor to the EU. If we lose our rebate as well, the British taxpayer is going to be bled at such a rate that I think everyone will go off the European project." EU leaders are holding talks in Brussels on how to re-energise the sluggish European economy. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is meeting his EU counterparts to finalise a package of measures aimed at stimulating growth and boosting employment ahead of a series of referendums on the European Constitution. The plans could introduce a free market into everything from computer services to construction. Critics - including Germany and France - believe liberalisation could result in companies shifting staff to cheaper bases in Eastern Europe, undercutting large EU economies and undermining social protections. There are also concerns about the number of workers from eastern European countries who will head west, exacerbating the already high unemployment levels in Germany. Mr Straw insisted there was nothing to fear from the services directorate. "European countries overall have benefited hugely from the free market in goods," he said. "What we are now talking about is developing that market into an internal market in services." Britain\'s low unemployment meant there was less "neurosis" about people coming from eastern European countries. "In countries like Germany and France, where frankly because of a tighter social market they have much higher levels of unemployment, there is increasing anxiety about other people coming in," he said. ',
'Japan': 'Straw backs ending China embargo UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has defended plans to end the European Union\'s arms embargo on China, despite opposition from the US and Japan. Mr Straw, visiting Beijing, noted arms embargoes applied to China, Burma and Zimbabwe but not to North Korea, which he said had a terrible rights record. The EU imposed its arms ban on China in 1989 after troops opened fire on protestors in Tiananmen Square. Mr Straw also signed a deal on China-UK tourism. It is expected this would increase the number of Chinese tourists by 40,000 per year, providing $120m in revenue. China has in the past said it sees the weapons ban as politically driven, and does not want it lifted in order to buy more weapons. Mr Straw, speaking at a joint news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, stressed this point. "The result of any decision [to lift the arms embargo] should not be an increase in arms exports from European Union member states to China, either in quantitative or qualitative terms," Mr Straw said. Earlier this week he said he expected the embargo to be lifted within six months. But Mr Straw faces tough opposition to the move. Tory foreign affairs spokesman Michael Ancram said lifting the arms embargo would be "irresponsible" and would damage Britain\'s relations with the US. He said Mr Straw was "naive beyond belief" if he accepted China\'s claim it does not want the ban lifted in order to buy weapons. The French want the embargo lifted because they want to sell arms to China; the Chinese want it lifted because they want to buy arms and battlefield technology from Europe." When he was in Tokyo earlier this week, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told the British minister that his plan to remove the embargo was " a worrying issue that concerns the security and environment of not only Japan, but also East Asia overall". Washington argues that if the embargo is lifted, it could lead to a buying spree for arms that China could use to threaten its diplomatic rival Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is part of Chinese territory and wants to unite it with the mainland, by force if necessary. The US is bound by law to help Taiwan defend itself. Washington has also voiced concern that the human rights conditions in China have not improved enough to merit an end to the embargo. It is an issue raised by human rights groups too. Brad Adams, from the UK\'s Human Rights Watch, said: "This is a huge political signal from Europe that they are willing to forget about Tiananmen Square." But Mr Straw insisted the EU\'s code of conduct on arms exports meant tough criteria on human rights still had to be met if the embargo was lifted. ',
'European Union': 'Tories reject rethink on axed MP Sacked MP Howard Flight\'s local Conservative association has insisted he will not be its candidate at the general election. Russell Tanguay, agent for Arundel and South Downs Tories, said Mr Flight was ineligible to be a candidate and the association was seeking a substitute. The news comes despite Mr Flight\'s allies saying they had enough support to hold a meeting to discuss his fate. Mr Flight landed in trouble over remarks on Tory tax and spending plans. He quit as Tory deputy chairman after apparently suggesting the Tories planned extra spending cuts - but he wants to continue as an MP. Tory headquarters says he cannot stand as a Conservative candidate because he is no longer an approved candidate. Mr Tanguay backed that view on Tuesday, saying: "Howard Flight is ineligible to stand as a Conservative Party candidate. "The association is in the process of selecting a new candidate." But the local Tory chairman made similar comments on Friday and dissent continues. Two local councillors who back Mr Flight met Mr Tanguay and the local association\'s chairman in Arundel on Tuesday afternoon but did not comment as they left the meeting. Mr Flight says he will not stand down as a candidate unless his local party instructs him to do so at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). The MP, who is consulting his lawyers, told BBC News: "They selected me and they, if you like, dispose of me or keep me." Mr Flight\'s supporters also say they have the 50 signatures needed to trigger the EGM. At a news conference, Mr Howard insisted he had played by the party\'s rules. The Tory leader, who argues he is ensuring honesty, said: "We do not say one thing in private and another thing in public." Labour election campaign coordinator Alan Milburn said the Tories were in "turmoil" because Mr Flight had exposed their hidden plans. The comments were not a "one-off", he said, claiming Mr Howard and other senior Tories were obsessively committed to cutting public spending. Liberal Democrat chairman Matthew Taylor said: "Whilst I disagree with Howard Flight\'s views, it seems extraordinary to sack somebody for telling the truth." It has also emerged Mr Howard has suspended Slough\'s constituency Conservative association for refusing to deselect its candidate. Adrian Hilton was abandoned after suggesting the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, under John Major\'s government, was an act of treason. The Catholic Herald also highlighted articles he wrote about the role of Catholicism in the European Union. Mr Hilton was chosen to fight the seat after the previous candidate, Robert Oulds, was sacked for being pictured with a range of guns and a hunting knife. Slough Conservative Association has now been placed on "support status" and is being run from Conservative campaign headquarters, says a senior party spokesman. Mr Hilton on Tuesday said he was considering taking legal action against his deposal. He said the local party had only learned of the final decision on the BBC News website on Monday evening. "There are people at Central Office who are behaving like little dictators and seemingly people who are ordinary members are being treated with contempt," he said. The party says it did try to contact the local Conservative chairman. ',
'EU': '\'EU referendum could cost £80m\' It could cost £80m to run a UK referendum on the European constitution, ministers have revealed. In a written parliamentary answer, Constitutional Affairs Minister Chris Leslie said the poll was likely to cost the same as a general election. Mr Leslie said the cost could not be compared with the only previous British referendum, held 30 years ago. Ministers say the constitution would make the European Union work better but critics fear creating a "super state". Labour MP John Cryer, whose question revealed the price estimate, said the cost surprised him but was not a central factor as it was important people had their say. But he said it would have been better to have rejected the constitution so avoiding the need for a referendum. The 2001 election cost £80m. No date for the vote has been set but Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has suggested it is unlikely to be held until early 2006 - after the predicted date for the next election. Most voters said the UK should stay in the Common Market in the 1975 referendum. ',
'United States': 'Brown calls for £5.5bn Aids fund Gordon Brown has called on rich nations to fund a £5.5bn ($10bn) plan to fight the Aids epidemic and find a vaccine. On the fourth day of his six-day tour of Africa, the UK chancellor predicted a vaccine could be found by 2012 if the world stepped up its funding pledges. Doubling the £400m being spent yearly on finding such a vaccine could advance it by three years and save six million lives, Mr Brown said on Thursday. He hopes to use the UK\'s G8 presidency to push the issue forward. "I believe that the generation that provided the finance to combat, cure and eradicate the world\'s deadliest disease of today - and today the world\'s least curable disease - HIV/Aids - will rightly earn the title \'the great generation\'," Mr Brown said in a speech during his African tour. The problems of HIV/Aids were inseparable from poverty, he added. "At least $10 billion per annum (£5.5bn) is needed to address the HIV/Aids crisis in low and middle income countries. "Existing financial commitments on their own will not stop the pandemic. "The UK\'s proposal for an International Finance Facility is so important - increasing world aid flows by over $50 billion (£27bn). A doubling of world aid to halve world poverty." Mr Brown also said he had agreed with the Italian finance minister Domenico Siniscalco to push forward with plans for the world-wide sharing and co-ordination of research into the disease. Currently the private sector was only spending £60m a year on seeking an inoculation and the market needed boosting, Mr Brown said. He called on industrialised nations to commit themselves to buying the first 300m vaccines at a cost of $20 each, thereby boosting the market for inoculations. This would be a "large enough inducement to create much stronger interest from both large and small pharmaceutical firms", Mr Brown added. More must also be done to finance the treatment and care of those living with HIV/Aids and their families, he said. But Aid charity Actionaid criticised Mr Brown\'s preoccupation with finding a vaccine and called on G8 nations to fund HIV/Aids treatments. The charity\'s head of HIV/Aids in Britain, Simon Wright said: "While encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to discover an HIV vaccine is important, a failure to provide any funding for HIV treatments condemns a generation of people to death. "HIV is decimating African countries, killing the most productive adults who should be working, caring for children and building the economy. An HIV vaccine is probably at least 10 years away. Treatments are needed now." On Wednesday, Mr Brown visited slums in the Kenyan capital Nairobi . He will visit an HIV/Aids orphanage in Tanzania and a women\'s credit union in Mozambique before chairing a meeting of the Commission for Africa in Cape Town. The chancellor has already unveiled proposals for a G8 aid package which he has likened to the Marshall Plan used by the United States to rebuild Europe after World War Two. ',
'France': 'UK pledges £1bn to vaccine effort UK Chancellor Gordon Brown has offered £960m ($1.8bn) over 15 years to an international scheme aiming to boost vaccination and immunisation schemes. In a speech, he called for action to reach the 2000 Millennium Declaration goals of halving global poverty and tackling child mortality rates. Mr Brown has just returned from a tour of African nations. The £1bn commitment is part of a five-point plan on debt relief, trade, aid, education and health. The chancellor was speaking at an event jointly organised by the UK\'s Department for International Development and the UN Development Programme on Wednesday. Mr Brown welcomed news that the Bill Gates Foundation and Norway are joining up to put an extra £0.53bn ($1bn ) into the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi). Britain, France, Gavi and the Gates Foundation have drawn up proposals to apply the principles of the International Finance Facility (IFF) to the area of immunisation. That could see donors making long-term, legally binding financial commitments which can then be used as collateral for raising extra funds from international capital markets. As well as pledging £960m over 15 years to the immunisation IFF, Britain urged other donors to contribute. If Gavi could increase its funding for immunisation by an extra £4bn ($7.4bn) over 10 years, then an extra five million lives could have been saved by 2015 and five million thereafter, Mr Brown argued. Campaign groups including Friends of the Earth, the World Development Movement, and War on Want said UK government policy on free trade was a major barrier to fighting poverty. War on Want\'s John Hilary said: "Compassionate rhetoric cannot disguise the reality of the government\'s neo-liberal policies. "As long as Mr Blair and Mr Brown continue to push free trade and privatisation on developing countries, more and more people will be pushed deeper into poverty, not lifted out of it." ',
'India': 'Minimum wage increased to £5.05 The minimum wage will rise in October, benefiting more than 1m people, the government has announced. Adults must be paid at least £5.05 an hour, up from £4.85, while 18 to 21 year olds will be paid £4.25. The recommendations came from the Low Pay Commission which said the number of jobs had continued to grow since the minimum wage was introduced in 1999. Businesses wanted it frozen, warning more rises could damage competitiveness but the unions want a £6 rate. A further increase in the adult rate to £5.35 an hour is provisionally scheduled for October 2006. According to the commission, many businesses had found the last two significant increases in the minimum wage "challenging". "We have therefore recommended only a slight increase above average earnings, and concentrated it in the second year to allow business more time to absorb the impact," said chairman Adair Turner. The government says most of those on the minimum wage are women - with many working in cleaning, catering, shops and hairdressing. Unveiling the latest increase, Mr Blair said he wanted the minimum wage to become a "symbol of decency and fairness". "For too long, poverty pay capped the aspiration and prosperity of far too many hard-working families," he said. "Too often, people were told to make a choice between the indignity of unemployment or the humiliation of poverty pay." Chancellor Gordon Brown and Transport Secretary Alistair Darling promoted the news in Edinburgh, Wales Secretary Peter Hain and Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan in Cardiff and Northern Ireland Minister John Spellar in Belfast. The government has not accepted the commission\'s recommendation that 21-year-olds should be paid at the adult rate, but says it will look again at the rate later on. Mr Brown said: "We want to do nothing that can damage the employment opportunities for young people, particularly young people entering the labour market for the first time." The government has said it will look at tougher action against the small number of employers who consistently refuse to pay the minimum wage. The national minimum wage is currently set at £4.85 per hour for those aged 22 and above, and at £4.10 for those aged 18 to 21. A £3 per hour minimum wage was introduced last October for 16 to 17-year-olds, but apprentices are exempt. The Trade Unions Congress welcomed the increase, but has called for a £6 minimum wage by next year. But the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called for a "pause year" to assess the impact of the above inflation rise in the minimum wage in October. And David Frost, director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "The level of increase each year has increased by rates far outstripping the rates of inflation. "What employers are saying to us now is that it\'s at a level where it\'s starting to bite into the competitiveness of companies right across the country." The Liberal Democrats\' economics spokesman Vincent Cable said he supported the move to raise the minimum wage. "It\'s not just good for the workers themselves but it lifts them out of benefits and therefore is good for the Exchequer too," he said. Conservative leader Michael Howard said he accepted the principle of the minimum wage and would not "seek to disturb" the increase. Speaking on BBC Radio 4\'s Woman\'s Hour, Mr Howard hinted the Tories might go into the general election with a promise to cancel income tax for the lowest-paid workers. "There are people on very low salaries, very low incomes indeed who really shouldn\'t be paying income tax," he said. It would be better to decrease taxes on earnings below £12,000 a year, with say no tax on below £6,000. The losses in tax can be recouped by having a 50pc tax band for people making over £100,000. Our minimum wage is going to be effectively almost twice the US minimum wage, yet our economy per person is only 2/3rds of the US! Perhaps, we have to really starting questioning why some products cost 50-60% more here than they do in the US. This combined with the tax decreases would make the pounds the low-paid people do make go much further. It\'s still not good enough! I got a part time Job at 16 when I was doing my A-levels in an attempt to get a little money saved for Uni. This was only 2 years ago and I was getting paid £2.75 an hour, and working as hard as any of the older staff, maybe it\'s about time 16 - 21 year olds got a fair wage! We must remember that the minimum wage is only part of the picture and must not rise to a level that makes employing people unattractive and encourages businesses to send work and therefore jobs abroad. Still government and local councils employ staff via their contractors that pay at the minimum wage or very close to it. An easy way for the government to do as it preaches would be to insist on floor pay levels for all government workers and take tens of thousand of civil servants out of the social security system all together. Any increase is certainly welcome news. However for all those whining about the pressures of an increase in the minimum wage I would simply ask them: "Would you be happy to work for less than £5.05 an hour?". Thought not ... so then, don\'t expect others to either. I can\'t believe that so many of these comments are against the minimum wage! Also I personally take great offence at the insinuation that people earning minimum wage were lazy at school if everyone went to university then who would serve you in the supermarkets and clean up after you? It\'s about time that these hardworking people are rewarded with only what they deserve and have earned fair pay and a bit of respect wouldn\'t go a miss either. br /> This is good news. The minimum wage has put a sense of equality back into a worker\'s relationship with their employer. Wages are supposed to be a fair reflection of an employee\'s efforts. For too long wages were a point of exploitation - what could an employer get away with. In very simplistic terms this put a pressure to keep low-paid wages low. With the minimum wage this downward pressure is at least partly removed. It is also interesting to read the comments from so called business leaders. They are the first to defend the rights and privileges of boards to award fat-cat salaries, bonuses and pension rights to the select few but they are the first to attack policies that are put in place to merely defend the rights of those that really make those fat cats purr! I feel there are both negatives and positives to the increase, on one hand some businesses will struggle to stay afloat but on the other hand in today world many young people can\'t afford to move out as property costs too much and only by earning more will they be able to get on in life. Its true many may get complacent but the minimum wage could be looked at as more of a stepping stone rather than a hand out. Here come the usual whines about how difficult it will be for businesses! We all remember Michael Howard\'s protestations that the minimum wage would cost a million jobs when it was introduced - funny how he\'s gone quiet on that one! Jobs have continued to increase since this humane legislation was brought in. I think if any job is worth doing then it\'s worth being paid a fair wage for, and £5.05 is hardly a fortune. If your business cannot pay its workers a decent wage then maybe it\'s not being run properly and if it folds, a better-run company will take over its duties and employ more people, so everybody wins except incompetent business owners! Great keep at it Tony, I remember the despair of the 80s and the low wages employers got away with. At last we can make a difference to people and reward them for working. We can\'t afford not to pay a decent wage. It\'s not a jobs at any price economy, goodbye sweatshops hello decency. The increase in minimum wage is a good thing. Living in the southwest where house prices and rent have increased hugely (like the rest of the country) over the past 5 years has made living for you average 18-21 years old very difficult. In the south west the increase in living costs have not been matched by an increase in pay, for example a job I did in Plymouth was underpaid to an equivalent worker in Exeter by 75p an hour. Hopefully the increase in the minimum wage will bring in to balance pay on a regional and national level, and in turn allow people like myself who do work hard, but might never earn a 6 figure salary the chance to branch out on our own. I work at a large Hospital where the contractors providing all ancillary services - domestic, catering & portering etc - pay the minimum wage of £4.85 as the basic rate. Someone has to do these unglamorous jobs and earn enough to live decently. How dare people suggest we are lazy or complacent for accepting these jobs and these wages? Who do they think will be carrying out these public service jobs if contractors are allowed to pay as little as their consciences allow? This is definitely the right step in the right direction. It shows that this government cares for the low income earners as well. This is a million votes more. Good strategy isn\'t it? Although I would not deny people the minimum wage increase, its timing stinks. I am quite prepared for a raft of \'bribes\' to come from the government before the election and a raft of taxes afterwards, they are playing us for the fools they think we are. This is extremely bad news for any business - whether they are small and medium enterprises or even large companies. By increasing overheads, for business, there will be an almost certain rise in costs to the consumer who while they openly welcome the idea of an increase in the minimum wage are the same people who still want to buy that shirt, or that pair of trainers for next to nothing. The extra cost this increase will bring, will only be reflected in the price of the goods we buy, which, in turn will only serve to discourage companies from setting-up business in the UK, or encourage those companies already based here to look elsewhere. The jubilation felt by "low-paid" workers here will soon give way to misery as they lose their jobs. This will only lead to a reduction in jobs. Why have many of the call centre jobs gone to India. Blair say\'s the economy is "strong and stable economy" however consumer debt and the country\'s debt is at its highest and now they heap this onto businesses, that will have no choice but to cut the workforce. The timing cannot be coincidental. This is blatant electioneering and should be exposed as such. Andrew in Derby complains that raising the minimum wage is \'blatant electioneering\'. I don\'t mind if it is. In our degraded democracy, elections are the one time when elites really have to worry about doing something concrete for the majority. My only complaint is the paltry figures being discussed. If my maths is right, a 35 hour week at £5.05 gives you an annual income just over £9,000 and raising it to £6 leaves it under £11,000. The unions should be putting the Government under pressure for much more. Businesses complaining might like to take a look at corporate pay, shareholder payouts and profits before wondering if paying a living wage is really a controlling factor in the viability of their firm. I am all for lifting the minimum wage of workers to a reasonable level, but we have to accept that with this will come competition from overseas workers. Also small businesses will have to be able to afford this manpower cost. We are already seeing a sweeping change in IT work being lost to India where people are paid much less. It is difficult for me to understand that only five years ago cheap labour abroad was classified as \'sweat shop\', but now we are told it is global competition. With our manufacturing industry in serious decline the country cannot be entirely service industries without something tangible to serve. There has to be something at the top of the food chain and that is manufacturing. The whole picture needs to be looked at. This is great news, but that might be because I work for minimum wage. Seems a good idea and will hopefully be an incentive to those who live to claim to actually get a job. When you can "earn" more from claiming than you can from work, there is no incentive. Perhaps a step in the right direction. If the TUC get their way a very large number of SMEs will have to close - this will put more people out of work. How then will the government fudge the unemployment figures! The government know it is not big business that keeps the economy going but the SMEs but we always get overlooked, they will only take notice if these large corporations close and move to other countries, after all they are predominantly owned by foreign companies. We are a specialist company but with these increases have already had an effect on us and we have lost work another one will close us. While I\'m delighted for those on low pay that this increase is being put forward, I am extremely concerned at the implications for small businesses. As an employee for a small nursery, I know this increase will cause great hardship for my employer, who has been unable to increase salaries for higher paid employees because of last October\'s increase for the lower paid employees - who were originally being paid slightly above the minimum but are now on the minimum. This latest increase of 20p an hour will cause even more financial hardship. If the rate rises to £6 then I can foresee many small businesses having to pay off employees. The increase in minimum wage will have a serious effect on my business. Although we pay above the minimum level we will have to increase our pay rates to maintain the differential. The raise is well above inflation and without significant increases in sales, it will mean that I will not be taking on a new member of staff as planned and I will be looking to reduce the total hours worked by the other members of staff, overtime being the first to go. I currently employ 42 staff whose wages mirror the national minimum wage. Increases above inflation are fine but all of my business is conducted with local authorities who will not accept above inflation rises in my service delivery. 80% of my costs are labour. The other aspect that is always hidden is that the thresholds for tax credits do not move in line with these increases so that all that happens is that employees tax credit support is reduced by the amount of the increase, thereby saving the government money but increasing the financial burden on small to medium businesses It is very good that the government has decided to increase the minimum wage - this should hopefully motivate people to undertake the "lower status" jobs. I know about this great idea - don\'t bother getting qualifications, laze about at school, no need to do anything other than attend so your parents don\'t get fined because remember, when you do eventually start working, doesn\'t matter how lazy you are, you\'ll be guaranteed a decent wage. The ones who suffer are the employers. I hope that if industry and business have to pay this new rate that Mr Blair and Mr Brown will increase tax allowances and raise national insurance thresholds so that the treasury won\'t take some of this increase off the people they say they are helping, or is this just another form of stealth tax on business through the back door? I don\'t believe in the minimum wage at all! I think jobs should create their own wage value and that if people want higher wages they should earn them. Now, before everyone thinks that I am some "rich-kid", I can assure you I am not. I came from a very much working class background and started work 20 years ago on a Youth Opportunity Program earning £25 per week. I worked hard, went to college part time, got my A-levels and degree & bettered myself. I now earn a 6 figure salary. I did that through hard work and getting off my backside. A minimum wage just makes people complacent. To Ashley, of Swindon: when you earned £25 per week, it was worth something. These days that £25 would need to be near to £60 to have the equivalent buying power. I might add, that thanks to successive governments holding down the tax allowance threshold below inflation, people earning the minimum wage are paying taxes that they never would have done 10 years ago at equivalent wages. "In my day" type arguments are a view that belong in the \'your day\' - 20 years ago! As a graduate working for minimum wage, I welcome any increase of pay I can get. I disagree with Ashley, Swindon saying I have to work harder to get more pay. I have my GCSE\'s A-Levels and A degree and have chosen to work for a small business that can\'t afford the wages I should be getting, I should be on at least 3x what I\'m getting but they can\'t afford it. We all work hard but the money is just not there. But on the plus side I love my job and wouldn\'t change it just to get more pay. As an employer of staff in several shops the last rise in the minimum wage cost my company an additional £5000 per year. These next rises will cost me more. I have to get the money from somewhere so pass it on to customers. So no one really wins in the end. In answer to Emma from Sleaford regarding no one really wins in the end... on the contrary Mr Blair wins - he wins because he obviously has announced this to be a vote winner and his treasury wins because as an employer you will know that the amount of tax and national insurance that the government will receive from all the minimum wage increases will rise and of course not only will be paying out higher wages but as an employer higher Employer NI Contributions as well. If the minimum wage increases again and if it hits anywhere near the £6.00 mark there will be 12 more people on the employment line and one more small business going bankrupt - namely mine. Think of us employers as well Mr Blair, we are not all big corporations earning millions. All workers should be entitled to a fair day\'s pay for a fair day\'s work. How many people on the minimum wage have any hope of obtaining a mortgage or saving towards retirement? It is good news for many Asians living in UK. Students who do odd jobs can increase their income and can help there family in their home country. I thank Mr. Blair and his government for increase in the national minimum wage. ',
'US': 'Straw backs ending China embargo UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has defended plans to end the European Union\'s arms embargo on China, despite opposition from the US and Japan. Mr Straw, visiting Beijing, noted arms embargoes applied to China, Burma and Zimbabwe but not to North Korea, which he said had a terrible rights record. The EU imposed its arms ban on China in 1989 after troops opened fire on protestors in Tiananmen Square. Mr Straw also signed a deal on China-UK tourism. It is expected this would increase the number of Chinese tourists by 40,000 per year, providing $120m in revenue. China has in the past said it sees the weapons ban as politically driven, and does not want it lifted in order to buy more weapons. Mr Straw, speaking at a joint news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, stressed this point. "The result of any decision [to lift the arms embargo] should not be an increase in arms exports from European Union member states to China, either in quantitative or qualitative terms," Mr Straw said. Earlier this week he said he expected the embargo to be lifted within six months. But Mr Straw faces tough opposition to the move. Tory foreign affairs spokesman Michael Ancram said lifting the arms embargo would be "irresponsible" and would damage Britain\'s relations with the US. He said Mr Straw was "naive beyond belief" if he accepted China\'s claim it does not want the ban lifted in order to buy weapons. The French want the embargo lifted because they want to sell arms to China; the Chinese want it lifted because they want to buy arms and battlefield technology from Europe." When he was in Tokyo earlier this week, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told the British minister that his plan to remove the embargo was " a worrying issue that concerns the security and environment of not only Japan, but also East Asia overall". Washington argues that if the embargo is lifted, it could lead to a buying spree for arms that China could use to threaten its diplomatic rival Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is part of Chinese territory and wants to unite it with the mainland, by force if necessary. The US is bound by law to help Taiwan defend itself. Washington has also voiced concern that the human rights conditions in China have not improved enough to merit an end to the embargo. It is an issue raised by human rights groups too. Brad Adams, from the UK\'s Human Rights Watch, said: "This is a huge political signal from Europe that they are willing to forget about Tiananmen Square." But Mr Straw insisted the EU\'s code of conduct on arms exports meant tough criteria on human rights still had to be met if the embargo was lifted. ',
'Italy': '\'Nuclear dumpsite\' plan attacked Plans to allow foreign nuclear waste to be permanently stored in the UK have been branded "deeply irresponsible" by the Liberal Democrats. The government has confirmed intermediate level waste (ILW) that was to have been shipped back to its home countries will now be stored in the UK. The cash raised will go towards the UK\'s nuclear clean-up programme. But Lib Dem Norman Baker accused ministers of turning Britain into a "nuclear dumpsite". Under current contracts, British Nuclear Fuels should return all but low level waste, but none has ever been sent back. In future, only highly-radioactive waste will be sent back to its country of origin, normally Germany or Japan, under armed guard. Intermediate waste from countries such as Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Sweden will be stored permanently in the UK. At the moment, this waste is stored at Sellafield, in Cumbria, in the form of glass bricks, untreated liquid waste or solid material in drums. In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry said the new policy meant there would be a "sixfold reduction in the number of waste shipments to overseas countries". And it said highly-radioactive waste would be returned to its home country sooner, ensuring there would be no overall increase in radioactivity. Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the new arrangements, revealed in a Commons written statement, would raise up to £680m for Britain\'s nuclear clean-up programme, under the new Nuclear Decommissioning Agency. But the move has been criticised by environmental groups and the Liberal Democrats. Mr Baker, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, said: "I have been warning for months that this would happen and raised it with government several times. But now our worst fears have been confirmed. "Once again Britain\'s environmental and health needs are being ignored in policies driven by the Treasury and DTI. "This is a terrible attempt to offload some of the £48bn cost of cleaning up nuclear sites. "The Energy Act was supposed to help Britain clean up, but in order to pay for it we are becoming a nuclear dumpsite. "The nuclear industry is an economic, social and environmental millstone that hangs around Britain\'s neck." ',
'Turkey': '\'UK will stand firm on EU rebate\' Britain\'s £3bn EU rebate is not up for renegotiation at next week\'s European Council summit, Jack Straw said. The foreign secretary told MPs the rebate, secured by Margaret Thatcher in 1984, was "entirely justified". New European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has suggested the cash could be shared out among net contributors to the EU budget. Mr Straw acknowledged some countries in the newly enlarged 25 nation EU still had to "see the light" on the rebate. But the foreign secretary told the Commons foreign affairs committee: "Our position is very clear: it is entirely justified and it is not for negotiation." He added that he did not think there would be a political price to pay for the UK\'s stance - Britain contributed more and received less than other EU states. The two-day European Council summit in Brussels begins on 16 December and is widely expected to mark the beginning of a lengthy negotiating period over the EU\'s budget for 2007-13. The wrangling could stretch into 2005, even 2006. The UK, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden want the EU budget to be capped at 1% of member states\' combined national incomes - the Commission wants it to be 1.26%. Mr Straw said the EU commission\'s proposal would mean a 35% hike in the budget. "I don\'t know of any national government thinking of increasing its budget by that amount," he added. The foreign secretary said he hoped the talks next week could produce a date in 2005 for the beginning of negotiations with Turkey about possible EU membership although that there would be no prospect of a date for joining for some time. ',
'Russia': 'Terror powers expose \'tyranny\' The Lord Chancellor has defended government plans to introduce control orders to keep foreign and British terrorist suspects under house arrest, where there isn\'t enough evidence to put them on trial. Lord Falconer insists that the proposals do not equate to a police state and strike a balance between protecting the public against the threat of terrorism and upholding civil liberties. But thriller writer Frederick Forsyth tells BBC News of his personal response to the move. There is a mortal danger aimed at the heart of Britain. Or so says Home Secretary Charles Clarke. My reaction? So what? It is not that I am cynical or just do not care. I care about this country very much. But in the 66 years that I have been alive, there has not been one hour, of one day, of one month, of one year, when there has not been a threat aimed at us. My point is, the British have always coped without becoming a dictatorship. We have coped with fear without becoming a state based on fear; we have coped with threat without turning our country into a land of state threat. But that is what the Blair government now seeks to do - create a tyranny to defend us from the al-Qaeda tyranny. I was born on 25 August, 1938. The mortal threat back then was a scruffy little Austrian called Adolf Hitler. A week after my first birthday, the threat had become reality. We were at war. My father wore a uniform for five years. After 1945 we yearned for peace at last. But in 1946 Winston Churchill told us - from the Baltic to the Adriatic an Iron Curtain has descended across Europe. Behind the Iron Curtain, another genocidal psychopath, another threat. Josef Stalin triggered the Cold War, with the Berlin blockade in 1948. My whole generation was blighted by it. We were threatened by the nuclear holocaust, the nuclear wind, the nuclear winter. We built shelters that would have sheltered nothing. We spent our treasure on weapons instead of hospitals. We took silly precautions. Some fought it; some marched futilely against it. Some pretended it was not there. The Cold War lasted 43 years, but we remained a parliamentary democracy. By the early seventies it was terrorism as well. Al Fatah, Black September, Red Brigades, but most of all for us the IRA and the INLA. Thirty more years; 300 policemen and women, over 600 soldiers, more than 3,000 civilians dead, but we won because even IRA bombs could not force us to become a tyranny. That was why the tyrants lost. Civil rights were infringed as little as humanly possible. Evidence had to be taken in secret to protect covert sources; yes , and one judge, no-jury courts had to be instituted when juries were terrorised. Informants had to be given immunity from their own crimes to win the bigger battle. But habeas corpus did not die; right of appeal was not abolished. Now the threat is Islamic fundamentalism. Its leaders want to destroy our society; so did the IRA. It is based and funded abroad; so was the IRA. It has sleeper fanatics inside our society; so did the IRA. It is extremely hard to penetrate with our agents; so was the IRA. The prime movers are not easy to bring to trial; neither were the IRA. But we did. And without becoming a tyranny. Now the Blair government proposes the law system of fascism and communism. The citizen can be arrested and held without charge or trial, not even on the careful consideration of an experienced judge, but the whim of a political activist called a government minister. To be protected from terror the government says, we must become a tyranny. But a tyranny is based on the citizen\'s terror. This is not victory; this is defeat before a shot is fired. An interesting article - its good to see widening participation in the debate - but I suggest we move one step further. Our own bombs and bullets will can only shatter peace, because invading foreign nations, imprisoning the innocent and \'hunting\' in the \'shadows\' cannot destroy an evil of the mind, and hatred within the heart. Rather than focusing upon effect, we should consider the cause, because terrorism does not begin with bombs. Why not try a foreign policy of compassion, it can only enhance our democracy, and share our freedom. I agree with Frederick Forsyth. We really can\'t deal with terrorism by turning Britain into a fascist state. What we really need is more honesty from our security services and our politicians. If they do not have evidence to bring these people to trial, there probably isn\'t any. Our security services, behave like the detective who having decided that a certain person is guilty, rakes over all kinds of obscure and flimsy evidence to try and prove it, while the real villain gets away. Remember there were no WMD in Iraq. Just because a person may have made some stupid and naive decisions in life does not make them a terrorist. In this overly \'politically correct\' society, it is good to see someone like Mr. Forsyth speak out. Yes, there has been oppression by the British government in the past, and overstepping the mark in places like Ireland, but yes, we are still a democracy where it is rare to be arrested without charge/trial etc. (apart from a number of prisoners in Belmarsh goal, for example).This country signs up to human rights, and then pretends that they only apply to the people with nothing to fear, the innocent people (defined by whom?). When ID cards become mandatory, the data collected will not be protected by the Data Protection Act, and will be readily available to people like GCHQ, with no control by the person whose ID is being checked. The threat now is new. You cannot compare the threats of past years with now. Forsyth says 3000 died over 30 years or terrorism; 3000 people died in one morning in NY on September 11th 2001. The threat today is that terrorists will acquire nuclear or biological technology. A Kilo of Semtex will flatten a building, a Kilo of plutonium will flatten a city. You now have a combination of people who will perform terrorist acts with technology that is rapidly becoming accessible. I agree, the government is probably encouraging a degree of mass-hysteria and talking up the threat; but talking-down the threat and doing nothing is unacceptable too. The problem with this issue is not that it isn\'t important, but the fact that in general we Brits can be so politically apathetic some times, that we will just let this go without telling the government no. However, as the nation that gave the world the common law and a true sense of the rights of individual liberty I hope this will prove to be one step too far. As somebody of Chinese origin, I can say that this country used to be a good place to migrate and start a new life. Whilst life wasn\'t perfect, we could make better for ourselves. Now we are riddled with red tape and be told what we can or cannot do. We have to be politically-correct and we are not allowed to have beliefs or opinions. We have a Prime Minister who spends too much time meddling in US politics and affairs which have little to do with the lives of British Citizens at home or abroad. Mr Forsyth has done a good job in voicing his opinions. Let\'s hope the BBC doesn\'t get gagged for letting people express their views. The people have the right to know and the BBC\'s role is to Inform, Educate and Entertain... I agree. Terrorists intend to spread fear but in reality it is the government which has spread the fear, by its constant publicising of the this invisible enemy so dangerous that we must allow them to ride roughshod over our rights and liberties. In the end, the very thing we seek to protect is what we are giving up in the name of safety from this invisible enemy. The terrorists have already won. I absolutely agree with Frederick Forsyth. Yes we have to defend ourselves against terrorism but existing laws seem to be more than adequate. The idea that the "new terrorism" demands new powers is erroneous. The evidence of any real terrorist capability in the UK is scant. Ricin, for example, is a dangerous poison but it is not a weapon of mass destruction. What is really worrying is the enthusiasm of Mr Blair and his government for authoritarian reactions and attempts to manipulate the electorate through fear. If the government has its way with ID cards, tracking and so on then totalitarianism has won and as such it then matters little whether we give in to the terrorists demands or not. We will have lost the precious freedom which Bush and Blair constantly tells us we have and that they seek to bring to others. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Forsyth. I am shocked at the ease with which this government is prepared to wipe out a major portion of the liberties that British people have enjoyed for centuries - the right not to be deprived of our liberty without a trial in open court. That goes right back to Magna Carta, and ordinary people have spilled their blood to enforce that right against governments who thought they "knew best". When you look at today\'s Britain, you realise George Orwell was only wrong about one thing: the date. Frederick Forsyth puts it beautifully. The government is seeking to introduce a police state. The new powers of home internment without trial follow a pattern which includes the introduction of surveillance via compulsory ID cards and the linking of data bases, together with the un-British idea that we will have to swear allegiance to the state at the age of 18 years. We are sleep-walking into this. Wake up! An interesting view but missing two crucial facts of this new threat: 1) If these terrorists acquire weapons of mass destruction they WILL use them without fear of Mutually Assured Destruction that kept the cold war in a state of tense balance. These people will use devastating force against us without fear of ANY consequence. 2) The terrorists are prepared to use suicide bombers which means they could kill innocent people on the London Underground and we could do very little to stop it. Because these terrorists are potentially SO deadly, we have to come up with new, tougher responses. It will be a little late in the day when people outside London wake up one morning to find out that London has been nuked. We won\'t have much of a society left to debate ! He\'s correct in most of what he says. Mind you he does seem to have forgotten that disgraceful internment policy in Northern Ireland which probably caused many idealistic if misguided young Catholics to join the IRA. Administrative detention of Muslims could have a similar effect now. Surely we the public would be better protected if the security services, rather than alerting a suspect terrorist by placing them under house arrest (and for how long?)They were to place suspect terrorist under surveillance and maybe acquire sufficient evidence to prosecute or even better prevent a terrorist attack. I don\'t usually have much time for Mr Forsyth\'s largely right wing views but this time he has got it spot on. There is no doubt that there are terrorist organisations who would like to do harm to the U.K. but it is very doubtful whether al-Qaeda is a global organisation co-ordinating this. The rise of surveillance cameras, ID cards, the plan to charge for road use by tracking every vehicle at all times, this is the stuff of nightmares. Add to this this new legislation which effectively means that the protection of the law will be removed from anyone at the whim of the Home Secretary, and I genuinely wonder what sort of world my two children will inherit. Where will this end. As it stands terrorists do not need to attack the U.K. it\'s government will soon have it\'s people terrorised more that they could very achieve with a few bombs. Mr Forsyth has expressed exactly what my gut fears and reservations were about this proposed legislation, but could not verbalise. Thank you. Mr Forsyth seems to forget that killings in the Troubles occurred on both sides of the religious divide and was carried out by killers from both sides. He also forgets basic Human Rights were suspended then as now. Experienced Judges sat over some of the greatest miscarriages of justice during those times. For very little return and maximum alienation. These laws and the emphasis on the Islamic threat will just do the same. Forsyth is wrong. The nature of the current threat is new. It is no longer to our armed forces, as the Soviet threat in the Eastern bloc was. It is to you and I. The terrorist aim to kill indiscriminately. The best comparison is therefore the blitz, 1941. At this time, let us not forget, suspects (foreign and British were routinely rounded up and interned for the duration of the war, without any complaints from the public. We must not forget we are at war. I\'d say that that the likelihood of an attack by a sleeper cell of fundamentalist lunatics against a major UK target is a "When" not an "If" probability. I\'ll bet any money you like that the day after any such attack Freddie Forsyth will be saying that the government didn\'t do enough to protect the UK. People like Forsyth can only see one side of any argument and for him it is the side that is opposite New Labour and Tony Blair. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Forsyth. The very reason this country has been such a wonderful place to live, is under attack, not from terrorists, but from this government. The perpetuation of the perceived terrorist threat is not because of what the \'alleged\' terrorists are doing, but from our own government. I believe what this government is doing, is, at the very least, highly questionable and at worst, sinister. At what point will they feel they have enough control over every single person in the British Isles; when we are all tagged and monitored constantly? Our freedom is being craftily and surreptitiously whittled away by this government and we are gaining nothing. It should be of great concern to everyone. I am slightly older than Mr Forsyth and therefore have lived through the same history as him. I am against a police state and would not like to think that I lived in one. I think that the attack on Iraq made the international situation worse and may have provoked further acts of terrorism. How true. There are extremely worrying parallels between Britain now and Germany during the 30\'s. I never thought it would be so easy to take over a country from within. Mr Forsyth has forgotten one key point; the terrorists who threaten Britain today are well aware that Hitler, Stalin, and the IRA all failed. As a result modern day terrorists are willing to do things their predecessors did not. That does not mean that the civil liberties of modern Britain must be eroded to counter the threat; that should always be the absolute last resort. But to meet the new threat, to defeat the sinister fanaticism of today\'s terrorists, we may need to do things a little differently. Let us hope not. Frederic Forsythe\'s comments seem to me to be a well-thought-out analysis of why we (human society as a whole, and Britain in particular) should resist the temptation to over-protect through fear. It is this fear which enables terrorists to succeed in the end, and terrorists can come in all forms, as Mr. Forsythe\'s opening comments suggest. I am reminded of a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson. "A nation that limits freedom in the name of security will have neither." The government are faced with an incredibly difficult task, and have made a policy to deal with it. It\'s all very well criticising that policy, but if Mr Forsythe can\'t draw on his years of experience to offer an alternative, I say \'So what?\' to his opinions. Frederick Forsyth\'s rhetoric is absurd and his conclusions laughable. He distorts reality to serve his own prejudice against New Labour. This government seeks to balance protection of our democracy with minimum loss of civil rights. It is Frederick Forsyth who is the extremist, because he does not appreciate the need for balance. I rarely find myself agreeing with My Forsyth, but in this instance I think he is correct. The rule of law must prevail, civil liberties are worth defending. If the government can hold \'suspects\' without charge or trial, what\'s next? I agree absolutely. By introducing fascist type laws we loose the moral high ground in our fight against terror. Our democratic system is not perfect, but as Churchill points out it is "better than all the others that have been tried". Terrorist attacks will take place but for many reasons we should take that personal risk in return for personal freedom. I do not usually agree with Mr. Forsyth, but he is spot on here. The single biggest threat we face is that of a government dedicated to acting illegally and manipulating international and national law to suit its own purpose. Totalitarianism always requires an outside threat, justifying a range of extraordinary powers leaders want. The British government is a far greater threat that and terrorist organisation. Although, in principle I agree with him, Frederick Forsyth fails to address one key point- al-Qaeda attacks (though obviously there have been none yet in the UK) seek to kill the maximum number of people. The IRA wanted to limit the death toll of their attacks so as to maintain support among the republican movement. Yes, I agree with Mr. Forsyth\'s views. I do not believe the government\'s plans are justified. There is over reaction to and the negative influence of the US President\'s interpretation of democracy and freedom. He uses the same arguments that were current before the WWII, the Wars to "liberate" Iraq, Afghanistan with Syria and Iran to come. We are leaving a poor inheritance for the future generations. Mr Forsyth is a wonderful writer and should keep his fiction where it belongs. The British Government is not going down the road that Mr Forsyth suggests. Sadly comments such as his will make a lot of people believe that they are governed by people who are fast becoming tyrants instead of being genuinely committed to stopping tyranny, even if the method employed to do that is at the moment alien to the British people who have lived in a democracy protected by Tony Blair and others of like mind who, Mr. Forsyth seems to be putting along side the \'scruffy little Austrian.\' Thomas Hobbes would be smiling in his grave at Labour\'s propositions. Like New Labour, he called himself a libertarian. Like New Labour, he believed he was promoting the people\'s best interests. But as Forsythe criticises this government, Hobbes has been criticised by most subsequent philosophers for arguing his way into the hands of the totalitarians. Simply put, he argued that in favour of the ultimate liberty - the liberty to live - man should be prepared to surrender all other liberties to a supreme sovereign, as protection against his fellow, barbaric, man. Hobbes has been roundly condemned by posterity, and rightly so. I hope New Labour suffers the same treatment. I agree with Mr Forsyth\'s views. The governments approach is totally against the spirit of British democracy. They must not be allowed to get away with it. Of course Frederick is wrong about Britain winning the war against the IRA and he\'s wrong too about the country not becoming a tyranny. Has he forgotten about shoot to kill, torture, internment without trial, collusion with loyalist death squads etc? My background is somewhat similar to Freddie\'s so I am persuaded to agree with many of his sentiments. We can have no moral justification for imposing our system of government on anyone while we are systematically depriving our own citizens of basic individual and collective freedoms. Whilst the principle of keeping potential terrorists under house arrest might seem superficially attractive, it is, unfortunately, also the first step towards totalitarianism. Who is to decide whom is a suspect? Why should we believe them? Who can have faith in the honesty, integrity, and competence of our intelligence services and politicians in light of the events of recent years? What is to stop false denunciations? What of those falsely accused who will lose their careers? Who will support their families? Will their children still go to school? It smacks to me of the methods of Nazi Germany, Stalin\'s Russia, Ceausescu\'s Romania - the list goes on. It looks as if a new dark age is coming. I see that opinion on Mr Forsyth\'s remarks are divided. The problem I see is that those who support imprisonment without trial believe it will never happen to them or their family, only to people they don\'t like or are scared of. But history has shown that if you have laws like that, they always get abused by those in power. After all, today you may be scared of the same people as those in power but someday those in power may be scared of you! And that day, you\'ll be the one imprisoned without the chance of justice. Our laws are such that you cannot just be imprisoned at the whim of our police forces, you have to be shown to be deserving of it. If we imprison people without trial for an indeterminate period, we are no better that those we are fighting. I never thought it possible for me to agree with a single word uttered by Frederick Forsyth, but I\'m in wholehearted agreement with him on this one. We, as a nation are in grave danger of being duped by pro US propaganda, which of course also means we\'ll inherit most, if not all of their total paranoia, and allow our governments, of any political persuasion incidentally, to gradually, and insidiously, impose a police state by well tried & tested back door methods. I grieve for the future of my children, it\'s no wonder they\'re adamant they don\'t ever want any of their own. This government, with much fanfare, signs us up to the European Convention on Human Rights but now wants to introduce indefinite house arrest without trial. This puts it on a par with the government of Burma. Like many of your respondents, I wouldn\'t usually think of Mr Forsyth as someone whose views I share, but in the instance of opposing Charles Clark\'s proposals for house arrest, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Forsyth/ I agree with Mr Forsyth. Just look at the facts - our government (along with the US) invaded another sovereign country (Iraq) by selecting intelligence that backed it\'s case based on fear. The facts turned out to be very different. If individuals are treated in the same distorted way, then we\'ve done ourselves more damage than any terrorist organisation could with bombs. We become animals too. I agree in many ways with what Mr Forsyth has said - if we are to be respected and have influence within the world we must be seen to be walking the walk as well as talking the talk - how can we accuse countries such as Zimbabwe and Burma of human rights abuses when we are locking up people who may be totally innocent, it is hypocrisy of the highest order. Mr Forsyth links "Islamic fundamentalism" to the new "threat". However it appears that he has misunderstood the term "Islamic fundamentalism". It should be pointed out that a Muslim who adheres to the true fundamentals of the Qur\'aan and the teachings of the last Prophet Muhammad is an Islamic Fundamentalist. This person does not commit suicide in any shape or form, nor does she/he kill innocent women, men and children. This person is self-reflective and constantly tries to better her/his actions by being good to others. The people who Mr Forsyth labels the new "threat" are those who do not follow the correct teachings of Islam. They have arrived at their own interpretations and assumptions with regards their actions. On top of that, they claim to be following Islam in its true form! I accept that the intentions of these policies are to make Britain a safer place but I cannot think of a single example from history where doing this sort of thing has ever made any difference - in Northern Ireland internment certainly didn\'t achieve anything - the bombings didn\'t stop, and it could be argued that all it achieved was to just supply the IRA with yet more angry and resentful republicans willing to take up arms against the British. Being eight years older than Frederick Forsyth and a survivor of the Blitz on London, it is easy to agree with him, he is absolutely spot on. During the IRA bombings there were massive explosions in Canary Wharf, to the right of where I write this, and also to the left in the City of London. Notwithstanding these and the attempted and nearly successful assassination attempts on Prime Minister Thatcher in Brighton and on later occupants of 10 Downing Street, there was no retaliatory blitz on Belfast or Dublin as there has been on Afghanistan and Iraq. Even when England was in true peril in 1940 apart from some detentions there were no wholesale derogation of habeas corpus and the like. We have to see off these latest attempts on our liberties including ID cards, which Winston Churchill decided had to go since, he said, the average Bobby on the beat could not be relied on to not be tempted to take undue advantage against the citizen going about their lawful activities (incidentally I can still remember my old ID card number). Hence it is clear that the far too great police state powers set for the statute books have to be resisted and neutered. What can I add to Mr. Forsyth\'s eloquently put arguments... except applause! Well done that man for standing up and being counted in the "war against tyranny". ',
'United Kingdom': 'Labour accused of \'EU propaganda\' A "taxpayer subsidised propaganda exercise" on the EU is being used to lull the British public into a false sense of security, say the Tories. Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram told MPs a new White Paper was part of trying to soften up opinion ahead of the referendum on the EU constitution. His claims were denied by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who accused the Tories of "running scared" of debate. EU cooperation would help get better UK immigration controls, he argued. Mr Straw used Thursday\'s Commons debate to launch the new White Paper on the prospects for the EU in 2005. Security, stability and prosperity would be the key themes when the UK took over the chairmanship of the EU in July, said Mr Straw. Africa and climate change would also feature highly. He said the UK was trying to ensure future EU budgets were limited to 1% of Europe\'s economic output and were spent "where it adds most value". Mr Straw promised to continue to ensure the UK\'s budget rebate, secured in 1984 by Margaret Thatcher, was "fully justified". "We, like all other countries, have a veto on any changes proposed in this area," he said. Mr Ancram condemned the document, which the Foreign Office says has cost about £2,500 to design, print and deliver. "Isn\'t the reason that the government is now involved in a taxpayer subsidised propaganda exercise to try to sell the new EU to the country in advance of the forthcoming referendum and general election?," he asked. The Tory spokesman also criticised the government for claiming the EU constitution would make Europe easier to understand. "The government, last week, had to publish a commentary of 500 pages to try and explain this \'easy and simple\' constitution to the British people," he said. "Who are they trying to kid?" The proposed question for the constitution referendum is: "Should the United Kingdom approve the Treaty establishing a Constitution for the European Union?" The Electoral Commission on Thursday said it was satisfied the question was easy to understand. The government has suggested the referendum on the constitution could take place in spring 2006, with the Tories set to campaign for a "no" vote. Mr Ancram said ministers were prolonging uncertainty by putting the vote off until the latest date possible. The foreign secretary hit back by saying Tory attitudes to Europe had helped keep the party out of power for more than a decade. Mr Straw argued cooperation with European partners could bring a "level playing field" on immigration and asylum controls. "You are setting your face against all of these things," he added. For the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell said the UK should not ignore the need to reform the EU Common Agricultural Policy. Change was particularly important for developing countries wanting access to markets, he argued. Sir Menzies was among those worried about plans, backed by the UK, to lift the arms embargo imposed on China after the Tiananmen Square massacre. Mr Straw said no decisions had been taken - Chinese human rights had improved but not by enough. ',
'Australia': 'Howard\'s unfinished business "He\'s not finished yet," whispered the Conservative Party person as your reporter attempted to slip quietly from the hall. And indeed he wasn\'t. Michael Howard had already broken away from the printed text of his speech, at his party\'s spring conference in Brighton, to deliver a smart rebuff to Peter Hain\'s description of him as an "attack mongrel", claiming such personal abuse meant Labour was "rattled" by the Tory challenge. And here he was again, moving to the front of the stage as the party faithful rose to their feet in applause, to make a personal, ad-libbed appeal to them to go out and fight for victory. "One day you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren as I will tell mine, \'I was there. I did my bit. I played my part. I helped to win that famous election - the election that transformed our country for the better\'." The speech, which was peppered with references to Mr Howard\'s humble beginnings as the "child of immigrants", had been introduced by his son Nick, a trainee vicar, who praised his father\'s honesty. "I always know where I am with him because all my life he has meant what he has said to me," he said. Mr Howard was also joined on stage by his wife Sandra, daughter Larissa and stepson Sholto. The audience\'s reaction to all of this was a little muted by party conference standards. But Mr Howard\'s overall message - that the Tories have Labour on the run and that they can win the next election - did not sound quite as hollow as it might have done six months ago. Mr Howard claimed, with some justification, that the Tories\' campaign has got off to a "great start". They have had Labour on the back foot over immigration, with Tony Blair hastily adding a sixth promise on the issue to his latest pledge card, and have even managed to score points in traditional Labour territory such as health and education. The stunts involving Margaret Dixon with her postponed operation and Maria Hutchings with concerns about her son\'s special needs education may not have been to everyone\'s taste, but they succeeded in bringing the issues alive and forcing Labour to react. Senior Tories believe they are, at long last, starting to tap into the public mood, cutting through the background noise to connect with the ordinary voter. Their latest poster campaign flags up a range of policies from better school discipline, cleaner hospitals ("I mean, how hard is it to keep a hospital clean?") and immigration ("It\'s not racist to impose limits on immigration") - under the headline "are you thinking what we are thinking?" This, they say, contrasts with Labour\'s negative campaigning, such as its now infamous "flying pigs" poster. Oliver Letwin, one of the men lampooned in the Labour poster, affects bewilderment at what he believes is Labour\'s loss of its once sure footing on the campaign trail. The Peter Hain "mongrel" attack, he says, is just the latest example of the party getting the tone wrong - a by-product, he claims, of the Tories setting the agenda. "I have to say I don\'t understand what they are doing. The Labour machine appears to be in some kind of state of shock, it doesn\'t seem to know what to do." A few weeks of positive headlines have also done wonders for Tory activists\' morale - likely to be a crucial factor at an election which, most analysts seem to agree, will hinge on which party can get their core support out. "It has been a fantastic few weeks," said 20-year-old politics student Nick Vaughan. "Our policies have been getting in the media and there is a sense that we can win. I wouldn\'t be here if I didn\'t think we could." Some delegates even spoke of the next election being like 1970, when Ted Heath, behind in the polls and written off by the pundits, snatched victory from Harold Wilson\'s Labour Party. They all insisted it was not going to be a re-run of 2001. "We thought in 2001 we were going to dent that massive majority but it just didn\'t happen," said John Murray, of Aldridge Browhills Conservatives. "It was very disappointing. This time it really is different. "Whoever is running our strategy from the top has got it bang on. Blair is on the back foot." Much of the credit for the Tories\' recent change of fortune must go to Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist who succeeded in turning political veteran and apparent no-hoper John Howard, of Australia\'s Liberal Party, into a serial election winner. The Tories still have a mountain climb if Michael Howard is to walk through the doors of Number 10. Even allowing for the natural bias against the Tories in some opinion polls, they are still behind, when to have a chance of overturning Labour\'s whopping majority, they should really be ahead. But as they gear up for the start of the campaign proper, the party at least has reason to hope that, like his Australian namesake, Mr Howard really isn\'t finished yet. ',
'China': 'EU rules \'won\'t stop UK spending\' The shape of the UK\'s economy In graphics But he denied that he was ruling out British membership of the euro despite saying there would be no assessment of the five economic tests this year. Mr Brown said that it was vital the UK continued to invest in infrastructure, science, and education in the future. Otherwise it would be overtaken by the likes of China, he told MPs. The chancellor said that the EU\'s planned changes in the growth and stability pact - designed to ensure that countries in the euro zone do not borrow too much - would force Britain to run a budget surplus of 1% over the economic cycle. Under Mr Brown\'s rules, the UK current budget must be in balance over the economic cycle, but public investment is not counted as part of that deficit. He told the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee that the EU rules "make it difficult for a low debt country to run the investment programmes that are necessary to improve its infrastructure". But he argued that the EU was moving in the direction of the UK principles, and would eventually recognise the need to consider budget deficits over a longer period than one year, to include investment, and to take more account of the total size of government debt as well as the balance each year. Under Mr Brown\'s "sustainable investment" rule, government debt should be under 40% - in contrast to the 60% allowed under the growth and stability pact. Mr Brown vigorously denied Conservative claims that he had in effect fiddled the figures to ensure that he met his own fiscal rules. In March the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reclassified £3.4bn of spending on road repairs as public investment - shortly before the chancellor announced in the Budget that he would meet his own fiscal budget rule by only £6bn. Conservative Michael Fallon asked Mr Brown whether the Treasury had leaned on ONS to make this change, and said that the ONS had received a written paper from the Treasury on this matter. But the chancellor said Mr Fallon was "impugning the integrity" of the Office of National Statistics and said the decision had been made completely independently. Mr Brown also denied that he was increasing taxes to fund his spending gap. He told the Treasury Select Committee that a growing economy meant more people in work and more profits for companies which would boost Treasury coffers. Earlier, ex-Conservative chancellor Ken Clarke welcomed a relaxation of the rules governing the euro zone. Speaking on Radio 4\'s Today programme, Mr Clarke said political give and take would replace more "rigid" rules. But fellow Tory David Heathcoat-Amory said the folly of the system was in trying to run Europe\'s varied economies on one set of rules. "The essential point here is that the stability and growth pact has turned out to be a fake," he said. "The warning is about the European constitution, which we are going to have a vote on in a year or two, and that centralises and entrenches these rules in a constitution. It gives more powers to Brussels to co-ordinate things like employment and economic policy." But, speaking to the Treasury Select Committee, Gordon Brown said that the new stability pact rules were not part of a binding Treaty and could be changed again the future - potentially opening the way for future euro membership. "The conditions for euro entry are unchanged by this new decision about the stability and growth pact," Mr. Brown said. ',
'Indonesia': 'Gurkhas to help tsunami victims Britain has offered to send a company of 120 Gurkhas to assist with the tsunami relief effort in Indonesia, Downing Street said. The deployment would involve troops from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, based in Brunei. Discussions have begun with Indonesia on the exact timing and location of the deployment, but the government said the offer was aimed at the Aceh province. Downing St said a similar offer might be made to the Sri Lankan government. However a spokesman pointed out that there were particular logistical difficulties in Indonesia which the Gurkhas might be able to help with. The spokesman said: "Following this morning\'s daily coordination meeting on the post-tsunami relief effort, the government has formally offered the Indonesian government the assistance of a company of British Army Gurkhas from 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles around 120 personnel and two helicopters. "This is in addition to the ships and aircraft we have already committed to the relief operation in the Indian Ocean." Indonesia was by far the country worst affected by the tsunami, with 94,000 of the 140,000 confirmed deaths so far. International Development Minister Gareth Thomas said the assistance offer would most likely focus on the northern province of Aceh. "We have offered the Gurkhas to help in the process of scaling up the relief effort, particularly in Aceh which is undoubtedly the hardest hit area in the Indian Ocean at the moment," he said. "We\'ve also had RAF aircraft flying in equipment which the UN desperately need in order to set up a truly effective relief operation on the ground in Aceh province as well." The offer comes as the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrives in Indonesia for a special summit meeting on the disaster. ',
'South Africa': 'Boateng to step down at election Paul Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is to step down as a Labour MP at the forthcoming general election. Mr Boateng, 53, is to become the UK\'s high commissioner to South Africa. He was the UK\'s first black cabinet minister when appointed to his post in 2002, promoted from the Home Office, where he had been prisons minister. Mr Boateng served on the Greater London Council before being elected to Parliament in 1987, declaring "today Brent South, tomorrow Soweto". He will succeed the previous High Commissioner, Ann Grant, shortly after the next election, which is widely expected to be held on 5 May. The appointment is dependent on Labour\'s re-election. Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "Paul has been both a valued colleague and a trusted friend for many years. "He has made an immense contribution to public life in Britain and I am delighted that he has agreed to continue that service to the people of Britain by acting as their representative in South Africa." Chancellor Gordon Brown said: "Over the past eight years Paul\'s contribution to the Treasury and the government has been exceptional - and it has been my privilege to have worked closely with him closely at the Treasury. "I congratulate Paul on his new appointment. "He has displayed huge dedication to the cause of African development for many years and it is fitting that, in this year of challenge and opportunity for the African continent, Paul has been given such a pivotal role in our fight against poverty and injustice. "I look forward to continuing to work with Paul on this vital agenda." Mr Boateng said: "I am honoured to be asked to take on this role, especially as it comes at such an integral time for our relationship with South Africa and the African continent. "There shall be many new challenges and opportunities ahead and I look forward to embracing them with great anticipation." Asked if he was appointed as the result of a "fair and open" competition, he replied: "I have been appointed as a result of a process that\'s been used before by Labour and Conservative governments to appoint people of all parties who have relevant experience." Mr Boateng also laughed off suggestions that his re-election in Brent South seat had been in danger saying it was "one of the safest Labour seats in the country". Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said that, if in government, he would refuse to approve either Mr Boateng\'s appointment or that of ex-Cabinet minister Helen Liddell as high commissioner to Australia. "Mr Blair\'s appointment of Paul Boateng is the latest example of a worrying trend of failed Tony\'s cronies being appointed to senior diplomatic posts," he said. ',
'Mexico': "Hague's six-figure earnings shown The rewards of leaving front-bench politics are shown in the latest annual register of members' interests. The register shows former Tory leader William Hague earning up to £820,000 on top of his MPs' salary, much of it from speaking fees. His former shadow chancellor Michael Portillo makes up to £560,000 a year - partly because of speeches and TV work. Ex-health secretary Alan Milburn earned up to £85,000 from speeches, articles and advice while not in the Cabinet. Mr Milburn was away from the frontbench for just more than a year between stepping down as health secretary and becoming Labour's election supremo. His declared interests include £20,000 from newspaper articles and fees of up to £35,000 for four speeches. He also commanded a salary of between £25,000 and £35,000 for being on investment company Bridgepoint Capital's European advisory committee. His time out of office will, however, have lost him his £71,433 minister's salary. Mr Hague's work outside Parliament included two one-man shows, which with other speaking fees netted him up to £480,000. He also earned up to £195,000 for a weekly column in the News of the World, and between £5,000 and £10,000 for presenting BBC'2's Have I Got News for You. Mr Hague was also paid an undisclosed amount for the newspaper serialisation of his biography of William Pitt the Younger and up to £135,00 for work as an adviser to various companies. Former Defence Secretary Michael Portillo makes some of his money as a non-executive director of BAE Systems. He is to stand down as an MP at the next election. And former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook was paid between £45,001 and £50,000 for the paperback edition of his book about his resignation from government. His declared income of up to £205,000 also includes payments for being a consultant to the Tote and for his regular column in the Guardian newspaper. The register also shows former Home Office Minister Ann Widdecombe declaring a £100,000 advance for her third and fourth novels. She also received up to £30,000 for acting as the Guardian's agony aunt and between £5,001 and £10,000 for appearing on ITV's Celebrity Fit Club. David Blunkett has become a paid adviser to Indepen Consulting Limited now he is not home secretary - he helps them with seminars about the relationship between government and business. He earns between £5,001and £10,000 for the work. Tony Blair's entry confirms that King Abdullah of Jordan paid for him to fly from a holiday in Egypt to official discussions - and for a sightseeing tour to Wadi Rum. Tory leader Michael Howard's only fresh entry is a Christmas hamper from the Sultan of Brunei. He also declares a trip to Mexico last year to address executives of News International, and helicopter and private jet travel paid for by supporters. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy registered donations to his office from supporters, a free ticket to last year's Bafta awards and rent from a single-bedroom flat in London. The register only contains new information for December 2004 - but Monday saw the publication of the annual review of the register, with the year's details. The payments are shown in bands of up £5,000, making it difficult to calculate the exact earnings. "}
#USE NLTK Tokenizer to tokenize and count the occurrence of each country
from nltk.tokenize import word_tokenize
import nltk
from nltk.corpus import stopwords
def tokenizer (array):
holder = []
stop_words = set(stopwords.words('english'))
for x in range(len(array)):
temp = word_tokenize(array[x])
holder.append(temp)
#flatten list of lists
flat_list = [item for sublist in holder for item in sublist]
stopWordsRemoved = []
for x in flat_list:
if x not in stop_words:
stopWordsRemoved.append(x)
import string
punctuations = list(string.punctuation)
punctuations.append("''")
pun = [i for i in stopWordsRemoved if i not in punctuations]
return pun
cleanBusiness = tokenizer(businessArticles)
cleanEntertainment = tokenizer(entertainmentArticles)
cleanPolitics = tokenizer(politicsArticles)
cleanSports = tokenizer(sportArticles)
cleanTech = tokenizer(techArticles)
print(cleanSports)
['Claxton', 'hunting', 'first', 'major', 'medal', 'British', 'hurdler', 'Sarah', 'Claxton', 'confident', 'win', 'first', 'major', 'medal', 'next', 'month', "'s", 'European', 'Indoor', 'Championships', 'Madrid', 'The', '25-year-old', 'already', 'smashed', 'British', 'record', '60m', 'hurdles', 'twice', 'season', 'setting', 'new', 'mark', '7.96', 'seconds', 'win', 'AAAs', 'title', '``', 'I', 'quite', 'confident', 'said', 'Claxton', '``', 'But', 'I', 'take', 'race', 'comes', '``', 'As', 'long', 'I', 'keep', 'training', 'much', 'I', 'think', 'chance', 'medal', 'Claxton', 'national', '60m', 'hurdles', 'title', 'past', 'three', 'years', 'struggled', 'translate', 'domestic', 'success', 'international', 'stage', 'Now', 'Scotland-born', 'athlete', 'owns', 'equal', 'fifth-fastest', 'time', 'world', 'year', 'And', 'last', 'week', "'s", 'Birmingham', 'Grand', 'Prix', 'Claxton', 'left', 'European', 'medal', 'favourite', 'Russian', 'Irina', 'Shevchenko', 'trailing', 'sixth', 'spot', 'For', 'first', 'time', 'Claxton', 'preparing', 'campaign', 'hurdles', 'could', 'explain', 'leap', 'form', 'In', 'previous', 'seasons', '25-year-old', 'also', 'contested', 'long', 'jump', 'since', 'moving', 'Colchester', 'London', 're-focused', 'attentions', 'Claxton', 'see', 'new', 'training', 'regime', 'pays', 'dividends', 'European', 'Indoors', 'take', 'place', '5-6', 'March', "O'Sullivan", 'could', 'run', 'Worlds', 'Sonia', "O'Sullivan", 'indicated', 'would', 'like', 'participate', 'next', 'month', "'s", 'World', 'Cross', 'Country', 'Championships', 'St', 'Etienne', 'Athletics', 'Ireland', 'hinted', '35-year-old', 'Cobh', 'runner', 'may', 'included', 'official', 'line-up', 'event', 'France', '19-20', 'March', 'Provincial', 'teams', 'selected', 'last', 'Saturday', "'s", 'Nationals', 'Santry', 'officially', 'announced', 'week', "O'Sullivan", 'present', 'preparing', 'London', 'marathon', '17', 'April', 'The', 'participation', "O'Sullivan", 'currentily', 'training', 'base', 'Australia', 'would', 'boost', 'Ireland', 'team', 'bronze', 'three', 'years', 'agio', 'The', 'first', 'three', 'Santry', 'last', 'Saturday', 'Jolene', 'Byrne', 'Maria', 'McCambridge', 'Fionnualla', 'Britton', 'automatic', 'selections', 'likely', 'form', 'part', 'long-course', 'team', "O'Sullivan", 'also', 'take', 'part', 'Bupa', 'Great', 'Ireland', 'Run', '9', 'April', 'Dublin', 'Greene', 'sets', 'sights', 'world', 'title', 'Maurice', 'Greene', 'aims', 'wipe', 'pain', 'losing', 'Olympic', '100m', 'title', 'Athens', 'winning', 'fourth', 'World', 'Championship', 'crown', 'summer', 'He', 'settle', 'bronze', 'Greece', 'behind', 'fellow', 'American', 'Justin', 'Gatlin', 'Francis', 'Obikwelu', 'Portugal', '``', 'It', 'really', 'hurts', 'look', 'medal', 'It', 'mistake', 'I', 'lost', 'things', 'I', 'said', 'Greene', 'races', 'Birmingham', 'Friday', '``', 'It', "'s", 'never', 'going', 'happen', 'My', 'goal', 'I', "'m", 'going', 'win', 'worlds', 'Greene', 'crossed', 'line', '0.02', 'seconds', 'behind', 'Gatlin', '9.87', 'seconds', 'one', 'closest', 'fastest', 'sprints', 'time', 'But', 'Greene', 'believes', 'lost', 'race', 'title', 'semi-finals', '``', 'In', 'semi-final', 'race', 'I', 'race', 'I', 'conserving', 'energy', '``', 'That', "'s", 'Francis', 'Obikwelu', 'came', 'I', 'took', 'third', 'I', "n't", 'know', '``', 'I', 'believe', "'s", 'put', 'lane', 'seven', 'final', 'I', 'lane', 'seven', 'I', 'could', "n't", 'feel', 'anything', 'race', '``', 'I', 'felt', 'like', 'I', 'running', 'alone', '``', 'I', 'believe', 'I', 'middle', 'race', 'I', 'would', 'able', 'react', 'people', 'came', 'ahead', 'Greene', 'also', 'denied', 'Olympic', 'gold', '4x100m', 'men', "'s", 'relay', 'could', 'catch', 'Britain', "'s", 'Mark', 'Lewis-Francis', 'final', 'leg', 'The', 'Kansas', 'star', 'set', 'go', 'head-to-head', 'Lewis-Francis', 'Friday', "'s", 'Norwich', 'Union', 'Grand', 'Prix', 'The', 'pair', 'contest', '60m', 'distance', 'Greene', 'currently', 'holds', 'world', 'record', '6.39', 'seconds', 'He', 'another', 'indoor', 'meeting', 'France', 'resuming', 'training', 'outdoor', 'season', 'task', 'recapturing', 'world', 'title', 'Helsinki', 'August', 'Greene', 'believes', 'Gatlin', 'prove', 'biggest', 'threat', 'ambitions', 'Finland', 'But', 'also', 'admits', 'faces', 'one', 'rival', 'world', 'crown', '``', 'There', "'s", 'always', 'someone', 'else', 'coming', 'I', 'think', 'I', 'coming', 'I', 'would', 'say', 'Ato', 'Boldon', 'young', 'crowd', 'Greene', 'said', '``', 'Now', "'ve", 'got', 'five', 'six', 'young', 'guys', 'coming', 'time', 'IAAF', 'launches', 'fight', 'drugs', 'The', 'IAAF', 'athletics', 'world', 'governing', 'body', 'met', 'anti-doping', 'officials', 'coaches', 'athletes', 'co-ordinate', 'fight', 'drugs', 'sport', 'Two', 'task', 'forces', 'set', 'examine', 'doping', 'nutrition', 'issues', 'It', 'also', 'agreed', 'programme', '``', 'de-mystify', 'issue', 'athletes', 'public', 'media', 'priority', '``', 'Nothing', 'decided', 'change', 'things', 'forum', 'stakeholders', 'allowing', 'express', 'said', 'IAAF', 'spokesman', '``', 'Getting', 'everyone', 'together', 'gave', 'us', 'lot', 'food', 'thought', 'About', '60', 'people', 'attended', 'Sunday', "'s", 'meeting', 'Monaco', 'including', 'IAAF', 'chief', 'Lamine', 'Diack', 'Namibian', 'athlete', 'Frankie', 'Fredericks', 'member', 'Athletes', 'Commission', '``', 'I', 'happy', 'see', 'members', 'athletics', 'family', 'respond', 'positively', 'IAAF', 'call', 'sit', 'together', 'discuss', 'fight', 'doping', 'said', 'Diack', '``', 'We', 'leading', 'Federation', 'field', 'duty', 'keep', 'sport', 'clean', 'The', 'two', 'task', 'forces', 'report', 'back', 'IAAF', 'Council', 'April', 'meeting', 'Qatar', 'Dibaba', 'breaks', '5,000m', 'world', 'record', 'Ethiopia', "'s", 'Tirunesh', 'Dibaba', 'set', 'new', 'world', 'record', 'winning', 'women', "'s", '5,000m', 'Boston', 'Indoor', 'Games', 'Dibaba', '14', 'minutes', '32.93', 'seconds', 'erase', 'previous', 'world', 'indoor', 'mark', '14:39.29', 'set', 'another', 'Ethiopian', 'Berhane', 'Adera', 'Stuttgart', 'last', 'year', 'But', 'compatriot', 'Kenenisa', 'Bekele', "'s", 'record', 'hopes', 'dashed', 'miscounted', 'laps', 'men', "'s", '3,000m', 'staged', 'sprint', 'finish', 'lap', 'soon', 'Ireland', "'s", 'Alistair', 'Cragg', '7:39.89', 'Bekele', 'battled', 'second', '7:41.42', '``', 'I', "n't", 'want', 'sit', 'back', 'get', 'out-kicked', 'said', 'Cragg', '``', 'So', 'I', 'kept', 'pace', 'The', 'plan', 'go', '500m', 'go', 'matter', 'Bekele', 'made', 'mistake', 'The', 'race', 'mine', 'Sweden', "'s", 'Carolina', 'Kluft', 'Olympic', 'heptathlon', 'champion', 'Slovenia', "'s", 'Jolanda', 'Ceplak', 'winning', 'performances', 'Kluft', 'took', 'long', 'jump', '6.63m', 'Ceplak', 'easily', 'women', "'s", '800m', '2:01.52', 'Isinbayeva', 'claims', 'new', 'world', 'best', 'Pole', 'vaulter', 'Yelena', 'Isinbayeva', 'broke', 'indoor', 'world', 'record', 'clearing', '4.89', 'metres', 'Lievin', 'Saturday', 'It', 'Russian', "'s", '12th', 'world', 'record', 'career', 'came', 'days', 'cleared', '4.88m', 'Norwich', 'Union', 'Grand', 'Prix', 'Birmingham', 'The', 'Olympic', 'champion', 'went', 'attempt', '5.05m', 'meeting', 'France', 'failed', 'clear', 'height', 'In', 'men', "'s", '60m', 'former', 'Olympic', '100m', 'champion', 'Maurice', 'Greene', 'could', 'finish', 'second', 'Leonard', 'Scott', 'It', 'Greene', "'s", 'second', 'consecutive', 'defeat', 'hands', 'fellow', 'American', 'also', 'Birmingham', 'last', 'week', '``', 'I', 'ran', 'race', 'perfectly', 'said', 'Scott', '6.46secs', 'best', 'time', 'indoors', '``', 'I', 'happy', 'even', 'I', 'know', 'Maurice', 'long', 'way', 'peak', 'start', 'season', "O'Sullivan", 'commits', 'Dublin', 'race', 'Sonia', "O'Sullivan", 'seek', 'regain', 'title', 'Bupa', 'Great', 'Ireland', 'Run', '9', 'April', 'Dublin', 'The', '35-year-old', 'beaten', 'fourth', 'last', 'year', "'s", 'event', 'year', 'earlier', '``', 'I', 'understand', "'s", 'solid', 'winter', "'s", 'training', 'Australia', 'recovering', 'minor', 'injury', 'said', 'race', 'director', 'Matthew', 'Turnbull', 'Mark', 'Carroll', 'Irish', 'record', 'holder', '3km', '5km', '10km', 'make', 'debut', 'mass', 'participation', '10km', 'race', 'Carroll', 'stepped', 'form', 'recent', 'weeks', 'late', 'January', 'scored', 'impressive', '3,000m', 'victory', 'leading', 'American', 'Alan', 'Webb', 'Boston', 'Carroll', 'facing', 'stiff', 'competition', 'Australian', 'Craig', 'Mottram', 'winner', 'Dublin', 'last', 'two', 'years', 'Hansen', "'delays", 'return', '2006', 'British', 'triple', 'jumper', 'Ashia', 'Hansen', 'ruled', 'comeback', 'year', 'setback', 'recovery', 'bad', 'knee', 'injury', 'according', 'reports', 'Hansen', 'Commonwealth', 'European', 'champion', 'sidelined', 'since', 'European', 'Cup', 'Poland', 'June', '2004', 'It', 'hoped', 'would', 'able', 'return', 'summer', 'wound', 'injury', 'slow', 'heal', 'Her', 'coach', 'Aston', 'Moore', 'told', 'Times', '``', 'We', "'re", 'looking', 'sooner', '2006', 'triple', 'jumper', 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'Davis', 'Cup', 'success', 'next', 'tie', 'Israel', 'March', '``', 'Although', 'I', 'wo', "n't", 'playing', 'I', 'would', 'still', 'like', 'make', 'available', 'Jeremy', 'LTA', 'future', 'I', 'draw', 'upon', 'experience', 'hope', 'trying', 'help', 'British', 'players', 'develop', 'full', 'potential', 'added', '``', 'I', "'ve", 'really', 'enjoyed', 'playing', 'front', 'thousands', 'British', 'fans', 'home', 'abroad', 'would', 'like', 'thank', 'every', 'one', 'unwavering', 'support', 'years', 'Henman', 'leaves', 'Davis', 'Cup', 'tennis', 'impressive', 'record', '36', '50', 'matches', 'Great', 'Britain', 'captain', 'Jeremy', 'Bates', 'paid', 'tribute', 'Henman', "'s", 'efforts', 'years', '``', 'Tim', 'quite', 'simply', 'phenomenal', 'Davis', 'Cup', 'career', 'absolute', 'privilege', 'captained', 'team', 'said', 'Bates', '``', 'Tim', "'s", 'magnificent', 'record', 'speaks', 'While', "'s", 'great', 'loss', 'I', 'completely', 'understand', 'respect', 'decision', 'retire', 'Davis', 'Cup', 'focus', 'Grand', 'Slams', 'Tour.', '``', '``', 'Looking', 'future', 'decision', 'obviously', 'marks', 'watershed', 'British', 'Davis', 'Cup', 'tennis', 'also', 'huge', 'opportunity', 'next', 'generation', 'make', 'mark', '``', 'We', 'host', 'talented', 'players', 'coming', 'despite', 'losing', 'someone', 'Tim', "'s", 'calibre', 'I', 'remain', 'optimistic', 'future', 'Henman', 'made', 'Davis', 'Cup', 'debut', '1994', 'Romania', 'Manchester', 'He', 'partner', 'Bates', 'doubles', 'rubber', 'middle', 'Saturday', 'tie', 'Britain', 'eventually', 'lost', 'contest', '3-2', 'Henman', 'Britain', 'little', 'luck', 'Davis', 'Cup', 'matches', '1999', 'qualified', 'World', 'Group', 'Britain', 'drew', 'USA', 'lost', 'tie', 'Greg', 'Rusedski', 'fell', 'Jim', 'Courier', 'deciding', 'rubber', 'They', 'made', 'final', 'stages', '2002', 'time', 'lost', 'might', 'Sweden', 'Ivanovic', 'seals', 'Canberra', 'victory', 'Serbia', "'s", 'Ana', 'Ivanovic', 'captured', 'first', 'WTA', 'title', 'straight-sets', 'victory', 'Hungarian', 'Melinda', 'Czink', 'final', 'Canberra', 'Classic', 'The', '17-year-old', 'took', '83', 'minutes', 'take', 'match', '7-5', '6-1', 'Ivanovic', 'beat', 'Czink', 'last', 'round', 'qualifying', 'Hungarian', 'made', 'main', 'draw', 'lucky', 'loser', 'Katarina', 'Srebotnik', 'withdrew', 'injured', 'Ivanovic', 'said', '``', 'I', 'really', 'nervous', 'beginning', 'I', 'pulled', "n't", 'much', 'wrong', 'A', 'junior', 'Wimbledon', 'finalist', 'last', 'year', 'added', '``', 'It', "'s", 'first', 'WTA', 'title', 'win', 'really', 'given', 'energy', 'practice', 'improve', 'Ivanovic', 'play', '32nd', 'seed', 'Iveta', 'Benesova', 'Czech', 'Republic', 'first', 'round.said', 'Australian', 'Open', 'Melbourne', 'Minister', 'digs', 'doping', 'row', 'The', 'Belgian', 'sports', 'minister', 'centre', 'Svetlana', 'Kuznetsova', 'doping', 'row', 'says', 'apologise', 'making', 'allegations', 'Claude', 'Eerdekens', 'claims', 'US', 'Open', 'champion', 'tested', 'positive', 'ephedrine', 'exhibition', 'event', 'last', 'month', 'Criticised', 'making', 'announcement', 'said', '``', 'I', 'never', 'apologise', 'This', 'product', 'banned', "'s", 'explain', "'s", 'Kuznetsova', 'says', 'stimulant', 'may', 'cold', 'remedy', 'took', 'The', 'Russian', 'said', 'nothing', 'wrong', 'taking', 'medicine', 'event', 'The', 'Women', "'s", 'Tennis', 'Association', 'cleared', 'Kuznetsova', 'offence', 'drug', 'banned', 'taken', 'competition', 'Eerdekens', 'said', 'made', 'statement', 'order', 'protect', 'three', 'players', 'took', 'part', 'tournament', 'Belgian', 'Justine', 'Henin-Hardenne', 'Nathalie', 'Dechy', 'France', 'Russia', "'s", 'Elena', 'Dementieva', 'But', 'Dechy', 'fuming', 'implicated', 'row', '``', 'How', 'happy', 'see', 'face', 'cover', 'page', 'talking', 'doping', 'Dechy', 'said', '``', 'I', "'m", 'really', 'upset', 'I', 'think', 'Belgian', 'government', 'really', 'bad', 'job', '``', 'I', 'think', 'deserve', 'apology', 'guy', 'You', 'say', 'anything', 'like', 'say', 'stuff', 'like', 'saying', "'s", 'one', 'girls', 'This', 'terrible', 'Dementieva', 'also', 'angry', 'says', 'Dechy', 'real', 'victims', 'scandal', '``', 'You', 'idea', 'I', 'days', 'It', "'s", 'hard', 'said', '``', 'The', 'WTA', 'trying', 'handle', 'problem', 'saying', 'three', 'victims', 'I', 'see', 'two', 'victims', 'story', 'Nathalie', 'Dechy', 'really', 'nothing', '``', 'To', 'honest', 'I', "n't", 'feel', 'like', 'I', 'want', 'talk', 'Sveta', 'I', "'m", 'upset', 'way', 'everything', 'happened', 'Safin', 'relieved', 'Aussie', 'recovery', 'Marat', 'Safin', 'admitted', 'thought', 'suffering', 'another', 'Australian', 'Open', 'final', 'nightmare', 'lost', 'opening', 'set', 'Lleyton', 'Hewitt', 'The', 'Russian', 'lost', '2002', '2004', 'finals', 'fought', 'back', 'brilliantly', 'win', '1-6', '6-3', '6-4', '6-4', '``', 'I', 'nervous', 'I', 'could', "n't", 'play', 'tennis', 'said', 'Safin', '``', 'He', 'started', 'really', 'well', 'He', "n't", 'nervous', 'I', 'I', 'thinking', 'two', 'finals', 'I', 'played', "n't", 'successful', 'He', 'added', '``', 'You', 'really', 'deal', 'pressure', 'normally', 'never', 'happens', 'come', 'final', 'tight', 'want', 'win', '``', 'I', 'tried', 'play', 'tennis', 'I', 'could', "n't", 'He', 'huge', 'experience', "'s", 'two', 'Grand', 'Slam', 'titles', "'s", '24', 'titles', "'s", 'great', 'player', 'deals', 'pressure', 'From', '4-1', 'third', 'set', 'Safin', 'played', 'best', 'tennis', 'reel', 'seven', 'games', 'take', 'control', 'match', '``', 'In', 'third', 'set', 'sudden', 'turn', 'around', 'completely', 'way', 'I', 'could', "n't", 'expect', 'said', 'Safin', '``', 'Because', 'made', 'couple', 'mistakes', 'I', 'little', 'bit', 'lucky', 'point', 'confidence', 'came', 'back', 'I', 'back', 'game', 'And', 'Russian', 'revealed', 'victory', 'semi-final', 'win', 'world', 'number', 'one', 'Roger', 'Federer', 'given', 'massive', 'boost', 'future', '``', 'You', 'get', 'huge', 'confidence', 'Roger', 'great', 'player', 'said', 'Safin', '``', 'Once', 'I', 'beat', 'Lleyton', "'s", 'like', 'get', 'much', 'confidence', 'really', 'play', 'great', '``', 'You', 'win', 'big', 'titles', 'beat', 'huge', 'players', 'finals', 'semi-finals', 'Veteran', 'Martinez', 'wins', 'Thai', 'title', 'Conchita', 'Martinez', 'first', 'title', 'almost', 'five', 'years', 'victory', 'Anna-Lena', 'Groenefeld', 'Volvo', 'Women', "'s", 'Open', 'Pattaya', 'Thailand', 'The', '32-year-old', 'Spaniard', 'came', '6-3', '3-6', '6-3', 'first', 'title', 'since', 'Berlin', '2000', '``', 'It', 'feels', 'really', 'good', 'said', 'Martinez', 'playing', 'last', 'season', 'Tour', '``', 'To', 'come', 'like', 'important', 'match', 'feels', 'good', '``', 'It', "'s", 'nearly', 'five', 'years', 'I', "n't", 'think', 'I', 'could', 'Groenefeld', 'powerful', 'player', 'could', 'match', 'opponent', "'s", 'relentless', 'accuracy', '``', 'It', 'first', 'final', 'new', 'experience', 'said', 'German', '``', 'I', 'think', 'played', 'good', 'match', 'tough', 'match', 'I', 'tried', 'stay', 'I', 'think', 'whole', 'week', 'good', 'Soderling', 'wins', 'tense', 'Milan', 'final', 'Fifth', 'seed', 'Robin', 'Soderling', 'took', 'Milan', 'Indoors', 'title', 'dramatic', 'win', 'Radek', 'Stepanek', 'Sunday', "'s", 'final', 'The', '20-year-old', 'Swede', 'edged', 'final', 'set', 'tie-break', '6-3', '6-7', '2-7', '7-6', '7-5', 'victory', 'second', 'tour', 'title', 'winning', 'Lyon', 'last', 'year', '``', 'I', "'m", 'delighted', 'good', 'opponent', 'tournament', 'importance', 'said', 'Soderling', '``', 'I', 'really', 'form', 'service', 'good', 'I', 'really', 'liked', 'playing', 'synthetic', 'surface', 'Soderling', 'world', 'number', '37', 'shrugged', 'nervous', 'start', 'take', 'opening', 'set', 'first', 'set', 'point', 'A', 'change', 'approach', 'fourth', 'seed', 'Stepanek', 'second', 'set', 'paid', 'dividends', 'took', 'tie-break', 'Soderling', "'s", 'superior', 'power', 'proved', 'much', 'third', 'Rusedski', 'forced', 'Marseille', 'Greg', 'Rusedski', 'forced', 'withdraw', 'Open', '13', 'Marseille', 'Thursday', 'rib', 'injury', 'The', 'British', 'number', 'two', 'scheduled', 'play', 'qualifier', 'Sebastien', 'de', 'Chaunac', 'beat', 'world', 'number', 'five', 'Guillermo', 'Coria', '6-4', '7-5', 'round', 'one', 'But', 'Rusedski', 'unable', 'take', 'court', 'problem', 'left-hand', 'side', 'rib-cage', 'American', 'Taylor', 'Dent', 'caused', 'shock', '7-6', '6-2', 'victory', 'second', 'seed', 'David', 'Nalbandian', 'But', 'third', 'seed', 'Joachim', 'Johansson', 'made', 'beating', 'Frenchman', 'Gilles', 'Simon', '7-6', '6-3', 'first', 'match', 'day', 'sixth', 'seed', 'Feliciano', 'Lopez', 'defeated', 'Ivo', 'Karlovic', 'There', 'also', 'wins', 'Slovakia', "'s", 'Karol', 'Beck', 'Croatian', 'duo', 'Ivan', 'Ljubicic', 'Mario', 'Ancic', 'Big', 'guns', 'ease', 'San', 'Jose', 'Top-seeded', 'Americans', 'Andy', 'Roddick', 'Andre', 'Agassi', 'survived', 'minor', 'scares', 'reach', 'last', 'eight', 'SAP', 'Open', 'Agassi', 'endured', 'early', 'problems', 'left-handed', 'Dane', 'Kenneth', 'Carlsen', 'sealing', '7-5', '6-1', 'victory', 'And', 'world', 'number', 'three', 'Roddick', 'dropped', 'set', 'Korean', 'player', 'Hyung-Taik', 'Lee', 'pulling', '6-3', '3-6', '6-2', 'win', 'San', 'Jose', 'California', 'Seventh', 'seed', 'Jurgen', 'Melzer', 'came', '6-3', '6-3', 'Xavier', 'Malisse', 'winner', 'Delray', 'Beach', 'last', 'week', 'Frenchman', 'Cyril', 'Saulnier', 'meanwhile', 'fired', '19', 'aces', 'secure', '6-1', '7-6', 'win', 'Czech', 'qualifier', 'Tomas', 'Zib', 'Roddick', 'broke', 'racket', 'frustration', 'third', 'game', 'second', 'set', 'afterwards', 'unimpressed', 'form', '``', 'I', "'m", 'playing', 'great', 'said', '``', 'But', 'I', "'m", 'I', "'m", 'going', 'keep', 'battling', '``', 'A', 'lot', 'people', 'assumption', "'s", 'easy', 'play', 'well', 'every', 'week', "'s", 'It', '12th', 'time', '13', 'appearances', 'event', 'Agassi', '34', 'progressed', 'quarter-final', 'stage', 'He', 'came', '0-40', 'opening', 'game', 'hold', 'serve', 'gradually', 'wore', 'Carlsen', 'attacking', 'backhand', 'Agassi', 'also', 'employed', 'several', 'lobs', 'charged', 'net', 'unsettle', '31-year-old', 'Dane', 'ranked', '88th', 'world', '``', 'As', 'match', 'went', 'I', 'got', 'real', 'patient', 'waited', 'opportunities', 'felt', 'pretty', 'good', 'said', 'Agassi', 'Almagro', 'continues', 'Spanish', 'surge', 'Unseeded', 'Nicolas', 'Almagro', 'became', 'fifth', 'Spaniard', 'reach', 'last', 'eight', 'Buenos', 'Aires', 'Open', 'ousting', 'eighth', 'seed', 'Mariano', 'Zabaleta', 'He', 'showed', 'admirable', 'resolve', 'win', 'rain-affected', 'match', '6-7', '6-4', '6-4', 'Compatriot', 'seventh', 'seed', 'Rafael', 'Nadal', 'also', 'reached', 'last', 'eight', 'beating', 'Italian', 'Potito', 'Starace', '6-1', '6-3', 'Nadal', 'playing', 'outdoor', 'clay', 'event', 'first', 'time', 'hit', 'powerful', 'forehands', 'oust', 'Starace', 'match', 'delayed', 'hour', 'rain', '``', 'It', "'s", 'always', 'problem', 'stop', 'rain', 'one', 'gets', 'used', 'said', 'Spanish', 'teenager', 'Nadal', '``', 'Luckily', 'I', 'able', 'keep', 'pace', 'going', 'throughout', 'match', 'He', 'play', 'Gaston', 'Gaudio', 'beat', 'unseeded', 'Brazilian', 'Flavio', 'Saretta', '6-3', '6-2', 'day', "'s", 'late', 'match', 'Melzer', 'shocks', 'Agassi', 'San', 'Jose', 'Second', 'seed', 'Andre', 'Agassi', 'suffered', 'comprehensive', 'defeat', 'Jurgen', 'Melzer', 'quarter-finals', 'SAP', 'Open', 'Agassi', 'often', 'bamboozled', 'Austrian', "'s", 'drop', 'shots', 'San', 'Jose', 'losing', '6-3', '6-1', 'Defending', 'champion', 'top', 'seed', 'Andy', 'Roddick', 'rallied', 'beat', 'Sweden', "'s", 'Thomas', 'Enqvist', '3-6', '7-6', '8-6', '7-5', 'But', 'unseeded', 'Cyril', 'Saulnier', 'beat', 'fourth', 'seed', 'Vincent', 'Spadea', '6-2', '6-4', 'Tommy', 'Haas', 'overcame', 'eighth', 'seed', 'Max', 'Mirnyi', '6-7', '2-7', '7-6', '7-3', '6-2', 'Melzer', 'beaten', 'Agassi', 'two', 'three', 'meetings', '``', 'I', 'good', 'game', 'plan', 'I', 'executed', 'perfectly', 'said', '``', 'It', "'s", 'always', 'tough', 'come', 'play', 'Andre', '``', 'I', "n't", 'want', 'play', 'game', 'He', 'makes', 'run', 'like', 'dog', 'court', 'And', 'Agassi', 'matched', 'power', 'opponent', "'s", 'two-handed', 'backhand', 'said', 'Melzer', 'example', 'several', 'players', 'tour', 'willing', 'take', 'chances', '``', 'A', 'lot', 'guys', 'capable', 'said', 'American', '``', 'He', 'played', 'much', 'better', 'That', "'s", 'times', '``', 'I', 'opportunities', 'loosen', 'Agassi', 'added', '``', 'But', 'I', "n't", 'convert', 'big', 'points', 'Mirza', 'makes', 'Indian', 'tennis', 'history', 'Teenager', 'Sania', 'Mirza', 'completed', 'superb', 'week', 'Hyderabad', 'Open', 'becoming', 'first', 'Indian', 'history', 'win', 'WTA', 'singles', 'title', 'In', 'front', 'delirious', 'home', 'crowd', '18-year-old', 'battled', 'past', 'Alyona', 'Bondarenko', 'Ukraine', '6-4', '5-7', '6-3', 'Mirza', 'ranked', '134', 'world', 'sunk', 'knees', 'celebration', 'serving', 'match', 'Bondarenko', '``', 'It', 'big', 'moment', 'career', 'I', 'would', 'like', 'thank', 'everyone', 'part', 'effort', 'said', '``', 'This', 'win', 'made', 'believe', 'I', 'hope', 'better', 'coming', 'days', '``', 'I', 'wanted', 'win', 'tournament', 'badly', 'since', 'hometown', 'At', 'Australian', 'Open', 'January', 'Mirza', 'became', 'first', 'Indian', 'woman', 'reach', 'third', 'round', 'Grand', 'Slam', 'losing', 'eventual', 'champion', 'Serena', 'Williams', 'And', 'year', 'ago', 'became', 'youngest', 'Indian', 'win', 'professional', 'title', 'claiming', 'doubles', 'Hyderabad', 'Open', 'Mirza', 'playing', 'first', 'WTA', 'final', 'began', 'nervously', 'front', 'raucous', 'home', 'crowd', 'committing', 'three', 'double', 'faults', 'opening', 'service', 'game', 'But', '0-2', 'Mirza', 'broke', 'serve', 'twice', 'row', 'held', 'advantage', 'take', 'first', 'set', 'In', 'see-saw', 'second', 'set', 'Bondarenko', 'raced', '5-2', 'lead', 'though', 'Mirza', 'hauled', 'level', 'Ukrainian', 'broke', 'finally', 'levelling', 'match', 'Mirza', 'rediscovered', 'aggressive', 'strokes', 'took', 'first', 'set', 'decider', 'established', '5-2', 'lead', 'At', '5-3', 'stadium', 'erupted', 'celebration', 'Mirza', 'thought', 'delivered', 'ace', 'secure', 'victory', 'serve', 'ruled', 'clipped', 'net', 'Mirza', 'eventually', 'lost', 'point', 'relief', 'crowd', 'broke', 'Bondarenko', 'next', 'game', 'clinch', 'title', 'Roddick', 'face', 'Saulnier', 'final', 'Andy', 'Roddick', 'play', 'Cyril', 'Saulnier', 'final', 'SAP', 'Open', 'San', 'Jose', 'Sunday', 'The', 'American', 'top', 'seed', 'defending', 'champion', 'overcame', 'Germany', "'s", 'Tommy', 'Haas', 'third', 'seed', '7-6', '7-3', '6-3', '``', 'I', 'feeling', 'horrible', 'earlier', 'week', 'Roddick', 'said', '``', 'I', 'thought', 'tonight', 'step', 'right', 'direction', 'Saulnier', 'battled', '6-7', '3-7', '6-3', '6-3', 'win', 'seventh', 'seed', 'Jurgen', 'Melzer', 'twisted', 'ankle', 'early', 'second', 'set', 'Roddick', 'last', 'four', 'points', 'first-set', 'tie-break', 'broken', 'start', 'second', 'set', 'But', 'broke', 'straight', 'back', 'broke', 'Haas', 'lead', '4-2', '``', 'It', "'s", 'extremely', 'frustrating', 'chances', 'top-five', 'player', "n't", 'anything', 'admitted', 'Haas', '``', 'I', 'rushed', 'backhands', 'took', 'advantage', 'Saulnier', 'move', 'world', "'s", 'top', '50', 'first', 'time', 'passage', 'final', '``', 'It', "'s", 'taken', 'lot', 'work', 'lot', 'fighting', 'mind', 'revealed', '``', 'Sometimes', 'I', "n't", 'believe', 'I', 'could', 'get', 'final', 'I', 'I', "'ve", 'stayed', 'mentally', 'strong', '``', 'I', "'m", 'way', 'I', "'ll", 'keep', 'fighting', 'work', 'lot', 'I', "'ll"]
"""
Use set method on the list. Check each index of array against each index of G20
"""
from nltk.tokenize import word_tokenize
import nltk
from nltk.corpus import stopwords
def extraction (articles, category):
print("Print out the list of countries found in: "+category +" articles")
target = []
overlap = []
for x in range(len(articles)):
holder = []
temp = word_tokenize(articles[x])
holder.append(temp)
flat_list = [item for sublist in holder for item in sublist]
countries = list(set(flat_list) & set(G20))
if len(countries) > 0:
print(countries)
if len(countries) == 1:
for y in range(len(countries)):
target.append(countries[y])
target.append(articles[x])
if len(countries) > 1:
for z in range(len(countries)):
overlap.append(countries[z])
overlap.append(articles[x])
return target, overlap
#The first variable holds the array for articles in which only one country appears.
#The second variable holds the array for articles in which multiple countries are mentioned.
BusinessArticles, BusinessArticlesOverlap = extraction(businessArticles, 'Business')
EntertainmentArticles, EntertainmentArticlesOverlap = extraction(entertainmentArticles, 'Entertainment')
PoliticsArticles, PoliticsArticlesOverlap = extraction(politicsArticles, 'Politics')
SportsArticles, SportsArticlesOverlap = extraction(sportArticles, 'Sports')
TechArticles, TechArticlesOverlap = extraction(techArticles, 'Tech')
Print out the list of countries found in: Business articles ['Europe', 'US'] ['US', 'China'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['US', 'UK', 'France'] ['Japan'] ['US'] ['UK', 'India', 'Brazil', 'US', 'China', 'Russia'] ['US'] ['Indonesia'] ['Japan'] ['Europe'] ['EU'] ['China'] ['Italy', 'Europe'] ['US', 'India', 'Russia'] ['India'] ['Europe', 'India'] ['UK'] ['Germany', 'Europe'] ['France'] ['US', 'China'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US', 'China', 'Russia'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe', 'China'] ['Japan'] ['UK', 'China'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Japan'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['China', 'Italy', 'Japan', 'US', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Japan'] ['US'] ['Japan'] ['Europe'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['US', 'Europe', 'China'] ['Italy', 'US'] ['Italy'] ['Europe', 'India'] ['China'] ['UK'] ['Mexico', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Germany', 'US'] ['US', 'Germany', 'EU', 'France'] ['Germany', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['India'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Japan'] ['Germany', 'Europe'] ['Turkey'] ['Germany', 'EU', 'France'] ['US'] ['US', 'China', 'Russia'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['Brazil', 'Argentina'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['Mexico', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US', 'Europe', 'EU', 'France'] ['Australia', 'France'] ['Russia'] ['Turkey'] ['Italy', 'Japan', 'UK', 'Germany', 'Argentina'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US', 'India'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['Germany', 'US', 'Europe'] ['Japan', 'Germany', 'US'] ['Australia'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['China'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['Japan'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['Japan'] ['Australia', 'China'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['India', 'US', 'France', 'Russia'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['Brazil', 'US'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['Russia'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Germany', 'Europe'] ['China', 'Japan', 'Australia', 'UK', 'India', 'Germany', 'Europe', 'France'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 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'Russia'] ['Italy'] ['Australia', 'China'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['EU', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Argentina', 'Germany', 'Australia', 'UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'Russia'] ['US'] ['US', 'China'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['India'] ['Russia'] ['India'] ['US', 'India'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Germany', 'US', 'Europe'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['China'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'India', 'US', 'China', 'Russia'] ['Indonesia', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'India'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Indonesia'] ['Germany', 'EU', 'France'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['Japan', 'China', 'India'] ['Europe'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['Canada', 'US'] ['Russia'] ['US', 'China'] ['Indonesia', 'US', 'India'] ['US', 'China'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'India'] ['Indonesia', 'India'] ['US', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Germany'] ['China'] ['UK'] ['Germany'] ['Japan', 'US', 'China'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['US', 'EU', 'China'] ['US'] ['Russia'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Australia'] ['Europe', 'Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['Australia', 'France'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['Germany', 'EU'] ['Italy', 'Europe'] ['UK'] ['Germany', 'US'] ['China'] ['Germany', 'US', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Germany', 'EU'] ['Turkey', 'EU', 'US'] ['Indonesia'] ['China'] ['Italy'] ['Australia'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['India'] ['UK'] ['China', 'India', 'Russia'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['US', 'UK', 'China', 'India'] ['India'] ['US', 'Brazil', 'UK', 'China'] ['US'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'France'] ['Brazil'] ['Indonesia', 'India'] ['Italy'] ['US', 'China'] ['US', 'UK', 'China'] ['Italy', 'Mexico', 'India', 'Indonesia', 'China'] ['US', 'Europe', 'China'] ['US'] ['US', 'China'] ['China'] ['US', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['France'] ['Japan', 'India'] ['UK', 'China'] ['Japan', 'US', 'China'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] Print out the list of countries found in: Entertainment articles ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Canada'] ['Italy', 'Canada', 'Japan', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Argentina'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Italy', 'Germany'] ['US'] ['Canada', 'Australia', 'UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['Canada'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['France'] ['Japan'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['India'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US', 'India'] ['France'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Japan'] ['US'] ['US', 'France'] ['UK', 'France'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Canada', 'US'] ['India'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'France'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Germany'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US', 'Germany', 'Australia', 'China'] ['Japan'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Brazil', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Canada', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Canada', 'Japan', 'UK', 'US', 'Europe'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['France'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US', 'France'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US', 'Germany', 'UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US', 'France'] ['UK', 'US', 'India'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['China'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'Australia', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'Australia', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Australia', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Germany'] ['Italy', 'Germany'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Australia'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['UK', 'India', 'US', 'Europe', 'China'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'UK'] ['Mexico', 'Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'India'] ['Australia'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'Australia', 'UK', 'US', 'Europe', 'France'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['Germany', 'US'] ['Australia'] ['UK'] ['India'] ['US'] ['Indonesia', 'US'] ['Japan'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Japan'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['India'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Canada', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US', 'India'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'France'] ['Canada', 'Germany', 'UK', 'US'] Print out the list of countries found in: Politics articles ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['Canada', 'Japan', 'Germany'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK', 'France', 'India'] ['US', 'Europe', 'UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['Italy', 'Turkey', 'Germany', 'EU', 'France'] ['Germany', 'Russia'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['UK', 'US', 'Russia'] ['UK', 'Russia'] ['Australia', 'UK'] ['US', 'EU', 'UK', 'China'] ['UK'] ['Turkey', 'Europe', 'EU'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK', 'China'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['EU'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Australia'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'Australia', 'UK', 'EU'] ['EU'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK', 'US'] ['EU', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Indonesia', 'EU'] ['France', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe', 'EU', 'China'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['UK', 'India'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['Europe'] ['UK'] ['Italy', 'Japan', 'Germany', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Turkey', 'Europe', 'EU'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['Japan', 'Australia', 'US', 'India'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Indonesia'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Australia'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'France'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Australia', 'UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Russia'] ['UK', 'Mexico', 'US', 'Europe', 'EU'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US', 'Germany', 'France', 'Europe'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['EU'] ['UK'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe', 'Russia'] ['Germany', 'EU', 'UK', 'Europe'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Mexico'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['Australia'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['EU'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'Turkey', 'Germany', 'EU', 'France'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'Germany', 'Europe', 'EU', 'France'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['UK', 'US', 'India'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'Australia', 'UK', 'EU'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK', 'China'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'France'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'US', 'Europe', 'EU', 'China'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'UK', 'China'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Australia', 'UK'] ['Australia'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] Print out the list of countries found in: Sports articles ['Australia', 'France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['Australia'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'France'] ['UK', 'France'] ['France'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Germany'] ['Canada'] ['France', 'Russia'] ['France'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['Italy'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'France', 'Russia'] ['US'] ['Australia'] ['Europe'] ['Germany'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['France'] ['Europe'] ['Australia'] ['Italy', 'France', 'Russia'] ['UK'] ['Italy', 'France', 'Russia'] ['France'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'Russia'] ['Europe'] ['France'] ['Japan'] ['Germany'] ['Brazil'] ['Australia'] ['Australia'] ['Italy', 'Russia'] ['Italy', 'Japan', 'France', 'China'] ['France'] ['France'] ['Germany'] ['Turkey', 'Europe'] ['Germany'] ['Italy', 'Europe'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['Europe'] ['France'] ['Italy'] ['Germany'] ['Brazil'] ['Brazil'] ['UK'] ['France'] ['Europe', 'Russia'] ['Mexico'] ['Brazil', 'Argentina'] ['Germany'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] ['France'] ['Europe'] ['Brazil', 'France'] ['France'] ['Mexico', 'US'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] ['Europe'] ['Germany'] ['Europe'] ['Argentina'] ['Mexico', 'Brazil'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['Italy'] ['Italy'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy'] ['Italy'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'Australia'] ['France'] ['Italy'] ['France'] ['Italy'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'Australia', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['Canada', 'France'] ['Italy'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Australia', 'France'] ['France'] ['Italy'] ['Canada', 'France'] ['Italy'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy'] ['Australia'] ['France'] ['Australia'] ['France'] ['France'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['France'] ['Australia'] ['Italy', 'Australia', 'Europe', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['France'] ['Canada', 'Australia'] ['Europe', 'Australia', 'UK', 'France'] ['Canada', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Japan', 'France'] ['Australia'] ['US', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['Argentina'] ['Australia', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['France'] ['Australia', 'France'] ['Europe', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Australia'] ['Europe', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Canada', 'Australia'] ['Australia'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'Canada', 'Japan', 'Australia', 'Argentina', 'France', 'Russia'] ['Italy', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['France'] ['Italy', 'France'] ['Italy', 'Australia'] ['Italy'] ['Australia'] ['France'] ['Germany'] ['US'] ['Germany'] ['Italy', 'Brazil', 'Argentina', 'Mexico'] ['India', 'China', 'France', 'Russia'] ['France'] ['US'] ['Germany'] ['US'] ['India', 'China', 'France', 'Russia'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['US', 'India'] ['Japan', 'China'] ['Australia'] ['Germany'] ['Italy', 'Australia', 'France', 'Russia'] ['India'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Argentina'] ['US'] ['Germany'] ['Argentina', 'France'] ['France'] ['France'] ['US'] ['Australia'] ['US', 'Australia', 'France'] ['US', 'Australia', 'France'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['US', 'France', 'Russia'] ['Italy', 'Japan', 'Australia', 'Germany', 'US', 'Argentina', 'France', 'Russia'] ['Germany', 'France'] ['Australia'] ['Australia'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Australia'] ['Australia'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'US'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['Germany'] ['Australia', 'Argentina'] ['US', 'France', 'Russia'] ['Germany'] Print out the list of countries found in: Tech articles ['Indonesia', 'Turkey', 'US'] ['China'] ['US', 'China'] ['UK'] ['Italy'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['EU'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['India'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'France'] ['Europe'] ['Japan'] ['Japan', 'UK'] ['Italy', 'Europe', 'US'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'France', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['US', 'China'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US', 'Europe', 'EU', 'China'] ['UK'] ['US', 'China'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Europe'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['China'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Mexico', 'US', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'Japan', 'UK', 'US', 'Europe'] ['UK', 'US'] ['India'] ['US', 'China'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'US'] ['Australia', 'Brazil', 'US'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['EU', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Canada', 'Argentina', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Canada', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Japan'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'Europe'] ['UK'] ['Mexico', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Turkey', 'UK'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['India'] ['Europe'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'UK', 'Germany', 'Europe', 'France'] ['Europe'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'UK', 'Germany', 'Europe', 'France'] ['Europe'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['UK'] ['Japan'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Mexico', 'US'] ['US'] ['Germany'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['Japan', 'UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['China'] ['UK'] ['France'] ['Europe'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['India'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['India'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'France'] ['US', 'UK', 'China'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK'] ['Europe'] ['Europe', 'France'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['Japan'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Japan'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Japan', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'India'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['France'] ['Canada', 'Japan', 'Australia', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe', 'France'] ['US', 'UK', 'France'] ['India', 'Indonesia', 'Europe', 'China', 'Russia'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe'] ['Japan'] ['US'] ['Australia', 'UK', 'US'] ['Italy'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['EU', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'China'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK', 'France'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US', 'Russia'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['Europe'] ['China'] ['Europe'] ['UK'] ['Mexico', 'US', 'Argentina', 'France'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['Japan'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'France', 'Europe'] ['Italy', 'Europe', 'US'] ['US'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['UK'] ['EU'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['US'] ['Germany', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'EU', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Japan', 'US', 'Mexico'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['UK'] ['UK'] ['Australia', 'US'] ['US'] ['Japan', 'UK', 'Germany', 'Europe', 'France'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'France'] ['Japan', 'Europe', 'UK', 'US'] ['China'] ['Canada', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['Italy', 'UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe', 'France'] ['UK'] ['Europe', 'UK', 'France'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['Europe'] ['Japan', 'US', 'China', 'India'] ['UK'] ['Italy', 'Japan', 'UK', 'US', 'Europe'] ['UK', 'India'] ['Europe', 'US'] ['UK'] ['US'] ['UK', 'US'] ['Europe', 'China'] ['UK'] ['UK', 'Germany', 'US', 'Europe', 'EU'] ['US'] ['Europe', 'US']
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['Japan', 'Japan narrowly escapes recession Japan\'s economy teetered on the brink of a technical recession in the three months to September, figures show. Revised figures indicated growth of just 0.1% - and a similar-sized contraction in the previous quarter. On an annual basis, the data suggests annual growth of just 0.2%, suggesting a much more hesitant recovery than had previously been thought. A common technical definition of a recession is two successive quarters of negative growth. The government was keen to play down the worrying implications of the data. "I maintain the view that Japan\'s economy remains in a minor adjustment phase in an upward climb, and we will monitor developments carefully," said economy minister Heizo Takenaka. But in the face of the strengthening yen making exports less competitive and indications of weakening economic conditions ahead, observers were less sanguine. "It\'s painting a picture of a recovery... much patchier than previously thought," said Paul Sheard, economist at Lehman Brothers in Tokyo. Improvements in the job market apparently have yet to feed through to domestic demand, with private consumption up just 0.2% in the third quarter. ', 'US', 'Jobs growth still slow in the US The US created fewer jobs than expected in January, but a fall in jobseekers pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years. According to Labor Department figures, US firms added only 146,000 jobs in January. The gain in non-farm payrolls was below market expectations of 190,000 new jobs. Nevertheless it was enough to push down the unemployment rate to 5.2%, its lowest level since September 2001. The job gains mean that President Bush can celebrate - albeit by a very fine margin - a net growth in jobs in the US economy in his first term in office. He presided over a net fall in jobs up to last November\'s Presidential election - the first President to do so since Herbert Hoover. As a result, job creation became a key issue in last year\'s election. However, when adding December and January\'s figures, the administration\'s first term jobs record ended in positive territory. The Labor Department also said it had revised down the jobs gains in December 2004, from 157,000 to 133,000. Analysts said the growth in new jobs was not as strong as could be expected given the favourable economic conditions. "It suggests that employment is continuing to expand at a moderate pace," said Rick Egelton, deputy chief economist at BMO Financial Group. "We are not getting the boost to employment that we would have got given the low value of the dollar and the still relatively low interest rate environment." "The economy is producing a moderate but not a satisfying amount of job growth," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "That means there are a limited number of new opportunities for workers." ', 'US', "Court rejects $280bn tobacco case A US government claim accusing the country's biggest tobacco companies of covering up the effects of smoking has been thrown out by an appeal court. The demand for $280bn (£155bn) - filed by the Clinton administration in 1999 - was rejected in a 2-1 decision. The court in Washington found that the case could not be brought under federal anti-racketeering laws. Among the accused were Altria Group, RJ Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard Tobacco, Liggett Group and Brown and Williamson. In its case, the government claimed tobacco firms manipulated nicotine levels to increase addiction, targeted teenagers with multi-billion dollar advertising campaigns, lied about the dangers of smoking and ignored research to the contrary. Prosecutors wanted the cigarette firms to surrender $280bn in profits accumulated over the past 50 years and impose tougher rules on marketing their products. But the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the US government could not sue the firms under legislation drawn up to counteract Mafia infiltration of business. The tobacco companies deny that they illegally conspired to promote smoking and defraud the public. They also say they have already met many of the government's demands in a landmark $206bn settlement reached with 46 states in 1998. Shares of tobacco companies closed higher after the ruling, with Altria rising 5% and Reynolds showing gains of 4.5%. ", 'Indonesia', 'Indonesians face fuel price rise Indonesia\'s government has confirmed it is considering raising fuel prices by as much as 30%. Millions of Indonesians use kerosene for basic cooking, and prices have been heavily subsidised for years. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono\'s government has said it wants to curb fuel subsidies and direct the money into aid programmes for the poor. But critics argue cutting subsidies will hurt the poorer families that his government says it wants to help. Millions of people were left homeless in Indonesia Aceh\'s region following the earthquake and tsunami disaster in late December. Indonesia pays subsidies to importers in order to stabilise domestic fuel prices, but higher oil prices have forced the government to spend more on holding prices down. It spent 59.2 trillion rupiah ($6.58bn; £3.5bn) on fuel subsidies in 2004, a sum far in excess of its original projection of 14.5 trillion rupiah. Since President Yudhoyono\'s government came to power in October, it has indicated its intention of raising domestic fuel prices by cutting subsidies. "The (January to March) quarter of this year is the best time for us to increase fuel prices," said Sri Mulyani Indrawati, State Minister for National Development Planning. "We are still considering if a 30% hike is suitable at the moment. The sooner the better for the state budget." The BBC\'s correspondent in Jakarta, Rachel Harvey, told World Business Report that there was likely to be a strong public reaction to any price rise. "The big question is whether they go for one big, short, sharp shock and raise prices between 20% and 30% or whether they try to stagger it," she said. Indonesia\'s previous government, led by President Megawati Sukarnoputri, also attempted to cut subsidies in 2003, but was forced to back down in the face of public protests. ', 'Japan', "Peugeot deal boosts Mitsubishi Struggling Japanese car maker Mitsubishi Motors has struck a deal to supply French car maker Peugeot with 30,000 sports utility vehicles (SUV). The two firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding, and say they expect to seal a final agreement by Spring 2005. The alliance comes as a badly-needed boost for loss-making Mitsubishi, after several profit warnings and poor sales. The SUVs will be built in Japan using Peugeot's diesel engines and sold mainly in the European market. Falling sales have left Mitsubishi Motors with underused capacity, and the production deal with Peugeot gives it a chance to utilise some of it. In January, Mitsubishi Motors issued its third profits warning in nine months, and cut its sales forecasts for the year to March 2005. Its sales have slid 41% in the past year, catalysed by the revelation that the company had systematically been hiding records of faults and then secretly repairing vehicles. As a result, the Japanese car maker has sought a series of financial bailouts. Last month it said it was looking for a further 540bn yen ($5.2bn; £2.77bn) in fresh financial backing, half of it from other companies in the Mitsubishi group. US-German carmaker DaimlerChrylser, a 30% shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors, decided in April 2004 not to pump in any more money. The deal with Peugeot was celebrated by Mitsubishi's newly-appointed chief executive Takashi Nishioka, who took over after three top bosses stood down last month to shoulder responsibility for the firm's troubles. Mitsubishi Motors has forecast a net loss of 472bn yen in its current financial year to March 2005. Last month, it signed a production agreement with Japanese rival Nissan Motor to supply it with 36,000 small cars for sale in Japan. It has been making cars for Nissan since 2003. ", 'Europe', 'Telegraph newspapers axe 90 jobs The Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers are axing 90 journalist jobs - 17% of their editorial staff. The Telegraph Group says the cuts are needed to fund an £150m investment in new printing facilities. Journalists at the firm met on Friday afternoon to discuss how to react to the surprise announcement. The cuts come against a background of fierce competition for readers and sluggish advertising revenues amid competition from online advertising. The National Union of Journalists has called on the management to recall the notice of redundancy by midday on Monday or face a strike ballot. Pearson\'s Financial Times said last week it was offering voluntary redundancy to about 30 reporters. The National Union of Journalists said it stood strongly behind the journalists and did not rule out a strike. "Managers have torn up agreed procedures and kicked staff in the teeth by sacking people to pay for printing facilities," said Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary. NUJ official Barry Fitzpatrick said the company had ignored the 90-day consultation period required for companies planning more than 10 redundancies. "They have shown a complete disregard for the consultative rights of our members," said Mr Fitzpatrick, who added that the company now planned to observe the consultation procedures. The two Telegraph titles currently employ 521 journalists. Some broadsheet newspapers - especially those which have not moved to a tabloid format - have suffered circulation declines, which are hitting revenues. The Telegraph has announced no plans to go tabloid although both The Independent and The Times have seen circulation rise since shrinking in size. The Guardian is hedging its bets, planning a larger tabloid format like those popular in continental Europe. The Telegraph Group was bought by the Barclay twins - Frederick and David - last year, having previously been owned by Lord Conrad Black\'s Hollinger International. The brothers are currently mulling the sale of another of their businesses, retailer Littlewoods. Telegraph executive Murdoch MacLennan said the two newspapers would add eight colour pages in the coming months. "Journalists are the lifeblood of any newspaper, and maintaining the quality of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph for our readers is vital," he said. "However, action to improve our production capability and secure our titles against the competition is also vital." Many newspapers are investing in new printing machinery that enables them to print more colour pages, or in some cases, have colour on every page. They are hoping that by boosting colour it will make their publications more attractive to advertisers and readers alike. In recent months News Corp\'s News International unit, which publishes The Sun and the News of the World, the Guardian Media Group, Trinity Mirror and the Daily Mail & General Trust have all announced substantial investments in new printing plants. ', 'EU', 'Air passengers win new EU rights Air passengers who are unable to board their flights because of overbooking, cancellations or flight delays can now demand greater compensation. New EU rules set compensation at between 250 euros (£173) and 600 euros, depending on the length of the flight. The new rules will apply to all scheduled and charter flights, including budget airlines. Airlines have attacked the legislation saying they could be forced to push prices higher to cover the extra cost. The European Commission is facing two legal challenges - one from the European Low-fare Airlines Association (ELAA) and the other from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has attacked the package as a "bad piece of legislation". Previously, passengers could claim between 150 euros and 300 euros if they had been stopped from boarding. However, only scheduled flight operators were obliged to offer compensation in cases of overbooking and they did not have to offer compensation for flight cancellations. The EU decided to increase passenger compensation in a bid to deter airlines from deliberately overbooking flights. Overbooking can often lead to \'bumping\' - when a passenger is moved to a later flight. When this happens against a passenger\'s will, airlines will now have to offer compensation. In addition, if a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than two hours through the fault of the airline, all passengers must be paid compensation. However, airlines do not have to offer compensation if flights are cancelled or delayed due to "extraordinary circumstances". Airlines fear that "extraordinary circumstances" may not include bad weather, security alerts or strikes - events which are outside of their control. All EU-based airlines and operators of flights which take off from the EU will have to adhere to the new compensation regime which came into force on Thursday. Low-cost airlines have criticised the new compensation levels, arguing that the pay-out could be worth more than the ticket. "It\'s a preposterous piece of legislation, we among all airlines are fighting this," Ryanair deputy chief executive Michael Cawley told Radio 4\'s Today programme. The European Regions Airline Association (ERAA) claims that neither airlines nor consumers were consulted over the changes. Andy Clarke, ERAA director of air transport, said that the EC advice misleads customers as it leads them to believe that airlines could be liable for payouts if flights are delayed because of bad weather. EC spokeswoman Marja Quillinan-Meiland conceded there were "grey areas" but said "these are not as big as the airlines are making out". In cases of dispute, national enforcement bodies would decide whether the passenger had a case, she said. New technology means it is easier for airlines to take off and land in bad weather, she added. The ERAA\'s Mr Clarke also warned that while airlines would comply with the new rules, the extra costs would be passed onto passengers. "We reckon it\'s going to cost European air passengers - not the airlines, the airlines have no money, it has to be paid by passengers - 1.5bn euros, that\'s over £1bn a year loaded onto European passengers," Mr Clarke said. "That\'s basically a transfer of money from passengers whose journeys are not disrupted to passengers whose journeys are disrupted." On Wednesday, Jacques Barrot, vice president of the European Commission and also Commissioner for Transport, said that the changes were necessary. "The boom in air travel needs to be accompanied by proper protection of passengers\' right." "This is a concrete example of how the Union benefits people\'s daily lives," he added. The EC has launched an information campaign in airports and travel agencies to inform airline passengers of their new rights. ', 'China', 'China keeps tight rein on credit China\'s efforts to stop the economy from overheating by clamping down on credit will continue into 2005, state media report. The curbs were introduced earlier this year to ward off the risk that rapid expansion might lead to soaring prices. There were also fears that too much stress might be placed on the fragile banking system. Growth in China remains at a breakneck 9.1%, and corporate investment is growing at more than 25% a year. The breakneck pace of economic expansion has kept growth above 9% for more than a year. Rapid tooling-up of China\'s manufacturing sector means a massive demand for energy - one of the factors which has kept world oil prices sky-high for most of this year. In theory, the government has a 7% growth target, but continues to insist that the overshoot does not mean a "hard landing" in the shape of an overbalancing economy. A low exchange rate - China\'s yuan is pegged to a rate of 8.28 to the dollar, which seems to be in relentless decline - means Chinese exports are cheap on world markets. China has thus far resisted international pressure to break the link or at least to shift the level of its peg. To some extent, the credit controls do seem to be taking effect. Industrial output grew 15.7% in the year to October, down from 23% in February, and inflation slowed to 4.3% - although retail sales are still booming. ', 'India', 'India widens access to telecoms India has raised the limit for foreign direct investment in telecoms companies from 49% to 74%. Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran said that there is a need to fund the fast-growing mobile market. The government hopes to increase the number of mobile users from 95 million to between 200 and 250 million by 2007. "We need at least $20bn (£10.6bn) in investment and part of this has to come as foreign direct investment," said Mr Maran. The decision to raise the limit for foreign investors faced considerable opposition from the communist parties, which give crucial support to the coalition headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Potential foreign investors will however need government approval before they increase their stake beyond 49%, Mr Maran said. Key positions, such as those of chief executive, chief technology officer and chief financial officer are to be held by Indians, he added. Analysts and investors have welcomed the government decision. "It is a positive development for carriers and the investment community, looking to take a longer-term view of the huge growth in the Indian telecoms market," said Gartner\'s principal analyst Kobita Desai. "The FDI relaxation coupled with rapid local market growth could really ignite interest in the Indian telecommunication industry," added Ernst and Young\'s Sanjay Mehta. Investment bank Morgan Stanley has forecast that India\'s mobile market is likely to grow by about 40% a year until 2007. The Indian mobile market is currently dominated by four companies, Bharti Televentures which has allied itself with Singapore Telecom, Essar which is linked with Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, the Sterling group and the Tata group. ', 'UK', "Rank 'set to sell off film unit' Leisure group Rank could unveil plans to demerge its film services unit and sell its media business, reports claim. Rank, formerly famous for the Carry On series, will expose the shake-up at the announcement of its results on Friday, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Advisors Goldman Sachs are understood to have valued its demerged Deluxe Film unit at £300m, the report added. Speculation of a possible shake-up has mounted since Rank announced a study into a possible demerger in September. Since Mike Smith's appointment as chief executive in 1999, the group has focused on fewer businesses and embarked on a major cost-cutting programme which has seen it dispose of a number of businesses, including the Odeon cinema chain and the Pinewood studios. The move left the group with three core divisions: gaming, Hard Rock and Deluxe Films, which provides technical services to Hollywood studios. Rank now aims to concentrate on its gaming, bars and hotels business, including extending its Hard Rock brand to its casinos - trials of which have been a success. It also owns Deluxe Media, which makes and distributes DVDs and videos. However, that business is seen as less successful. Last year it made profits of £21.5m on a turnover of £392.1m and experts suggest its success in moving to DVDs from VHS video could make it an attractive target for a private equity buyer. A spokesman for the firm refused to comment on the reports, but said any results from the demerger study were likely to be set out when it unveiled its results on Friday. Analysts predict the firm is likely to report a slight drop in annual pre-tax profits to £170m from £194m last year. Formed in the 1940s the firm was a leading UK film producer and cinema owner for many years. It has now diversified into a range of other leisure activities - mainly in the UK - including hotels, roadside service areas and holiday centres. It now owns 34 Grosvenor casinos, the Mecca Bingo chain and more than 100 Hard Rock Cafes in 38 countries. ", 'France', 'Mixed signals from French economy The French economy picked up speed at the end of 2004, official figures show - but still looks set to have fallen short of the government\'s hopes. According to state statistics body INSEE, growth for the three months to December was a seasonally-adjusted 0.7-0.8%, ahead of the 0.6% forecast. If confirmed, that would be the best quarterly showing since early 2002. It leaves GDP up 2.3% for the full year, but short of the 2.5% which the French government had predicted. Despite the apparent shortfall in annual economic growth, the good quarterly figures - a so-called "flash estimate" - mark a continuing trend of improving indicators for the health of the French economy. The government is reiterating a 2.5% target for 2005, while the European Central Bank is making positive noises for the 12-nation eurozone as a whole. Also on Friday, France\'s industrial output for December was released, showing 0.7% growth. "The numbers are good," said David Naude, economist at Deutsche Bank. "They send a positive signal of a rebound in output... and open the way for a continuation in that trend into the New Year." Service sector activity improved in January, hitting a seven-month high. But unemployment remains high at about 10%. ', 'US', "Safety alert as GM recalls cars The world's biggest carmaker General Motors (GM) is recalling nearly 200,000 vehicles in the US on safety grounds, according to federal regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the largest recall involves 155,465 pickups, vans and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). This is because of possible malfunctions with the braking systems. The affected vehicles in the product recall are from the 2004 and 2005 model years, GM said. Those vehicles with potential faults are the Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Kodiak, Silverade and Suburban; the GMC Savana, Sierra and Yukon. The NHTSA said a pressure accumulator in the braking system could crack during normal driving and fragments could injure people if the hood was open. This could allow hydraulic fluid to leak, which could make it harder to brake or steer and could cause a crash, it warned. GM is also recalling 19,924 Cadillac XLR coupes, SRX SUVs and Pontiac Grand Prix sedans from the 2004 model year. This is because the accelerator pedal may not work properly in extremely cold temperatures, requiring more braking. In addition, the car giant is calling back 17,815 Buick Raniers, Chevrolet Trailblazers, GMC Envoys and Isuzu Ascenders from the 2005 model years because the windshield is not properly fitted and could fall out in a crash. However, GM stressed that it did not know of any injuries related to the problems. News of the recall follows an announcement last month that GM expects earnings this year be lower than in 2004. The world's biggest car maker is grappling with losses in its European business, weak US sales and now a product recall. In January, GM said higher healthcare costs in North America, and lower profits at its financial services subsidiary would hurt its performance in 2005. ", 'UK', 'UK firm faces Venezuelan land row Venezuelan authorities have said they will seize land owned by a British company as part of President Chavez\'s agrarian reform programme. Officials in Cojedes state said on Friday that farmland owned by a subsidiary of the Vestey Group would be taken and used to settle poor farmers. The government is cracking down on so-called latifundios, or large rural estates, which it says are lying idle. The Vestey Group said it had not been informed of any planned seizure. The firm, whose Agroflora subsidiary operates 13 farms in Venezuela, insisted that it had complied fully with Venezuelan law. Prosecutors in the south of the country have targeted Hato El Charcote, a beef cattle ranch owned by Agroflora. According to Reuters, they plan to seize 12,900 acres (5,200 hectares) from the 32,000 acre (13,000 hectare) farm. Officials claim that Agroflora does not possess valid documents proving its ownership of the land in question. They also allege that areas of the ranch are not being used for any form of active production. "The legal boundaries did not match up with the actual boundaries and there is surplus," state prosecutor Alexis Ortiz told Reuters. "As a consequence the government has taken action." Controversial reforms passed in 2001 give the government the right to take control of private property if it is declared idle or ownership cannot be traced back to the 19th Century. Critics say the powers - which President Chavez argues are needed to help the country\'s poorest citizens and develop the Venezuelan economy - trample all over private property rights. The Vestey Group said it had owned the land since 1920 and would co-operate fully with the authorities. But a spokesman added: "Agroflora is absolutely confident that what it has submitted will demonstrate the legality of its title to the land." The company pointed out that the farm, which employs 300 workers, provides meat solely for the Venezuelan market. Last month, the government said it had identified more than 500 idle farms and had yet to consider the status of a further 40,000. The authorities said landowners whose titles were in order and whose farms were productive had "nothing to fear". Under President Chavez, the Venezuelan government has steadily expanded the state\'s involvement in the country\'s economy. It recently said all mining contracts involving foreign firms would be examined to ensure they provided sufficient economic benefits to the state. ', 'Japan', 'Japanese banking battle at an end Japan\'s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial has withdrawn its takeover offer for rival bank UFJ Holdings, enabling the latter to merge with Mitsubishi Tokyo. Sumitomo bosses told counterparts at UFJ of its decision on Friday, clearing the way for it to conclude a 3 trillion yen ($29bn) deal with Mitsubishi. The deal would create the world\'s biggest bank with assets of about 189 trillion yen ($1.8 trillion). Sumitomo\'s exit ends the most high profile fight in Japanese bank history. UFJ Holdings, Japan\'s fourth-largest bank, has been at the centre of a fierce bid battle over the last year. Sumitomo, Japan\'s third-largest bank, tabled a higher offer for UFJ than its rival, valuing the company at $35bn. However, UFJ\'s management was known to prefer the offer from Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group (MTFG), Japan\'s second-largest bank. Concerns were also raised about Sumitomo\'s ability to absorb UFJ and the former has now admitted defeat. "We believe the market and most investors accept a UFJ-MTFG merger," Sumitomo said in a statement. "Given the ongoing integration of UFJ and MTFG operations, persisting with our proposal may not be in the best interests of our shareholders or UFJ\'s." Mitsubishi\'s takeover of UFJ - which will be Japan\'s largest-ever takeover deal - will still have to be approved by shareholders of the two firms. However, this is expected to be a formality. Sumitomo may now turn its attention to deepening its ties with Daiwa Securities, another Japanese financial firm. The two are set to merge their venture capital operations and there has been speculation that this could lead to a full-blown merger. Japanese banks are increasingly seeking alliances to boost profits. ', 'Japan', 'Japanese mogul arrested for fraud One of Japan\'s best-known businessmen was arrested on Thursday on charges of falsifying shareholder information and selling shares based on the false data. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi was once ranked as the world\'s richest man and ran a business spanning hotels, railways, construction and a baseball team. His is the latest in a series of arrests of top executives in Japan over business scandals. He was taken away in a van outside one of his Prince hotels in Tokyo. There was a time when Mr Tsutsumi seemed untouchable. Inheriting a large property business from his father in the 1960s, he became one of Japan\'s most powerful industrialists, with close connections to many of the country\'s leading politicians. He used his wealth and influence to bring the Winter Olympic Games to Nagano in 1998. But last year, he was forced to resign from all the posts he held in his business empire, after being accused of falsifying the share-ownership structure of Seibu Railways, one of his companies. Under Japanese stock market rules, no listed company can be more than 80% owned by its 10 largest shareholders. Now Mr Tsutsumi faces criminal charges and the possibility of a prison sentence because he made it look as if the 10 biggest shareholders owned less than this amount. Seibu Railways has been delisted from the stock exchange, its share value has plunged and it is the target of a takeover bid. Mr Tsutsumi\'s fall from grace follows the arrests of several other top executives in Japan as the authorities try to curb the murky business practices which were once widespread in Japanese companies. His determination to stay at the top at all costs may have had its roots in his childhood. The illegitimate third son of a rich father, who made his money buying up property as Japan rebuilt after World War II, he has described the demands his father made. "I felt enormous pressure when I dined with him and it was nothing but pain," Tsutsumi told a weekly magazine in 1987. "He scolded me for pouring too much soy sauce or told me fruit was not for children. He didn\'t let me use the silk futon, saying it\'s a luxury." There have been corporate governance issues at some other Japanese companies too. Last year, twelve managers from Mitsubishi Motors were charged with covering up safety defects in their vehicles and three executives from Japan\'s troubled UFJ bank were charged with concealing the extent of the bank\'s bad loans. ', 'UK', 'Umbro profits lifted by Euro 2004 UK sportswear firm Umbro has posted a 222% rise in annual profit after sales of replica England football kits were boosted by the Euro 2004 tournament. Pre-tax profit for 2004 was £15.4m ($29.4m). Umbro, which recently lost sponsorship deals with Chelsea and Celtic, said on Thursday it had signed a new four-year agreement with Scottish club Rangers. It hopes 2005 sales will benefit from the launch of a new England replica shirt ahead of the 2006 World Cup. In January, Umbro announced its sponsorship agreement with Chelsea, which gave Umbro the lucrative right to make replica shirts, would end in 2006, five years earlier than expected. The firm, which is to receive a payment from Chelsea of £24.5m, said it is "appraising a number of additional investment opportunities as a result of this compensation" . Chief executive Peter McGuigan said the firm plans to grow sales both in the UK and internationally. The firm, reporting its first annual results since listing on the London Stock Exchange in June, said the UK market had seen sales growth of 8% last year. It said the launch of its Evolution X fashion range had boosted sales. Umbro supplies more than 150 teams across the world including the national sides of Ireland, Sweden and Norway. Shares in Umbro were up 1.76% at 115.5 pence in morning trade. ', 'US', 'Fed chief warning on US deficit Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has warned that allowing huge US budget deficits to continue could have "severe" consequences. Speaking to the House Budget Committee he urged Congress to take action to cut the deficit, such as increasing taxes. While the US economy is growing at a "reasonably good pace" he warned that budget concerns were clouding the economic outlook for the US. Pension and healthcare costs posed the greatest risks to the economy, he said. The government program faces severe financial strains in coming decades as the massive baby-boom generation retires. "I fear that we may have already committed more physical resources to the baby-boom generation in its retirement years than our economy has the capacity to deliver. If existing promises need to be changed, those changes should be made sooner rather than later," Mr Greenspan said. He also warned that unless the nation sees unprecedented rises in productivity "retirement and health programmes would need "significant" changes. He called on Congress to cut promised benefits for retirees, as the promised benefits for the soon-to-retire baby boom generation were much larger than the government could afford. Meanwhile any move to narrow the deficit gap by raising taxes could pose a significant risk to the economy by dampening growth and spending, he added. He also urged Congress to reinstate lapsed rules that require tax cuts and spending to be offset elsewhere in the budget in an effort to prevent the US heading further into the red. Despite the dire warnings, Mr Greenspan did offer some good news for the short term. As US growth gathers steam and incomes rise that should lead to a narrowing of the deficit. Recent increases in defence and homeland security spending were also not expected to continue indefinitely, which should cut some costs. Since President George W Bush came to office the federal budget has swung from a record surplus to a record deficit of $412bn last year. ', 'UK', 'UK Coal plunges into deeper loss Shares in UK Coal have fallen after the mining group reported losses had deepened to £51.6m in 2004 from £1.2m. The UK\'s biggest coal producer blamed geological problems, industrial action and "operating flaws" at its deep mines for its worsening fortunes. The South Yorkshire company, led by new chief executive Gerry Spindler, said it hoped to return to profit in 2006. In early trade on Thursday, its shares were down 10% at 119 pence. UK Coal said it was making "significant progress" in shaking up the business. It had introduced new wage structures, a new daily maintenance regime for machinery at its mines and methods to continue mining in adverse conditions. The company said these actions should "significantly uplift earnings". It expected 2005 to be a "transitional year" and to return to profitability in 2006. The recent rise in coal prices has failed to benefit the company as most of its output had already been sold, it said. Total production costs were £1.30 per gigajoule, UK Coal said, but the average selling price was just £1.18 per gigajoule. "We have a long journey ahead to fix these issues. We continue to make progress and great strides have already been made," said Mr Spindler. UK Coal operates 15 deep and surface mines across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Yorkshire, the West Midlands, Northumberland and Durham. ', 'Japan', 'Japan economy slides to recession The Japanese economy has officially gone back into recession for the fourth time in a decade. Gross domestic product fell by 0.1% in the last three months of 2004. The fall reflects weak exports and a slowdown in consumer spending, and follows similar falls in GDP in the two previous quarters. The Tokyo stock market fell after the figures were announced, but rose again on a widespread perception that the economy will recover later this year. On Wednesday, the government revised growth figures from earlier in 2004 which, when taking into account performance in the most recent period, effectively tips Japan into recession. A previous estimate of 0.1% growth between July and September was downgraded to a 0.3% decline. A recession is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, although the Japanese government takes other factors into account when judging the status of its economy. Figures released by the government\'s Cabinet Office showed that GDP, on an annualised basis, fell 0.5% in the last three months of 2004. However, politicians remain upbeat about prospects for an economic boost later in the year. "The economy has some soft patches but if you look at the bigger picture, it is in a recovery stage," said Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Heizo Takenaka. Gross domestic product measures the overall value of goods and services produced in a country. "The economy must be assessed comprehensively and we cannot look at GDP alone," Mr Takenaka stressed. Ministers pointed to the fact that consumer spending had been depressed by one-off factors such as the unseasonably mild winter. Analysts said the figures were disappointing but argued that Japan\'s largest companies had been recording healthy profits and capital spending was on the rise. Japan\'s economy grew 2.6% overall last year - fuelled by a strong performance in the first few months - and is forecast to see growth of 2.1% in 2005. However, the economy\'s fragile recovery remains dependent on an upturn in consumer spending, a fall in the value of the yen and an improvement in global economies. "The results came in at the lower end of expectations but we shouldn\'t be too pessimistic about the current state and the outlook for the economy," said Naoki Iizuka, senior economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. Japan\'s economy has seen stretches of moderate growth over the past decade but has periodically slipped back into recession. ', 'US', 'US crude prices surge above $53 US crude prices have soared to fresh four-month highs above $53 in the US as refinery problems propelled petrol prices to an all-time high. US light sweet crude futures jumped to $53.09 a barrel in New York before closing at $53.03. The gains tracked a surge in US gasoline futures to a record high of $1.4850 a gallon. The jump followed a fire at Western Refining Company\'s refinery in Texas, which shut down petrol production. A spokesman for the group was unable to say when the production unit would be back up and running. "This market simply wants to go up," Citigroup Global Markets analyst Kyle Cooper told Reuters news agency. Ed Silliere, analyst at Energy Merchant, added: "Gasoline is up because of the refinery issues in Texas, which means there will be a scramble for product in the (US) Gulf Coast." Elsewhere, a refinery in Houston was closed due to mechanical problems, while on Tuesday production at BP\'s Texas City refinery was taken down for a short time. In the approach to Spring, the market becomes much more sensitive to problems with petrol production as dealers anticipate rising demand for fuel ahead of the holiday season. The rise in prices came despite a US government report that showed domestic supplies of fuel oil and fuel were rising. Meanwhile, oil production cartel Opec\'s recent announcement that it was now unlikely to cut production levels has also failed to calm fears on the market. Oil prices are roughly 45% higher than a year ago and have risen sharply in recent weeks due to a combination of colder weather, the declining value of the dollar and fears that Opec could rein in production to head off a seasonal drop in demand. Instability in Iraq and underlying fears about terrorism have also played a part in the rally. ', 'Japan', 'Industrial output falls in Japan Japanese industrial output fell in October while unemployment rose, casting further doubt on the strength of the country\'s economic recovery. Production dropped 1.6% in October, reflecting a decline in exports, while unemployment levels edged up 0.1% to 4.7%, slightly higher than forecast. The economy has grown for six quarters but growth slowed dramatically in the last quarter amid weaker global demand. Japan\'s government remains optimistic due to strong domestic demand. Analysts had been forecasting a 0.1% rise in month on month industrial output. According to figures from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the decline was led by a fall in demand for electronic parts for mobile phones and digital televisions. Although inventories fell 0.7% month on month, they were 36% higher than a year ago. "It\'s a sign that the economy\'s adjustment phase is stronger than expected," said Takashi Yamanaka, an economist with UFJ Bank. Japan downgraded its overall economic assessment earlier this month for the first time in a year. Growth slowed to 0.3% in the quarter ending September 30, down from 6.3% in the first quarter of 2004. Experts believe the economy -which stagnated for most of the 1990s -may be entering a softer patch on the back of rising oil prices and the falling dollar. Japanese government officials played down the latest data, arguing that domestic consumer demand was still resilient. "The outlook for November is positive so I don\'t think one can say that conditions have worsened just because of the fall in October," said a METI official. Despite the rise in unemployment, jobless figures are still some way below historical highs of recent years. The comparatively weak economic date preyed on shares with the Nikkei down 1% in afternoon trade. ', 'Europe', 'Ryanair in $4bn Boeing plane deal Budget airline Ryanair has placed an order for 70 Boeing 737-800 planes, in a deal valued at $4bn (£2.1bn) which should lead to 2,500 new Ryanair jobs. It also has an option for a further 70 aircraft, a move which brings the Ryanair/Boeing order book up to 225 firm orders and options on 193 more. Ryanair said the new planes would help it to cut operating costs further. The carrier reported a drop in quarterly profit earlier this year after it was hit by higher fuel costs. However, when it reported the results, the airline was upbeat about prospects for 2005, despite tough competition in the budget airline market. Ryanair chairman David Bonderman said that the 737-800 had "significantly reduced our unit operating costs and allowed us to reduce air fares each year for the last five years". "With this new order and new pricing in place, Ryanair expects that unit operating costs (excluding fuel) will continue to fall each year for the next five years," he added. At the end of this year, Ryanair will have taken delivery of about 100 new planes, while the 70 new orders are due for delivery between 2008 and 2012. The airline said that when all these planes have been delivered, it will be able to carry more than 70 million passengers a year, making it Europe\'s largest airline. About 2,500 new jobs should be created in the next seven years, it added. The order can be seen as good news for Boeing, which in recent years has been overtaken by European plane maker Airbus as the world\'s biggest-selling plane maker. ', 'Italy', 'Italy to get economic action plan Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will unveil plans aimed at kickstarting the country\'s sputtering economy on Thursday night in Rome. He will present an "Action Plan for the Development of Italy" in a meeting with industrialists and trade union leaders. Mr Berlusconi is expected to table reforms aimed at boosting research and development (R&D) spending, and the competitiveness of small firms. Also in focus will be bankruptcy laws and the slow pace of the legal system. The prime minister is scheduled to start the meeting at 1830 GMT. The government has been accused of underfunding R&D, making it harder for Italy to compete with other European nations and leading to a "brain-drain" of the country\'s brightest talents. Analysts say that hiring and firing staff is still too difficult and expensive, hampering the development of small- and medium-sized businesses. As a result, they say, Italy\'s corporate landscape is filled with numerous smaller companies that are often reluctant to become bigger because of all the extra hassle that would accompany the running of a larger firm. At the same time, bankruptcy laws make it difficult for failed company directors to set up new businesses and emerge from their debts, a situation that is hampering Italy\'s entrepreneurial spirit. The government says that it has set about tackling the problems, adding that getting growth going was the responsibility of all of Italy\'s 60 million population. According to Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy\'s business newspaper, the government will focus on "opening up markets, infrastructure, research, making more incentives available, bankruptcy law, the slow pace of the justice system". Mr Berlusconi has previously promised to cut taxes by 6.5bn euros ($8.6bn; £4.5bn) this year in an effort to get people and companies to spend. He has also promised to cap spending on transport, education and health so as to trim the ballooning budget deficit. Italy plans to raise as much as 25bn euros from privatisations in 2005, including a partial flotation of the post office and utility Enel. Critics argue that these moves do not go far enough and could make Italy\'s problems worse. Limiting government spending will lead to job losses, they counter, while the income tax cuts will have a negligible effect on sentiment and ultimately favour the wealthy. The country has been one of the eurozone\'s worst economic performers in recent years. Growth was 1.1% in 2004, up from just 0.3% in 2003 and 0.4% in 2002 - an improvement but still a long way from ideal. At the same time, business and consumer confidence has dipped and analysts have raised concerns that what little spending there is stems from Italians dipping into their savings accounts or using credit cards. Without a pick up in national growth, they say, the money could eventually run out, bringing Italy\'s economy to a juddering halt. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of Italy\'s economy. ', 'China', 'BMW drives record sales in Asia BMW has forecast sales growth of at least 10% in Asia this year after registering record sales there in 2004. The luxury carmaker saw strong sales of its three marques - BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce - in Asia last year after the launch of three new models. The company, which is vying with Mercedes-Benz for the title of leading premium carmaker, is confident about its prospects for the region in 2005. It is launching a revamped version of its 3-Series saloon class next month. BMW sold nearly 95,000 cars in Asia last year, up 2.6% on 2003. BMW-brand sales rose 2.3% to 80,600 while sales of Mini models rose 3.6% to 14,800. There was also a significant increase in sales of Rolls-Royces on the continent. BMW sold more than 100 of the iconic models compared with just ten the previous year. The German carmaker is aiming to boost annual sales in Asia to 150,000 by 2008. "Here in Asia, we consider a double-digit increase in retail on the order of 10 to 15% to be realistic on the basis of current features," said Helmut Panke, BMW\'s group chief executive. China remains the main area of concern for BMW after sales there fell 16% last year. However, BMW is hopeful of a much better year in 2005 as its direct investment in China begins to pay dividends. The company only began assembling luxury high-powered sedans in China in 2003. 2004 was generally a good year for BMW, which saw revenues from its core car-making operations rise 11%. ', 'UK', 'Economy \'stronger than forecast\' The UK economy probably grew at a faster rate in the third quarter than the 0.4% reported, according to Bank of England deputy governor Rachel Lomax. Private sector business surveys suggest a stronger economy than official estimates, Ms Lomax said. Other surveys collectively show a rapid slowdown in UK house price growth, she pointed out. This means that despite a strong economic growth, base rates will probably stay on hold at 4.75%. Official data comes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Though reliable, ONS data takes longer to publish, so now the BoE is calling for faster delivery of data so it can make more effective policy decisions. "Recent work by the Bank has shown that private sector surveys add value, even when preliminary ONS estimates are available," Ms Lomax said in a speech to the North Wales Business Club. The ONS is due to publish its second estimate of third quarter growth on Friday. "The MPC judges that overall growth was a little higher in the third quarter than the official data currently indicate," Ms Lomax said. The Bank said successful monetary policy depends on having good information. Rachel Lomax cited the late 1980s as an example of a time when weak economic figures were published, but substantially revised upwards years later. "The statistical fog surrounding the true state of the economy has proved a particularly potent breeding ground for policy errors in the past," she said. Improving the quality of national statistics is the single the best way of making sure the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) makes the right decisions, she said. The Bank of England is working in tandem with the ONS to improve the quality and speed of delivery of data. Her remarks follow criticism from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, which said the MPC had held interest rates too high given that inflation was way below the 2% target. A slowdown in the housing market and this year\'s surge in oil prices has made economic forecasting all the more tricky, leading to a more uncertain outlook. "This year rising oil prices and a significant slowdown in the housing market have awoken bad memories of the 1970s and 1980s," Ms Lomax said. "The MPC will be doing well if it can achieve the same stability over the next decade as we have enjoyed over the past 10 years." Decisions on interest rates are made after the MPC gathers together the range of indicators available every month. The clearest signals come when all indicators are pointing the same direction, Ms Lomax intimated. "In economic assessment, there is safety in numbers." ', 'US', 'Worldcom ex-boss launches defence Lawyers defending former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers against a battery of fraud charges have called a company whistleblower as their first witness. Cynthia Cooper, WorldCom\'s ex-head of internal accounting, alerted directors to irregular accounting practices at the US telecoms giant in 2002. Her warnings led to the collapse of the firm following the discovery of an $11bn (£5.7bn) accounting fraud. Mr Ebbers has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy. Prosecution lawyers have argued that Mr Ebbers orchestrated a series of accounting tricks at WorldCom, ordering employees to hide expenses and inflate revenues to meet Wall Street earnings estimates. But Ms Cooper, who now runs her own consulting business, told a jury in New York on Wednesday that external auditors Arthur Andersen had approved WorldCom\'s accounting in early 2001 and 2002. She said Andersen had given a "green light" to the procedures and practices used by WorldCom. Mr Ebber\'s lawyers have said he was unaware of the fraud, arguing that auditors did not alert him to any problems. Ms Cooper also said that during shareholder meetings Mr Ebbers often passed over technical questions to the company\'s finance chief, giving only "brief" answers himself. The prosecution\'s star witness, former WorldCom financial chief Scott Sullivan, has said that Mr Ebbers ordered accounting adjustments at the firm, telling him to "hit our books". However, Ms Cooper said Mr Sullivan had not mentioned "anything uncomfortable" about WorldCom\'s accounting during a 2001 audit committee meeting. Mr Ebbers could face a jail sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004, and is now known as MCI. Last week, MCI agreed to a buyout by Verizon Communications in a deal valued at $6.75bn. ', 'US', 'Insurance bosses plead guilty Another three US insurance executives have pleaded guilty to fraud charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into industry malpractice. Two executives from American International Group (AIG) and one from Marsh & McLennan were the latest. The investigation by New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer has now obtained nine guilty pleas. The highest ranking executive pleading guilty on Tuesday was former Marsh senior vice president Joshua Bewlay. He admitted one felony count of scheming to defraud and faces up to four years in prison. A Marsh spokeswoman said Mr Bewlay was no longer with the company. Mr Spitzer\'s investigation of the US insurance industry looked at whether companies rigged bids and fixed prices. Last month Marsh agreed to pay $850m (£415m) to settle a lawsuit filed by Mr Spitzer, but under the settlement it "neither admits nor denies the allegations". ', 'UK', 'Wembley firm won\'t make a profit Shares in Multiplex Group, which is building the new Wembley stadium, fell as much as 19% after it said it would not make any money on the project. The Australian firm said it would only break even on the 1.2bn Australian dollars (£458m; $874m) rebuild, after a rise in costs on the work. Any profits would depend on the outcome of legal cases resulting from a change in steel contractor, it added. It cut A$68m from profit targets for Wembley and another UK project. Investors were shaken by the news and the firm\'s shares fell to a four month low of A$4.50, before recovering to close 16% down at A$4.67. The decline came despite Multiplex reporting an 11% rise in pre-tax profits to A$67.7m for 2004 and reaffirming its 2005 profit forecasts. Increased costs at Wembley and a separate development in London\'s Docklands saw Multiplex\'s construction division report profits of A$35.1m. The firm said the result was below expectations but stressed that the majority of its UK projects - which also include the White City redevelopment scheme in west London - were performing strongly. To recoup any profit from Wembley, where the firm changed its steel contractor due to a legal dispute, Multiplex will have to win legal claims against subcontractors. These claims could take up to two years to resolve. "Multiplex believes its claim are sound and ultimately will exceed the level needed to support the break even position," it said. "It is expected that profits will be possible in future periods as the claims are finalised." Wembley Stadium is to due to be completed in January and will officially open for the 2006 FA Cup Final. Analysts expressed concern at the unexpected paring back in profit. "Such a big writeback on the Wembley project in such a short period has impacted on management credibility," Simon Wheatley, from Goldman Sachs, told Reuters. ', 'US', 'Cars pull down US retail figures US retail sales fell 0.3% in January, the biggest monthly decline since last August, driven down by a heavy fall in car sales. The 3.3% fall in car sales had been expected, coming after December\'s 4% rise in car sales, fuelled by generous pre-Christmas special offers. Excluding the car sector, US retail sales were up 0.6% in January, twice what some analysts had been expecting. US retail spending is expected to rise in 2005, but not as quickly as in 2004. Steve Gallagher, US chief economist at SG Corporate & Investment Banking, said January\'s figures were "decent numbers". "We are not seeing the numbers that we saw in the second half of 2004, but they are still pretty healthy," he added. Sales at appliance and electronic stores were down 0.6% in January, while sales at hardware stores dropped by 0.3% and furniture store sales dipped 0.1%. Sales at clothing and clothing accessory stores jumped 1.8%, while sales at general merchandise stores, a category that includes department stores, rose by 0.9%. These strong gains were in part put down to consumers spending gift vouchers they had been given for Christmas. Sales at restaurants, bars and coffee houses rose by 0.3%, while grocery store sales were up 0.5%. In December, overall retail sales rose by 1.1%. Excluding the car sector, sales rose by just 0.3%. Parul Jain, deputy chief economist at Nomura Securities International, said consumer spending would continue to rise in 2005, only at a slower rate of growth than in 2004. "Consumers continue to retain their strength in the first quarter," he said. Van Rourke, a bond strategist at Popular Securities, agreed that the latest retail sales figures were "slightly stronger than expected". ', 'US', 'FAO warns on impact of subsidies Billions of farmers\' livelihoods are at risk from falling commodity prices and protectionism, the UN\'s Food & Agriculture Organisation has warned. Trade barriers and subsidies "severely" distort the market, the FAO report on the "State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2004" said. As a result, the 2.5 billion people in the developing world who rely on farming face food insecurity. The most endangered are those who live in the least-developed countries. The FAO report said that support for farmers in industrialised nations was equivalent to 30 times the amount provided as aid for agricultural development in poor countries. The FAO has urged the World Trade Organisation to swiftly conclude negotiations to liberalise trade, easing developing countries\' access to the world market. It also criticised the high tariffs imposed by both developed and developing nations. It recommends that developing countries reduce their own tariffs to encourage trade and take advantage of market liberalisation. According to the organisation, subsidies and high tariffs have a strong impact on the trade of products such as cotton and rice. Global exports of these products are mainly in the hands of the European Union and the US, who - thanks to subsidies - sell them at very low prices. In fact, almost 30 wealthy nations spend more than $300bn (£158.8bn; 230.9bn euros) in agricultural subsidies. The market situation has divided developing nations in two groups, the FAO said. The first group have a reasonably diverse range of agricultural products while in the second group, agriculture lies largely in the hands of small-scale producers. For 43 developing countries, more than 20% of their export incomes come from the sale of just one product. These countries are mainly situated in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. ', 'India', 'India seeks to boost construction India has cleared a proposal allowing up to 100% foreign direct investment in its construction sector. Kamal Nath, Commerce and Industry Minister, announced the decision in Delhi on Thursday following a cabinet meeting. Analysts say improving India\'s infrastructure will boost foreign investment in other sectors too. The Indian government\'s decision has spread good cheer in the construction sector, according to some Indian firms. A spokesman for DLF Builders, Dr Vancheshwar, told the BBC this will mean "better offerings" for consumers as well as builders. He said the firm will benefit from world class "strategic partnerships, design expertise and technology, while consumers will have better choice." The government proposal states that foreign investment of up to 100% will be allowed on the \'automatic route\' in the construction sector, on projects including housing, hotels, resorts, hospitals and educational establishments. The automatic route means that construction companies need only get one set of official approvals and do not need to gain clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, which can be bureaucratic. The government hopes its new policy will create employment for construction workers, and benefit steel and brick-making industries. Mr Nath also announced plans to allow foreign investors to develop a smaller area of any land they acquired. "Foreign investors can enter any construction development area, be it to build resorts, townships or commercial premises but they will have to construct at least 50,000 square meters (538,000 square feet) within a specific timeframe," said Mr Nath, without specifying the timeframe. Previously foreign investors had to develop a much larger area, discouraging some from entering the Indian market. This measure is designed to discourage foreign investors from buying and selling land speculatively, without developing it. Anshuman Magazine, managing director, of CB Richard Ellis - an international real estate company - told the BBC this was "a big positive step." However, Chittabrata Majumdar, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said allowing FDI in the country is compromising India\'s own "self reliance". He said, "No country can develop on the basis of foreign investment alone." Mr Majumdar also said an assessment should be made as to whether foreign investment is indeed beneficial to the country - in terms of employment and money generated - or just another way of international companies filling their deep pockets. ', 'US', 'Boeing unveils new 777 aircraft US aircraft firm Boeing has unveiled its new long-distance 777 plane, as it tries to regain its position as the industry\'s leading manufacturer. The 777-200LR will be capable of flying almost 11,000 miles non-stop, linking cities such as London and Sydney. Boeing, in contrast to European rival Airbus, hopes airlines will want to fly smaller aircraft over longer distances. Airbus, which overtook Boeing as the number one civilian planemaker in 2003, is focusing on so-called super jumbos. Analysts are divided over which approach is best and say that this latest tussle between Boeing and Airbus may prove to be a defining moment for the airline industry. Boeing plans to offer twin-engine planes that are able to fly direct to many of the world\'s airports, getting rid of the need for connecting flights. It is banking on smaller, slimmer planes such as the 777-200LR and its much-anticipated 787 Dreamliner plane, which is set to take to the skies in 2008. The 777-200LR, which had its launch delayed by the 11 September attacks in the US, is the fifth variation of Boeing\'s twin-aisle 777 plane. The company offically "rolled-out" the new 777 in Seattle at 2200 GMT. Better fuel efficiency from engines made by GE and lighter materials mean that the plane can connect almost any two cities worldwide. "Boeing has the latest variant in a very successful line of airplanes and there is no doubt it will continue to be very successful," said David Learmount, operations and safety editor at industry magazine Flight International. But the 777-200LR "is a niche player", Mr Learmount continued, adding that reach was not the only criteria airlines used when picking their aircraft. Mr Learmount pointed out that the 777-200LR has been on the market for a couple of years and only had limited success at attracting orders. He also said that while the plane may be able to fly to Sydney from London in one hit, prevailing winds meant that it would have to stop somewhere on the return journey. For Airbus, the future is big - it is pinning its hopes on planes that can carry as many as 840 people between large hub airports. From there, passengers would be ferried to their final destinations by smaller planes. Airbus is also keeping its options open and plans to compete in all the main categories of aircraft. It has been producing a rival to Boeing\'s 777 line for more than a year. "Airbus is now where Boeing was a few years ago" with its product range, said Flight International\'s Mr Learmount. Both Boeing and Airbus have been taking orders for their new planes. Boeing said it expected to sell about 500 of its 777-200LR planes over the next 20 years. It already has orders from Pakistan International Airlines and EVA of Taiwan. These orders should help underpin the company\'s profits. Boeing said earnings during the last three months of 2004 dropped by 84% because of costs relating to stopping production of its smallest airliner, the 717, and the cancellation of a US air force 767 tanker contract. Net profit was $186m (£98m; 143m euros) in the quarter, compared with $1.13bn in the same period in 2003. ', 'US', 'Circuit City gets takeover offer Circuit City Stores, the second-largest electronics retailer in the US, has received a $3.25bn (£1.7bn) takeover offer. The bid has come from Boston-based private investment firm Highfields Capital Management, which already owns 6.7% of Circuit City\'s shares. Shares in the retailer were up 19.6% at $17.04 in Tuesday morning trading in New York following the announcement. Highfield said that it intends to take the Virginia-based firm private. "Such a transformation would eliminate the public-company transparency into the company\'s operating strategy that is uniquely damaging in a highly competitive industry where Circuit City is going head-to-head with a tough and entrenched rival," Highfield said. One analyst suggested that a bidding battle may now begin for the company. Bill Armstrong, a retail analyst at CL King & Associates, said he expected to see other private investment firms come forward for Circuit City. The retailer is debt free with a good cash flow, despite the fact that it is said to be struggling to keep up with market leader Best Buy and cut-price competition from the likes of Wal-Mart, said Mr Armstrong. ', 'Japan', 'Japan turns to beer alternatives Japanese brewers are increasingly making money from beer-flavoured drinks rather than beer itself Beer and spirits are heavily taxed in Japan, driving breweries to search for alternatives. Japan\'s long economic downturn helped drive the trend, as drinkers looked for cheaper opportunities to drown their sorrows. Now, according to Asahi Breweries, the market for so-called "beer-like" drinks is set to grow 84% this year. Asahi is predicting profits to rise 50% in 2005 as it launches a drink based on soybean peptides rather than malt. The chosen name, "Shinnama" or "new draft", disguises its non-beer nature. But despite a record profit in 2004 of 30.6bn yen ($291m; £154m), up 31.8% on the previous year, Asahi is coming late to the market. Key rival Sapporo is already well-established with the beer-flavoured "Draft One". Suntory, meanwhile, is doing well with "Super Blue", which combines happoshu - an existing low-cost beer alternative made with malt and seawater - and shochu, a distilled alcohol derived from sweet potatoes or barley. Happoshu has been a mainstay of brewery profits for years, taking over from beer thanks to its low tax and therefore low cost. Kirin, the fourth big name, is launching its own "third-type" drink in April. ', 'Turkey', 'Turkey-Iran mobile deal \'at risk\' Turkey\'s investment in Iran\'s mobile industry looks set to be scrapped after its biggest mobile firm saw its investment there slashed by MPs. Iran\'s parliament voted by a large majority to cut Turkcell\'s stake in a new mobile network from 70% to 49%. The move, which was justified on national security grounds, follows an earlier vote by MPs to give themselves a veto over foreign investments. Turkcell said the decision "increases the risks" attached to the project. Although the company\'s statement said it would continue to monitor developments, observers said they thought Turkcell was set to pull out of the $3bn deal. "The possibility of carrying out this project is next to zero," said Atinc Ozkan, analyst at Finans Investment in Istanbul. If Turkcell does back out, MTN - the South African firm which lost out in the original tender - may well be back in the running. The company has said it is prepared to accept a minority stake if Iran will award it the mobile deal. Turkcell\'s mobile deal is the second Turkish investment in Iran to run into trouble. Turkish-Austrian consortium TAV was chosen to build and run Tehran\'s new Imam Khomeini International Airport - but the army closed it just hours after it opened in May 2004. In both cases, the justification has been national security, amid allegations that the Turkish firms are too close to Israel. The hardline posture taken by parliament, which is dominated by religious conservatives, could yet impact other inward investments. ', 'US', 'Palestinian economy in decline Despite a short-lived increase in Palestinian jobs in 2003, the economy is performing well below its potential, said a World Bank report. Unemployment stood at 25%, compared with 10% before the uprising against Israeli occupation four years ago. Young people are particularly hard hit with 37% out of work, compared with 14% four years ago. But 104,000 new jobs were created last year during a brief easing of violence and closures. However, during the first half of this year, the Palestinian economy lost more than 22,000 jobs. Last year\'s growth rate of 6% can also be attributed to this temporary gap in violence, the report said. According to the report, Intifada, Closures and Palestinian Economic Crisis: An Assessment, there is a close link between the number of closures - both border closures and internal closures between cities - and Palestinian economic problems. The closures arranged by Israel restrict the movement of Palestinian people and goods, slowing down trade. "Closures are a key factor behind today\'s economic crisis in the West Bank," said Nigel Roberts, World Bank country director for the West Bank and Gaza. Nearly half of all Palestinians - some 47% - live below the poverty line and are particularly vulnerable to economic shocks. The report said even more would be on the poverty line without an average of $950m a year from international donors, some of which goes towards job creation. It also called on the Palestinian Authority to revive its reform programme and maintain financial discipline to create an investment-friendly climate. This week Colin Powell, US Secretary of State was visiting the West Bank to stress US support for a smooth Palestinian election in January. ', 'US', "ID theft surge hits US consumers Almost a quarter of a million US consumers complained of being targeted for identity theft in 2004, official figures suggest. The Federal Trade Commission said two in five of the 635,173 reports it had from consumers concerned ID fraud. ID theft occurs when criminals use someone else's personal information to steal credit or commit other crimes. Internet auctions were the second biggest source of fraud complaints, comprising 16% of the total. The total cost of fraud reported by consumers was $546m (£290m). The report marks the fifth year in a row in which identity fraud has topped the table. The biggest slice of the 246,570 ID fraud cases reported - almost 30% - concerned abuses of people's credit. Misusing someone's identity to claim new credit cards or loans comprised 16.5% of the total, with almost 12% coming from false claims on existing credit. Another 18% came from attempts to rip off people's bank accounts, while 13% of cases concerned attempts to defraud employers by abusing someone else's identity. Outside the field of ID theft, 53% of the near-400,000 complaints were internet-related. Among the 100,000 internet auction complaints, the failure of sellers to deliver or the supply of sub-standard goods were the most common woes reported. Catalogue and home-shopping frauds were next in line, accounting for 8% of total complaints, while concerns about internet services and computers - including spyware found on people's PCs and undisclosed charges for websites - amounted to 6% of complaints. ", 'UK', 'Home loan approvals rising again The number of mortgages approved in the UK has risen for the first time since May last year, according to lending figures from the Bank of England. New loans in December rose to 83,000, slightly higher than November\'s nine-year low of 77,000. Mortgage lending rose by £7.1bn in December, up from a £6.4bn rise in November. The figures contradict a survey from the British Bankers\' Association, which said approvals were at a five-year low. Analysts say the figures show the market may be stabilising but still point to further house price softness. "The modest rise in mortgage approvals and lending in December reinforces the impression that the housing market is currently slowing steadily rather than sharply," said Global Insight analyst Howard Archer, commenting on the BoE\'s figures. The BBA believes that the property market is continuing to cool down. Changes to mortgage regulation may have artificially depressed figures in November, thus flattering the December figures, analysts said. In October last year, new rules came into force, which meant some lenders were forced to withdraw mortgage products temporarily in November and defer some lending until they had made sure they had complied with the rules properly. Separately, the Bank of England said that consumer credit rose by £1.5bn in December, more than the £1.4bn expected and above the £1.4bn reported in the previous month. ', 'UK', 'Manufacturing recovery \'slowing\' UK manufacturing grew at its slowest pace in one-and-a-half years in January, according to a survey. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) said its purchasing manager index (PMI) fell to 51.8 from a revised 53.3 in December. But, despite missing forecasts of 53.7, the PMI number remained above 50 - indicating expansion in the sector. The CIPS said that the strong pound had dented exports while rising oil and metals prices had kept costs high. The survey added that rising input prices and cooling demand had deterred factory managers from hiring new workers in an effort to cut costs. That triggered the second successive monthly fall in the CIPS employment index to 48.3 - its lowest level since June 2003. The survey is more upbeat than official figures - which suggest that manufacturing is in recession - but analysts said the survey did suggest that the manufacturing recovery was running out of steam. "It appears that the UK is in a two-tier economy again," said Prebon Yamane economist Lena Komileva. "You have weakness in manufacturing, which I think would concern policymakers at the Bank of England." ', 'US', 'Metlife buys up Citigroup insurer US banking giant Citigroup has sold its Travelers Life & Annuity insurance arm to Metlife for $11.5bn (£6.1bn). The sale is a further move by Citigroup away from its 1990s strategy of offering every financial service - insurance, broking and banking. Profit growth in the insurance market has not matched expansion at Citigroup\'s other businesses. For Metlife, the US\'s leading insurance company, the purchase gives it access to a much larger distribution network. Robert Benmosche, Metlife\'s chairman and chief executive, said that it was a "great opportunity for the brand of Metlife to be distributed through Citigroup". Under the agreement, Metlife will be able to sell its products through Citigroup over the next 10 years. The deal includes Smith Barney retail brokerages and Citibank branches. The company will pay between $1bn and $3bn in Metlife stock with the rest being made up of cash. Travelers had sales of $5.2bn in 2004 and made a profit of $901m. It has total net assets of $96bn. "This deal employs some of Metlife\'s excess capital in a potentially higher-return business and gives it more distribution," said Stuart Quint, an analyst at Gartmore. ', 'Russia', 'Russia gets investment blessing Soaring oil sales and a budget surplus mean Russian debt is no longer a risky investment, one of the world\'s leading credit rating agencies says. Standard & Poor\'s has classed Russian bonds as "investment grade", up from their former "speculative" rating. Russia\'s reputation among investors has been hurt in recent months by the heavy tax bills and asset seizures imposed on companies such as oil giant Yukos. S&P said the solidity of government finances outweighed the risk. Russia is now a net creditor rather than a debtor. Gold and foreign currency reserves of $119bn beat its foreign public debt of some $113bn. The other two major ratings agencies - Fitch and Moody\'s have long since upped their rating of Russia\'s sovereign debt. S&P had held back through fear that the government was dragging its feet on economic and legal reforms. Now, though, it has finally followed suit. But the agency made it clear that the improved rating did not mean that the risks were a thing of the past. Instead, with Russian government coffers brimming with tax revenues from energy sales, S&P said the government\'s own debt is looking a good bet. "These improvements are so significant that they now outweight the serious and growing political risk that continues to be a key ratings constraint on Russia," wrote S&P credit analyst Helena Hessel. The Yukos saga is the most high-profile of the political risks to which Ms Hessel alludes. The company\'s founder and ex-chief executive, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, is in jail on trial for tax evasion and fraud. Many believe the real motive for his prosecution is that he threatened to use his wealth to set up a political alternative to President Vladimir Putin. His company, meanwhile, is widely believed to have fallen victim to the Kremlin\'s wish to get Russian energy resources as far as possible back under state control. ', 'Turkey', 'Iranian MPs threaten mobile deal Turkey\'s biggest private mobile firm could bail out of a $3bn ($1.6bn) deal to build a network in Iran after MPs there slashed its stake in the project. Conservatives in parliament say Turkcell\'s stake in Irancell, the new network, should be cut from 70% to 49%. They have already given themselves a veto over all foreign investment deals, following allegations about Turkish firms\' involvement in Israel. Turkcell now says it may give up on the deal altogether. Iran currently has only one heavily congested mobile network, with long waiting lists for new subscribers. Turkcell signed a contract for the new network in September. The new operator planned to offer subscriptions for about $180, well below the existing firm\'s $500 price tag. But a parliamentary commission has now ruled that Turkcell\'s 70% controlling stake is too high. They say that Turkcell is a security risk because of alleged business ties with Israel. Parliament as a whole - dominated by religious conservatives - will vote on the ruling on Tuesday. Turkcell said the ruling would "make more difficult... Turkcell\'s financial consolidation of Irancell" because its stake would be reduced to less than 50%. "If management control and financial consolidation of Irancell cannot be achieved... the realisation of the project will become risky," it warned in a statement. The firm has refused to comment on whether it has business dealings in Israel, although like almost all GSM operators worldwide it has an interconnection deal with Israeli networks so that its customers can use their phones there. The two countries strengthened ties in both defence and economic issues in 2004. Israeli industry minister Ehud Olmert was reported in June to have attended a meeting between Ruhi Dogusoy, Turkcell\'s chief operating officer, and executives from Israeli telecoms firms. Telecoms is one of two areas specifically targeted by the new veto law on foreign investments, passed earlier in September. The other is airports, a source of controversy after the army closed Tehran\'s new Imam Khomeini International Airport on its opening day in May 2004. Again, the allegation was that the part-Turkish TAV consortium which built and ran it had links with Israel. ', 'US', "US economy shows solid GDP growth The US economy has grown more than expected, expanding at an annual rate of 3.8% in the last quarter of 2004. The gross domestic product figure was ahead of the 3.1% the government estimated a month ago. The rise reflects stronger spending by businesses on capital equipment and a smaller-than-expected trade deficit. GDP is a measure of a country's economic health, reflecting the value of the goods and services it produces. The new GDP figure, announced by the Commerce Department on Friday, also topped the 3.5% growth rate that economists had forecast ahead of Friday's announcement. Growth was at an annual rate of 4% in the third quarter of 2004 and for the year it came in at 4.4%, the best figure in five years. However, the positive economic climate may lead to a rise in interest rates, with many expecting US rates to rise on 22 March. In the January-to-March quarter, the economy is expected to grow at an annual rate of about 4%, economists forecast. In the final quarter of 2004, businesses increased spending on capital equipment and software by 18%, up from 17.5% in the third quarter. Consumer spending grew 4.2% in the final quarter, down from the third quarter's 5.1%. ", 'Australia', 'Australia rates at four year high Australia is raising its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in four years despite signs of a slowdown in the country\'s economy. The Reserve Bank of Australia lifted interest rates 0.25% to 5.5%, their first upwards move in more than a year. However, shortly after the Bank made its decision, new figures showed a fall in economic growth in the last quarter. The Bank said it had acted to curb inflation but the move was criticised by some analysts. The rate hike was the first since December 2003 and had been well-flagged in advance. However, opposition parties and some analysts said the move was ill-timed given data showing the Australian economy grew just 0.1% between October and December and 1.5% on an annual basis. The figures, representing a decline from the 0.2% growth in GDP seen between July and September, were below market expectations. Consumer spending remains strong, however, and the Bank is concerned about growing inflationary pressures. "Over recent months it has become increasingly clear that remaining spare capacity in the labour and goods markets is becoming rather limited," said Ian Macfarlane, Governor of the Reserve Bank. At 2.6%, inflation remains within the Bank\'s 2-3% target range. However, exports declined in the second half of 2004, fuelling a rise in the country\'s current account deficit - the difference in the value of imports compared to exports - to a record Australian dollar 29.4bn. The Australian government said the economy remained strong with unemployment at a near 30 year low. "The economy has been strong and it is properly moderating but it doesn\'t look to me like it\'s slowing in any unreasonable way," said Treasurer Peter Costello. Stock markets had factored in the likelihood of a rate rise but analysts still expressed concern about the strength of the economy. "That 1.5% annual growth rate is the lowest we have seen since the post-election slump we saw back in 2000-1," said Michael Blythe, chief economist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "This suggests the economy really did slow very sharply in the second half of 2004." ', 'US', 'US company admits Benin bribery A US defence and telecommunications company has agreed to pay $28.5m after admitting bribery in the West African state of Benin. The Titan corporation was accused of funnelling more than $2m into the 2001 re-election campaign of President Mathieu Kerekou. At the time, Titan was trying to get a higher price for a telecommunications project in Benin. There is no suggestion that Mr Kerekou was himself aware of any wrongdoing. Titan, a California-based company, pleaded guilty to falsifying its accounts and violating US anti-bribery laws. It agreed to pay $13m in criminal penalties, as well as $15.5m to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the US financial watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC had accused Titan of illegally paying $2.1m to an unnamed agent in Benin claiming ties with President Kerekou. Some of the money was used to pay for T-shirts with campaign slogans on them ahead of the 2001 election. Shortly after the poll, which Mr Kerekou won, Benin officials agreed to quadruple Titan\'s management fee. Prosecuting attorney Carol Lam said: "All US companies should take note that attempting to bribe foreign officials is criminal conduct and will be appropriately prosecuted." The company says it no longer tolerates such practices. Under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, it is a crime for American firms to bribe foreign officials. ', 'US', 'US insurer Marsh cuts 2,500 jobs Up to 2,500 jobs are to go at US insurance broker Marsh & McLennan in a shake up following bigger-than-expected losses. The insurer said the cuts were part of a cost-cutting drive, aimed at saving millions of dollars. Marsh posted a $676m (£352m) loss for the last three months of 2004, against a $375m (£195.3m) profit a year before. It blamed an $850m payout to settle a price-rigging lawsuit, brought by New York attorney general Elliot Spitzer. Under the settlement announced in January, Marsh took a pre-tax charge of $618m in the October-to-December quarter, on top of the $232m charge from the previous quarter. "Clearly 2004 was the most difficult year in MMC\'s financial history," Marsh chief executive Michael Cherkasky said. An ongoing restructuring drive at the group also led to a $337m hit in the fourth quarter, the world\'s biggest insurer said. Analysts expect its latest round of cuts to focus on its brokerage unit, which employs 40,000 staff. The latest layoffs will take the total number of jobs to go at the firm to 5,500 and are expected to lead to annual savings of more than $375m. As part of its efforts to cut costs, the company said it was halving its dividend payment to 17 cents a shares from 34 cents, a move which should enable it to save $360m. Looking ahead, Mr Cherkasky forecast profitable growth for the year ahead "with an operating margin in the upper-teens, and with the opportunity for further margin expansion". Meanwhile, the company also announced it would spin-off its MMC Capital private equity unit, which manages the $3bn Trident Funds operation, to a group of employees. Marsh did not say when the move would take place, but said it had signed a letter of intent. The insurer hit the headlines in October last year when it faced accusations of price rigging. New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer sued the company, accusing it of receiving illegal payments to steer clients to selected firms as well as rigging bids and fixing prices. In January, Marsh agreed to pay $850m to settle the suit - a figure in line with the placement fees it collected in 2003 - and agreed to change its business practices. In February, a former senior executive pleaded guilty to criminal charges in a wide-ranging probe of fraud and bid-rigging in the insurance industry. In January, a former senior vice president also pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the investigation. In an effort to reform its business practises, Marsh said it has already introduced new leadership, new compliance procedures and new ways of dealing with customers. "As a result, we are ready to put these matters behind us and move ahead in 2005 to restore the trust our clients have placed in us and to rebuild shareholder value," Mr Cherkasky said. ', 'US', 'US seeks new $280bn smoker ruling The US Justice Department is to try to overturn a court ruling that threw out its claim for $280bn (£149bn) in damages from tobacco firms. Earlier this month, a three-judge appeal court panel rejected the claim - filed in 1999 by the administration of Bill Clinton - in a 2-1 decision. Government lawyers said they would ask the full US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to hear the case. The court room battle is seen as key in government attempts to fight smoking. "It\'s pretty clear that they\'ve suffered a severe setback," said Anthony Sebok, a professor at Brooklyn Law School, adding that the appeal was what the government "would be expected to ask for". Prosecutors had argued that tobacco firms lied about the dangers of smoking, ignored research that highlighted problems, looked to increase addiction by manipulating nicotine levels and targeted the young with their adverts. Among the firms accused were Altria Group, RJ Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard Tobacco, Liggett Group and Brown and Williamson. Prosecutors went after the companies using legislation put in place to fight organised crime, and accused the firms of conspiring and running "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations". The tobacco companies denied the charges, saying that they never illegally conspired to promote smoking and fool the public. They also said that they have met many of the government\'s demands laid out in a landmark $206bn settlement hammered out in 1998 with 46 states. A three-judge panel agreed with the companies, finding that the case could not be brought under federal anti-racketeering laws. Central to the government\'s case was a meeting in the Plaza Hotel, New York, on 15 December, 1953. Prosecutors contend that executives from the major tobacco firms met and agreed to present a unified strategy denying the harmful effects of smoking. Despite denying for decades that smoking could be linked to illness, the companies have modified their stances in recent years. Altria\'s Philip Morris now accepts that nicotine is harmful, and the company\'s main lawyer William Ohlemeyer told the BBC last year that earlier statements may have been wrong but they were not dishonest. Government lawyers have until 21 March to file their appeal. ', 'UK', 'Budget Aston takes on Porsche British car maker Aston Martin has gone head-to-head with Porsche\'s 911 sports cars with the launch of its cheapest model yet. With a price tag under £80,000, the V8 Vantage is tens of thousands of pounds cheaper than existing Aston models. The Vantage is "the most important car in the history of our company", said Aston\'s chief executive Ulrich Bez. Aston - whose cars were famously used by James Bond - will unveil the Vantage at the Geneva Motor Show on Thursday. Mr Bez - himself a former executive at rival Porsche - said the new car was the company\'s "most affordable car ever and makes the brand accessible". This in turn would make Aston Martin "globally visible, but still very, very exclusive", he added. First shown as a concept car at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the V8 Vantage will be available in the UK in late summer. Development costs for the Vantage have been kept low by sharing a platform with Aston\'s DB9, which Mr Bez described as "the previous most important car for our company". There is currently an 18 months waiting list for the DB9, Mr Bez said. The Vantage will be built at the new Aston factory in Gaydon, near Warwick, and should more than double Aston\'s total output from about 2,000 presently. ', 'China', 'Golden rule \'intact\' says ex-aide Chancellor Gordon Brown will meet his golden economic rule "with a margin to spare", according to his former chief economic adviser. Formerly one of Mr Brown\'s closest Treasury aides, Ed Balls hinted at a Budget giveaway on 16 March. He said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules. Any rate rise ahead of an expected May election would not affect the Labour Party\'s chances of winning, he added. Last July, Mr Balls won the right to step down from his Treasury position and run for parliament, defending the Labour stronghold of Normanton in West Yorkshire. Mr Balls rejected the allegation that Mr Brown had been sidelined in the election campaign, saying he was playing a "different" role to the one he played in the last two elections. He rejected speculation that Mr Brown was considering becoming Foreign Secretary, saying his recent travels had been linked to efforts to boost international development. Gordon Brown\'s decision to announce the date of the Budget while on a trip to China was a "sensible thing to do", since he was talking about skills and investment at the time, Mr Balls told the BBC. Commenting on speculation of an interest rate rise, he said it was not within the remit of the Bank of England\'s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to factor a potential election into its rate decisions. Expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed that house prices are still rising. Consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in January. "I don\'t believe it would be a big election issue in Britain or a problem for Labour," Mr Balls said. Prime Minister Tony Blair has yet to name the date of the election, but most pundits are betting on 5 May as the likely day. ', 'US', 'Slowdown hits US factory growth US industrial production increased for the 21st month in a row in February, but at a slower pace than in January, official figures show. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) index fell to 55.3 in February, from an adjusted 56.4 in January. Although the index was lower than in January, the fact that it held above 50 shows continued growth in the sector. "February was another good month in the manufacturing sector," said ISM survey chairman Norbert Ore. "While the overall rate of growth is slowing, the overall picture is improving as price increases and shortages are becoming less of a problem. Exports and imports remain strong," he said. Analysts had expected February\'s figure to be stronger than January\'s and come in at 57. Of the 20 manufacturing sectors surveyed by ISM, 13 reported growth. They included the textiles, apparel, tobacco, chemicals and transportation sectors. The ISM\'s index of national manufacturing activity is compiled from the responses of purchasing executives at more than 400 industrial companies. ', 'US', 'Lufthansa flies back to profit German airline Lufthansa has returned to profit in 2004 after posting huge losses in 2003. In a preliminary report, the airline announced net profits of 400m euros ($527.61m; £274.73m), compared with a loss of 984m euros in 2003. Operating profits were at 380m euros, ten times more than in 2003. Lufthansa was hit in 2003 by tough competition and a dip in demand following the Iraq war and the killer SARS virus. It was also hit by troubles at its US catering business. Last year, Lufthansa showed signs of recovery even as some European and US airlines were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The board of Lufthansa has recommended paying a 2004 dividend of 0.30 euros per share. In 2003, shareholders did not get a dividend. The company said that it will give all the details of its 2004 results on 23 March. ', 'US', 'Unilever shake up as profit slips Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever is to merge its two management boards after reporting "unsatisfactory" earnings for 2004. It blamed the poor results on sluggish decision making, a rise in discounted retailers and a wet European summer. The company also cited difficult trading conditions and a lack of demand for goods such as its Slimfast range. Unilever, which owns brands including Dove soap, said annual pre-tax profit fell 36% to 2.9bn euros (£1.99bn). Shares fell 1% to 510.75 pence in London, and dropped by 1.2% to 50.50 euros in Amsterdam. Under the restructuring plans, Patrick Cescau, the UK-based co-chairman, will become group chief executive. Dutch co-chairman Antony Burgmans will take on the role of non-executive chairman. "We have recognised the need for greater clarity of leadership and we are moving to a simpler leadership structure that will provide a sharper operational focus," Mr Burgmans said. "We are leaving behind one of the key features of Unilever\'s governance but this is a natural development following the changes introduced last year." The company, which has had dual headquarters in Rotterdam and London since 1930, will announce the location of its head office at a later date. Unilever is not alone in trying to simplify its business. Oil giant Shell last year dismantled its dual-ownership structure, after a series of problems relating to the size of its oil reserves that hammered its share price and led to the resignation of key board members. "The best part of the news this morning was that the company announced a structure simplification," said Arjan Sweere, an analyst at Petercam. The company said the organizational changes would speed decision making, and it also may make further changes. The company said its main focus will be on improving profits, and it is planning to accelerate and increase investment in its 400 main brands. "While it is certainly the case that markets have been tougher in the past eighteen months than we had expected, we have also lost some market share," said Mr Cescau. "We let a range of targets limit our ability flexibility and did not adjust our plans quickly enough to a more difficult business environment." "Our objective is to reverse the share loss that we experienced in some markets in 2004 and return to growth." Unilever said European sales fell 2.8% last year, dragged down by below part sales at its beverage division, where revenues dipped by almost 4%. Sales of ice cream and frozen food dipped by 3.4% In the US last year, revenue grew by 1.5% "despite disappointing sales in Slimfast", the company said. In Asia, leading products came under "attack" from rivals such as Procter & Gamble. Unilever took a 1.5bn euro one-time charge in the fourth quarter, including a 650m euro write-down on Slimfast diet foods. Sales of Slimfast products have been hit in recent years by the popularity of the Atkins diet. But looking ahead, Unilever said it was optimistic about prospects for its slimming products saying that demand is on the wane for rival low-carbohydrate diets. The company also said it planned to spend 500m euros this year buying back shares. ', 'US', 'WorldCom director admits lying The former chief financial officer at US telecoms firm WorldCom has admitted before a New York court that he used to lie to fellow board members. Speaking at the trial of his former boss Bernard Ebbers, Scott Sullivan said he lied to the board to cover up the hole in WorldCom\'s finances. Mr Ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to WorldCom\'s collapse in 2002. He pleads not guilty. The firm had been overstating its accounts by $11bn (£8.5bn). Mr Sullivan, 42, has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following Mr Ebbers\' trial, where he is appearing as a prosecution witness. Mr Ebbers, 63, has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in WorldCom\'s finances. In the New York court on Wednesday, Mr Ebbers\' lawyer Reid Weingarten asked Mr Sullivan: "If you believe something is in your interest, you are willing and able to lie to accomplish it, isn\'t that right?" "On that date, yes. I was lying," replied Mr Sullivan. Mr Weingarten has suggested that Mr Sullivan is implicating Mr Ebbers only to win a lighter sentence, something Mr Sullivan denies. Mr Sullivan also rejects a suggestion that he had once told fellow WorldCom board member Bert Roberts that Mr Ebbers was unaware of the accounting fraud at WorldCom. The trial of Mr Ebbers is now into its third week. Under 23 hours of questioning from a federal prosecutor, Mr Sullivan has previously told the court that he repeatedly warned Mr Ebbers that falsifying the books would be the only way to meet Wall Street revenue and earnings expectations. Mr Sullivan claims that Mr Ebbers refused to stop the fraud. Mr Ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. WorldCom\'s problems appear to have begun with the collapse of the dotcom boom which cut its business from internet companies. Prosecutors allege that the company\'s top executives responded by orchestrating massive fraud over a two-year period. WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004, and is now known as MCI. ', 'Europe', 'Glaxo aims high after profit fall GlaxoSmithKline saw its profits fall 9% last year to £6.2bn ($11.5bn), but Europe\'s biggest drugmaker says a recovery during 2005 is on the way. Cheap copies of its drugs, particularly anti-depressants Paxil and Wellbutrin, and a weak dollar had hit profits, but global sales were up 1% in 2004. The firm is confident its new drug pipeline will deliver profits despite the failure of an obesity drug. Chief executive Jean-Pierre Garnier said it had been a "difficult year". In early afternoon trade in London the company share price was down 1% at 1218 pence. Mr Garnier said the company had absorbed over £1.5bn of lost sales to generics but still managing to grow the business. "The continuing success of our key products means we can now look forward to a good performance in 2005," he said. "2005 will also be an important year in terms of research and development pipeline progress." However, the firm discontinued development of an experimental treatment for obesity, known as \'771, after disappointing clinical trial results. Glaxo is relying on new treatments for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, depression, HIV/AIDS and allergies to lift the pace of sales growth after several disappointing years. ', 'Japan', 'Japan bank shares up on link talk Shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (SMFG), and Daiwa Securities jumped amid speculation that two of Japan\'s biggest financial companies will merge. Financial newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun claimed that the firms will join up next year and already have held discussions with Japanese regulators. The firms denied that they are about to link up, but said they are examining ways of working more closely together. SMFG shares climbed by 2.7% to 717,000, and Daiwa added 5.3% to 740 yen. Combining SMFG, Japan\'s third-biggest lender, and Daiwa, the country\'s second-largest brokerage firm, would create a company with assets of more than $1,000bn (£537bn). SMFG President Yoshifumi Nishikawa said that the companies needed to bolster their businesses. "Both companies need to strengthen retail and other operations," he said, adding that "it\'s an issue we have in common". Daiwa said that "although it is true that the two groups have been engaging in various discussions to enhance cooperation, there are no plans to enter into negotiations to consolidate the two businesses". Analysts said that consolidation in Japan\'s financial sector was likely to continue and that it was likely to have a positive impact on earnings. "Cross-selling opportunities between banks and brokers are increasing thanks to deregulation, so we can expect the relationship to get even stronger," said Heronry Nozaki, an analyst at NikkoCitigroup. The merger "would be a good move," he added. ', 'US', 'Car giant hit by Mercedes slump A slump in profitability at luxury car maker Mercedes has prompted a big drop in profits at parent DaimlerChrysler. The German-US carmaker saw fourth quarter operating profits fall to 785m euros ($1bn) from 2.4bn euros in 2003. Mercedes-Benz\'s woes - its profits slid to just 20m euros - obscured a strong performance from the Chrysler group whose returns met market expectations. Mercedes faces fierce competition in the luxury car sector from BMW and but hopes to revive its fortunes by 2006. Mercedes\' profits over the period compared unfavourably with 2003\'s 784m euro figure and were well below analyst expectations of 374m euros. For the year as a whole, its operating profits fell 46% to 1.6bn euros. Sales of Mercedes\' brands fell 2% as demand cooled, while revenues were affected by the weakness of the US dollar. The carmaker blamed the fall in profits on high launch costs for new models and losses from its Mercedes Smart mini-car range. Mercedes is hoping to increase productivity by 3bn euros, having negotiated 500m euros in annual savings with German workers last year. The firm said it was determined to retain Mercedes\' position as the world\'s most successful luxury brand. However, DaimlerChrysler\'s shares fell 1.5% on the news. "While all these divisions are doing well the big worries continue to surround Mercedes-Benz," Michael Rabb, an analyst with Bank Sal Oppenheim, told Reuters. In contrast, Chrysler enjoyed a 5% annual increase in unit sales while revenues - calculated in US dollars - rose 10%. The US division - whose marques include Dodge and Jeep - transformed a full year operating loss of 506m euros in 2003 into a 1.4bn euros profit last year. Overall, DaimlerChrysler saw worldwide vehicle sales rise 8% to 4.7 million in 2004 while total revenues added 4% to 142bn euros. Chrysler\'s strong performance helped the world\'s fifth largest carmaker boost net income by 400m euros to 2.5bn euros. "The year 2004 shows that our strategy works well - even in such a challenging competitive environment," said Jurgen Schrempp, DaimlerChrysler\'s chairman. DaimlerChrysler took a 475m euro hit in costs stemming from a defects scandal at its joint venture, Japanese subsidiary Fuso. DaimlerChrysler last week agreed a compensation package with partner Mitsubishi Motors which will see it buy out its stake in Fuso. Looking forward, DaimerChrysler\'s profits are expected to be slightly higher in 2005. However, it is expecting "significant improvements" in profitability in 2006 as a result of a major investment in the Mercedes product range. ', 'US', 'US bank in $515m SEC settlement Five Bank of America subsidiaries have agreed to pay a total of $515m (£277m) to settle an investigation into fraudulent trading share practices. The US Securities and Exchange Commission announced the settlements, the latest in an industry-wide clean-up of US mutual funds. The SEC also said it had brought fraud charges against two ex-senior executives of Columbia Distributor. Columbia Distributor was part of FleetBoston, bought by BOA last year. Three other ex-Columbia executives agreed settlements with the SEC. The SEC has set itself the task of stamping out the mutual funds\' use of market-timing, a form of quick-fire, short-term share trading that harms the interests of small investors, with whom mutual funds are particularly popular. In the last two years, it has imposed penalties totalling nearly $2bn on 15 funds. The SEC unveiled two separate settlements, one covering BOA\'s direct subsidiaries, and another for businesses that were part of FleetBoston at the time. In both cases, it said there had been secret deals to engage in market timing in mutual fund shares. The SEC agreed a deal totalling $375m with Banc of America Capital Management, BACAP Distributors and Banc of America Securities. It was made up of $250m to pay back gains from market timing, and $125m in penalties. It is to be paid to the damaged funds and their shareholders. Separately, the SEC said it had reached a $140m deal - equally split between penalties and compensation - in its probe into Columbia Management Advisors (CAM) and Columbia Funds Distributor (CFD) and three ex-Columbia executives. These businesses became part of BOA when it snapped up rival bank FleetBoston in a $47bn merger last March. The SEC filed civil fraud charges in a Boston Federal court against James Tambone, who it says headed CFD\'s sales operations, and his alleged second in command Robert Hussey. The SEC is pressing for the highest tier of financial penalties against the pair for "multiple violations", repayment of any personal gains, and an injunction to prevent future breaches, a spokeswoman for the SEC\'s Boston office told the BBC. There was no immediate comment from the men\'s\' lawyers. The SEC\'s settlement with CAM and CFD included agreements with three other ex-managers, Peter Martin, Erik Gustafson and Joseph Palombo, who paid personal financial penalties of between $50-100,000. ', 'Japan', 'Bargain calls widen Softbank loss Japanese communications firm Softbank has widened losses after heavy spending on a new cut-rate phone service. The service, launched in December and dubbed "Otoku" or "bargain", has had almost 900,000 orders, Softbank said. The firm, a market leader in high-speed internet, had an operating loss for the three months to December of 7.5bn yen ($71.5m; £38.4m). But without the Otoku marketing spend it would have made a profit - and expects to move into the black in 2006. The firm did not give a figure for the extent of profits it expected to make next year. It was born in the 1990s tech boom, investing widely and becoming a fast-rising star, till the end of the tech bubble hit it hard. Its recent return to a high profile came with the purchase of Japan Telecom, the country\'s third-biggest fixed-line telecoms firm. The acquisition spurred its broadband internet division to pole position in the Japanese market, with more than 5.1 million subscribers at the end of December. ', 'US', 'US adds more jobs than expected The US economy added 337,000 jobs in October - a seven-month high and far more than Wall Street expectations. In a welcome economic boost for newly re-elected President George W Bush, the Labor Department figures come after a slow summer of weak jobs gains. Jobs were created in every sector of the US economy except manufacturing. While the separate unemployment rate went up to 5.5% from 5.4% in September, this was because more people were now actively seeking work. The 337,000 new jobs added to US payrolls in October was twice the 169,000 figure that Wall Street economists had forecast. In addition, the Labor Department revised up the number of jobs created in the two previous months - to 139,000 in September instead of 96,000, and to 198,000 in August instead of 128,000. The better than expected jobs data had an immediate upward effect on stocks in New York, with the main Dow Jones index gaining 45.4 points to 10,360 by late morning trading. "It looks like the job situation is improving and that this will support consumer spending going into the holidays, and offset some of the drag caused by high oil prices this year," said economist Gary Thayer of AG Edwards & Sons. Other analysts said the upbeat jobs data made it more likely that the US Federal Reserve would increase interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 2% when it meets next week. "It should empower the Fed to clearly do something," said Robert MacIntosh, chief economist with Eaton Vance Management in Boston. Kathleen Utgoff, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor, said many of the 71,000 new construction jobs added in October were involved in rebuilding and clean-up work in Florida, and neighbouring Deep South states, following four hurricanes in August and September. The dollar rose temporarily on the job creation news before falling back to a new record low against the euro, as investors returned their attention to other economic factors, such as the US\'s record trade deficit. There is also speculation that President Bush will deliberately try to keep the dollar low in order to assist a growth in exports. ', 'Europe', 'Feta cheese battle reaches court A row over whether only Greece should be allowed to label its cheese feta has reached the European Court of Justice. The Danish and German governments are challenging a European Commission ruling which said Greece should have sole rights to use the name. The Commission\'s decision gave the same legal protection to feta as to Italian Parma ham and French Champagne. But critics of the judgement say feta is a generic term, with the cheese produced widely outside Greece. The Commission\'s controversial 2002 ruling gave "protected designation of origin" status to feta cheese made in Greece, effectively restricting the use of the feta name to producers there. From 2007 onwards, Greek firms will have the exclusive use of the feta label and producers elsewhere in Europe must find another name to describe their products. The German and Danish governments argue that feta does not relate to a specific geographical area and that their firms have been producing and exporting the cheese for years. "In our opinion it is a generic designation and we do not have any other name or term for this type of cheese," Hans Arne Kristiansen, a spokesman for the Danish Dairy Board, told the BBC. Denmark is Europe\'s second largest producer of feta after Greece - producing about 30,000 tonnes a year - and exports its products to Greece. It is concerned that the ruling could threaten the production of other cheeses in Denmark such as brie. "It would cost millions if we wanted to introduce a new designation," Mr Kristiansen said. "That is just one of the costs." The case will also have a major impact on Britain\'s sole feta producer, Yorkshire company Shepherds Purse Cheeses. Judy Bell, the company\'s founder, said it would cost a huge amount to rebrand its product. "If we lose we will have to go through a massive re-merchandising process and reorganisation," she said. "We have never tried to pull the wool over anyone\'s eyes - it\'s very clear from the label that it\'s Yorkshire feta." The original decision was a victory for Greece, where feta cheese is believed to have been produced for about 6,000 years. Feta is a soft white cheese made from sheep or goat\'s milk, and is an essential ingredient in Greek cuisine. Greece makes 115,000 tonnes, mainly for domestic consumption. The Court is expected to reach a verdict in the case in the autumn. ', 'Russia', 'Ukraine revisits state sell-offs Ukraine is preparing what could be a wholesale review of the privatisation of thousands of businesses by the previous administration. The new President, Viktor Yushchenko, has said a "limited" list of companies is being drawn up. But on Wednesday Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the government was planning to renationalise 3,000 firms. The government says many privatised firms were sold to allies of the last administration at rock-bottom prices. More than 90,000 businesses in all, from massive corporations to tiny shopfronts, have been sold off since 1992, as the command economy built up when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union was dismantled. Ms Tymoshenko said prosecutors had drawn up a list of more than 3,000 businesses which were to be reviewed. "We will return to the state that which was illegally put into private hands." A day earlier, Mr Yushchenko - keen to reassure potential investors - had said only 30 to 40 top firms would be targeted. The list "will be limited and final, and will not be extended after its completion", he said. An open-ended list could further damage outside investors\' fragile faith in Ukraine, said Stuart Hensel of the Economist Intelligence Unit. But the government seemed keen not to make the review look like the kind of wholesale renationalisation which many fear in Russia, Mr Hensel said. As a result, it was planning to resell rather than keep firms in state hands. "They\'re aware of the need not to scare investors, and to be careful of internal divides within Ukraine," he said. "They don\'t want to be seen to be transferring assets from one set of oligarchs to a new set." Foreign investment in Ukraine, at about $40 a head in 2004, is one of the lowest among ex-Soviet states. Mr Yushchenko became president after two elections in December, the first of which was annulled amid allegations of voting irregularities and massive street protests. His opponent, Viktor Yanukovich, still has huge support in the country\'s eastern industrial heartland. Mr Yushchenko\'s administration has accused its predecessor, led by ex-President Leonid Kuchma, of corruption. The privatisation review\'s number one target is a steel mill sold to a consortium which included Viktor Pinchuk, Mr Kuchma\'s son-in-law, for $800m (£424m) despite higher bids from several foreign groups. The mill, Krivorizhstal, is one of the world\'s most profitable. "We say Krivorizhstal was stolen, and at any cost we will return it to the state," Mr Yushchenko told an investors\' conference in Kiev. One of the jilted bidders, Netherlands-based group LNM, said it welcomed the possibility that the mill might be back on the market. "If the original privatisation is annulled and a new tender issued, then we would look at it with great interest," a spokesman told BBC News. A resale of Krivorizhstal could potentially triple the price, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit\'s Mr Hensel. But he warned that the government could decide to take the easy route of revaluing the company and charging the existing owners the revised price rather than undertaking a fresh sale. "That way, Mr Yushchenko can go to the public and say he has forced the oligarchs to play by the rules," he told BBC News. ', 'UK', 'Bank set to leave rates on hold UK interest rates are set to remain on hold at 4.75% following the latest meeting of the Bank of England. The Bank\'s rate-setting committee has put up rates five times in the past year but rates have been on hold since September amid signs of a slowdown. Economic growth slowed in the previous quarter, as manufacturing output fell, while consumer confidence has slipped. There is also growing evidence that the previously booming UK housing market is now cooling. House prices fell 0.4% in October, according to the Nationwide, their biggest monthly fall since February 2001. Last month, Bank of England governor Mervyn King said that the economy had hit a "softer patch" after rapid economic growth in the first half of 2004. Richard Jeffrey, chief economist at Bridgewell Securities, said it was very unlikely that the Bank of England would put rates up again this time around. "There have been sufficient signs in the economy of a slowdown to stay the Bank of England\'s hand," he told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme. However, Mr Jeffrey said he believed the slowdown in economic activity was temporary and it was dangerous to assume that rates had peaked. "I still think interest rates are going up," he said. "We are not out of the woods." ', 'US', 'Winn-Dixie files for bankruptcy US supermarket group Winn-Dixie has filed for bankruptcy protection after succumbing to stiff competition in a market dominated by Wal-Mart. Winn-Dixie, once among the most profitable of US grocers, said Chapter 11 protection would enable it to successfully restructure. It said its 920 stores would remain open, but analysts said it would most likely off-load a number of sites. The Jacksonville, Florida-based firm has total debts of $1.87bn (£980m). In its bankruptcy petition it listed its biggest creditor as US foods giant Kraft Foods, which it owes $15.1m. Analysts say Winn-Dixie had not kept up with consumers\' demands and had also been burdened by a number of stores in need of upgrading. A 10-month restructuring plan was deemed a failure, and following a larger-than-expected quarterly loss earlier this month, Winn-Dixie\'s slide into bankruptcy was widely expected. The company\'s new chief executive Peter Lynch said Winn-Dixie would use the Chapter 11 breathing space to take the necessary action to turn itself around. "This includes achieving significant cost reductions, improving the merchandising and customer service in all locations and generating a sense of excitement in the stores," he said. Yet Evan Mann, a senior bond analyst at Gimme Credit, said Mr Lynch\'s job would not be easy, as the bankruptcy would inevitably put off some customers. "The real big issue is what\'s going to happen over the next one or two quarters now that they are in bankruptcy and all their customers see this in their local newspapers," he said. ', 'Australia', 'Alfa Romeos \'to get GM engines\' Fiat is to stop making six-cylinder petrol engines for its sporty Alfa Romeo subsidiary, unions at the Italian carmaker have said. The unions claim Fiat is to close the Fiat Powertrain plant at Arese near Milan and instead source six-cylinder engines from General Motors. Fiat has yet to comment on the matter, but the unions say the new engines will be made by GM in Australia. The news comes a week after GM pulled out of an agreement to buy Fiat. GM had to pay former partner Fiat 1.55bn euros ($2bn; £1.1bn) to get out of a deal which could have forced it to buy the Italian carmaker outright. Fiat and GM also ended their five-year alliance and two joint ventures in engines and purchasing, but did agree to continue buying each other\'s engines. "Powertrain told us today that Alfa Romeo engines will no longer be made in Arese," said union leader Vincenzo Lilliu, as reported by the Reuters news agency. "The assembly line will be dismantled and the six-cylinder Alfa Romeo motor will be replaced with an engine GM produces in Australia." Reuters also said that Mr Lilliu and other union bosses shouted insults at Fiat chairman Luca di Montezemolo, following a meeting on Tuesday regarding the future of the Arese plant. The unions said the end of engine production at the facility would mean the loss of 800 jobs. All Alfa Romeo models can be bought with a six-cylinder engine - the 147, 156, 156 Sportwagon, 166, GTV, GT and Spider. ', 'UK', 'Bank voted 8-1 for no rate change The decision to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75% earlier this month was passed 8-1 by the Bank of England\'s rate-setting body, minutes have shown. One member of the Bank\'s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) - Paul Tucker - voted to raise rates to 5%. The news surprised some analysts who had expected the latest minutes to show another unanimous decision. Worries over growth rates and consumer spending were behind the decision to freeze rates, the minutes showed. The Bank\'s latest inflation report, released last week, had noted that the main reason inflation might fall was weaker consumer spending. However, MPC member Paul Tucker voted for a quarter point rise in interest rates to 5%. He argued that economic growth was picking up, and that the equity, credit and housing markets had been stronger than expected. The Bank\'s minutes said that risks to the inflation forecast were "sufficiently to the downside" to keep rates on hold at its latest meeting. However, the minutes added: "Some members noted that an increase might be warranted in due course if the economy evolved in line with the central projection". Ross Walker, UK economist at Royal Bank of Scotland, said he was surprised that a dissenting vote had been made so soon. He said the minutes appeared to be "trying to get the market to focus on the possibility of a rise in rates". "If the economy pans out as they expect then they are probably going to have to hike rates." However, he added, any rate increase is not likely to happen until later this year, with MPC members likely to look for a more sustainable pick up in consumer spending before acting. ', 'UK', 'House prices show slight increase Prices of homes in the UK rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in February, says the Nationwide building society. The figure means the annual rate of increase in the UK is down to 10.2%, the lowest rate since June 2001. The annual rate has halved since August last year, as interest rises have cooled the housing market. At the same time, the number of mortgage approvals fell in January to a near 10-year low, official Bank of England figures have shown. Nationwide said that in January house prices went up by 0.4% on the month and by 12.6% on a year earlier. "We are not seeing the market collapsing in the way some had feared," said Nationwide economist Alex Bannister. There have been a number of warnings that the UK housing market may be heading for a downturn after four years of strong growth to 2004. In November, Barclays, which owns former building society the Woolwich, forecast an 8% fall in property prices in 2005, followed by further declines in 2006 and 2007. And last summer, economists at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) warned house prices were overvalued and could fall by between 10% and 15% by 2009. The price of an average UK property now stands at £152,879. Homeowners now expect house prices to rise by 1% over the next six months, Mr Bannister said. He said if the growth continued at this level then the Bank of England may increase interest rates from their current 4.75%. "I think the key is what the Bank expects to happen to the housing market. We always thought we would see a small rise, they thought they would see a small decline." House prices have risen 0.9% this year, Nationwide said, and if this pace of increase persists, prices would rise by just under 6% in the year to December. This is slightly above the 0-5% range Nationwide predicts. Further evidence of a slowdown in the housing market emerged from Bank of England lending figures released on Tuesday. New mortgage loans in January fell to 79,000 from 82,000 in December, the bank said. The past few months have seen approvals fall to levels last seen in 1995. The Bank revealed that 48,000 fewer mortgages were approved in January than for the same month in 2004. Overall, mortgage lending rose by £7.2bn in January, marginally up on the £7.1bn rise in December. ', 'UK', 'Golden rule boost for Chancellor Chancellor Gordon Brown has been given a £2.1bn boost in his attempts to meet his golden economic rule, which allows him to borrow only for investment. The extra leeway came after the Office for National Statistics said it had been measuring road expenditure data wrongly over the past five years. It comes just weeks ahead of the Budget and an expected general election. Shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said: "At best the timing of these changes is very convenient for the government." A review by the ONS found it had made a mistake by "double counting" some spending on roads since 1998/9. Correcting the error would mean reducing current expenditure and increasing net investment, thus helping Mr Brown to meet his "golden rule" of borrowing only to invest over the economic cycle. Economists speculated that it might also allow for some vote-catching measures in the Budget. The changes by the ONS increase the current budget measure for the past five years by £2.1bn in total. Mr Letwin said: "This is a very murky area... There will inevitably be suspicions that the figures are being fiddled." The Conservatives also said Mr Brown would still be forced to raise taxes after the general election to fill an annual £10.5bn "black hole" in the nation\'s coffers. But the Treasury said there would be no relaxation of economic discipline and the golden rule would be met even without the data revisions. In January the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said Mr Brown would need to raise taxes to get public finances onto the track predicted in last year\'s Budget. It also said the government might narrowly miss its "golden rule" if the current economic cycle ended in 2005/06. After the ONS announcement, economists said there could also be a proportionate boost to the current budget in 2004/05 of about £400m. "None of this changes the big picture of a dramatic deterioration in the overall fiscal position over the last four or five years," said Jonathan Loynes, chief UK economist at Capital Economics. "Accordingly, it seems very likely that some form of fiscal consolidation will be required in due course." ', 'US', 'Macy\'s owner buys rival for $11bn US retail giant Federated Department Stores is to buy rival May Department Stores for $11bn (£5.7bn). The deal will bring together famous stores like Macy\'s, Bloomingdale\'s and Marshall Field\'s, creating the largest department store chain in the US. The combined firm will operate about 1,000 stores across the US, with combined annual sales of $30bn. The two companies, facing competition from the likes of Wal-Mart, tried to merge two years ago but talks failed. Sources familiar with the deal said that negotiations between the two companies sped up after May\'s chairman and chief executive Gene Kahn resigned in January. As part of the deal, Federated - owner of Macy\'s and Bloomingdale\'s - will assume $6bn of May\'s debt, bringing the deal\'s total value to $17bn. Directors at both companies have approved the deal and it is expected to conclude by the third quarter of this year. May has struggled to compete against larger department store groups such as Federated and other retailers such as Wal-Mart. Federated expects the merger to boost earnings from 2007 but the deal will cost it $1bn in one-off charges. "We have taken the first step toward combining two of the best department store companies in America, creating a new retail company with truly national scope and presence," said Terry Lundgren, Federated\'s chairman. Some analysts see the merger as a rescue deal for May. "Without this deal May would have been, to put it bluntly, washed up," said Kurt Barnard, president of Barnard\'s Retail Consulting Group. Federated has annual sales of $15.6bn, while May\'s yearly sales are $14.4bn. ', 'US', 'Khodorkovsky ally denies charges A close associate of former Yukos boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky has told a court that fraud charges levelled against him are "false". Platon Lebedev has been on trial alongside Mr Khodorkovsky since June in a case centring around the privatisation of a fertiliser firm. The pair claim they are being punished by the authorities for the political ambitions of Mr Khodorkovsky. Mr Lebedev said there were "absurd contradictions" in the case. Opening his defence, he said he could not see the legal basis of the charges he faced, which also include allegations of tax evasion. "To my embarrassment, I could not understand the file of complaints against me," he told a Moscow court. Mr Lebedev headed the Menatep group, the parent company of Yukos. Mr Lebedev and Mr Khodorkovsky, who each face a possible 10 year jail sentence if convicted, will be questioned by a judge over the next few days. Mr Khodorkovsky began his testimony last week, telling the court that he objected to the way that the "running of a normal business has been presented as a work of criminal fiction". The charges are seen by supporters as politically motivated and part of a drive by Russian President Vladimir Putin to rein in the country\'s super-rich business leaders, the so-called oligarchs. Yukos has been presented with a $27.5bn (£13bn) tax demand by the Russian authorities and its key Yugansk division was auctioned off to part settle the bill. The company\'s effort to gain bankruptcy protection in the US - in a bid to win damages for the sale - were dismissed by a court in Texas. ', 'India', 'India unveils anti-poverty budget India is to boost spending on primary schools and health in a budget flagged as a boost for the ordinary citizen. India\'s defence budget has also been raised 7.8% to 830bn rupees ($19bn). The priority for Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram is to fight poverty and keep the government\'s Communist allies onside. But his options are limited by a new law which makes him cut the budget deficit, which he said would be 4.5% of GDP in the year to March 2005. The country\'s overall deficit is thought to be more than 10%, if the spending of India\'s 35 states and territories is included. Under the fiscal responsibility law, Mr Chidambaram has to trim the deficit by 0.3 percentage points each year, a target he says he has now met for the current year. But the heavy spending on poverty reduction means the 2005-6 target for the deficit will be 4.3%, Mr Chidambaram said - falling short of the new law\'s requirement. "I was left with no option but to press the pause button vis a vis the act," he said. The following year, though, would have to be back on track, he warned. "I may add that we are perilously close to the limits of fiscal prudence and there is no more room for spending beyond our means," he said. The coming year\'s reduction has meant bringing more of the businesses in India\'s burgeoning services sector into the tax system and restructuring the personal tax system, although there are numerous corporate tax and duty reductions built into the budget. Presenting his budget in the lower house of parliament, Mr Chidambaram said the Indian economy was performing strongly and that inflation has been reined in. He said India\'s economy grew 6.9% in 2004. In his budget Mr Chidambaram has: - Increased spending on primary education to 71.56bn rupees ($1.6bn) - Increased spending on health to 102.8bn rupees ($2.35bn) - Announced that 80bn rupees ($1.8bn) will be spent on building rural infrastructure - Pledged 102.16bn rupees ($2.3bn) for tsunami victims - Increased flow of funds to agriculture by 30% - Announced a package for the sugar industry In addition, up to 100bn rupees ($2.3bn) to be spent on infrastructure will be sourced by borrowing against the country\'s foreign exchange reserves, keeping budgeted spending under control. "Given the resilience of the Indian economy... it is possible to launch a direct assault on poverty," Mr Chidambaram said. "The whole purpose of democratic government is to eliminate poverty." The new Indian government, led by the Congress Party, was voted into power last May after it pledged to introduce economic reforms with a "human face". The finance minister says he is committed to continue reforming India\'s tax system while expanding the tax base. As part of his reforms he has announced: - Duty cuts on capital goods and raw materials - Expanded service tax net - Raised the income-tax threshold to 100,000 rupees ($2,300) - Reduced income tax for those earning less than 250,000 rupees ($5,700) to 20% - Reduced corporate tax rates to 30% An annual economic survey released on Friday said India needed to ease limit restriction on foreign investment, reform labour laws and cut duties apart from widening the tax base for long-term economic growth. But Mr Chidambaram is under pressure from the Communist parties to focus on increasing social spending. The Communists are also hostile to measures seeking to increase foreign investment and allow companies to hire and fire employees at will. In recent months, they have expressed their displeasure at the government\'s economic reform plans including increasing foreign direct investment in telecommunication and aviation. In his last budget, Mr Chidambaram had pledged billions of dollars for improving education and health services for the poor as well as special assistance for farmers. ', 'US', 'Ex-Boeing director gets jail term An ex-chief financial officer at Boeing has received a four-month jail sentence and a fine of $250,000 (£131,961) for illegally hiring a top Air Force aide. Michael Sears admitted his guilt in breaking conflict of interest laws by recruiting Darleen Druyun while she still handled military contracts. Ms Druyun is currently serving a nine month sentence for favouring Boeing when awarding lucrative contracts. Boeing lost a $23bn government contract after a Pentagon inquiry into the case. The contract, to provide refuelling tankers for the US Air Force, was cancelled last year. The Pentagon revealed earlier this week that it would examine eight other contracts worth $3bn which it believes may have been tainted by Ms Druyun\'s role in the procurement process. Boeing sacked Mr Sears and Ms Druyun in November 2003 after allegations that they had violated company recruitment policy. Ms Druyun had talks with Mr Sears in October 2002 about working for Boeing, while she was still a top procurement official within the Pentagon. She subsequently joined the company in January 2003. Ms Druyun admitted that she had steered multi-billion dollar contracts to Boeing and other favoured companies. In documents filed in a Virginia court ahead of Mr Sears\' sentencing, prosecutors blamed Boeing\'s senior management for failing to ask key questions about the "legal and ethical issues" surrounding Ms Druyun\'s appointment. Mr Sears told prosecutors that no other Boeing officials were aware that Ms Druyun was still responsible for major procurement decisions at the time she was discussing a job with Boeing. However, analysts believe Boeing may yet face civil charges arising from the scandal. The Pentagon has investigated 400 contracts, dating back to 1993, since the allegations against Ms Druyun came to light. Boeing\'s corporate ethics have come under scrutiny on several occasions in recent years. Boeing was sued by Lockheed Martin after its rival accused it of industrial espionage during a 1998 contract competition. Boeing apologised publicly for the affair - although it claimed it did not gain any unfair advantage - and pledged to improve its procedures. The Pentagon subsequently revoked $1bn worth of contracts assigned to Boeing and prohibited the Seattle-based company from future rocket work. ', 'US', "Verizon 'seals takeover of MCI' Verizon has won a takeover battle for US phone firm MCI with a bid worth $6.8bn (£3.6bn), reports say. The two firms are expected to seal the deal on Monday morning, according to news agency reports, despite what was thought to be a higher bid from Qwest. The US telecoms market is consolidating fast, with former long-distance giant AT&T being bought by former subsidiary SBC earlier this year for $16bn. MCI exited bankruptcy in April, having gone bust under previous name WorldCom. The bankruptcy followed its admission in 2002 that it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. Shareholders lost about $180bn when the company collapsed, while 20,000 workers lost their jobs. Former Worldcom boss Bernie Ebbers is currently on trial, accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud. Qwest has itself come under suspicion of sub-standard behaviour, paying the Securities and Exchange Commission $250m in October to settle charges that it manipulated its results to keep Wall Street happy. MCI is the US's second-biggest long distance firm after AT&T. Consolidation in the US telecommunications industry has picked up in the past few months as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. A merger between MCI and Verizon would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since October. Last week, SBC Communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer AT&T for about $16bn. Buying MCI would give either Qwest or Verizon access to MCI's global network and business-based subscribers. The rationale is similar to the one underpinning SBC's AT&T deal. Verizon is by far the bigger company and has its own successful mobile arm - factors which may have swung the board in its favour since both suitors are offering a mixture of cash and shares. ", 'US', 'US data sparks inflation worries Wholesale prices in the US rose at the fastest rate in more than six years in January, according to government data. New figures show the Labor Department producer price index (PPI) rose by 0.3% - in line with forecasts. But core producer prices, which exclude food and energy costs, surged by 0.8%, the biggest rise since December 1998, increasing inflationary concerns. In contrast, the University of Michigan barometer of US retail consumer confidence showed a slight dip. The university\'s index of consumer spending fell to 94.2 in early February from 95.5 in January, which could indicate a fall in retail spending by the US public. The mixed set of data on Friday led to volatile early Wall Street trade, as the Dow Jones, Standard and Poor\'s 500, and Nasdaq swung between positive and negative territory. The economic figures come on the back of increased fears that the Federal Reserve chairman may be about to raise interest rates in order to stifle any inflationary pressures. The Fed has been raising interest rates at a gradual pace since June 2004, in an attempt to make sure inflation does not get out of control. Mr Greenspan told Congress this week that the central bank was on guard against the possibility that a rebounding economy could trigger stronger inflation pressures. "The PPI would argue for Greenspan to continue to raise rates at a measured pace," said Joe Quinlan, chief market stategist at Bank of America Capital Management. "But this Michigan survey tells you that the consumer might be downshifting a little bit in terms of their confidence and their spending; this could be an indication of that." Consumer spending accounts for 66% of US economic activity and is viewed as a gauge of the health of the economy, which is why the Michigan data is closely observed. However on Friday, it was overshadowed by the core PPI core figure, which surged 2.7% during the past 12 months, the biggest year-on-year gain in nine years. "The concern is that traders might interpret this big jump in the core PPI as an impetus for the Fed to be more aggressive than a measured move in moving rates," said Paul Cherney, chief market analyst at Standard & Poor\'s. But Ian Shepherdson, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics, said the PPI report was "much less alarming" than at first glance. One-time increases in alcohol and tobacco prices, which "are no indication of broad PPI pressure", were responsible for the increase, he said. Prices for autos and trucks also jumped in January, but Shepherdson said "it is a good bet these increases won\'t stick". ', 'US', 'Consumer spending lifts US growth US economic growth accelerated in the third quarter, helped by strong consumer spending, official figures have shown. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.7% in the July to September period, the Commerce Department said. The figure marked an increase on the 3.3% growth recorded in the second quarter, but fell short of the 4.2% rate pencilled in by forecasters. The increase reflected the biggest jump in consumer spending in a year. "It was a little softer than the consensus, but not a real surprise," said Gary Thayer, an economist at AG Edwards & Sons. Friday\'s growth estimate is one of the last significant pieces of economic data before the 2 November presidential election. Democrat challenger John Kerry has criticised President George W Bush\'s handling of the economy, pointing to a net loss of over 800,000 jobs since Mr Bush took office. Analysts said the economy was still not growing fast enough to stimulate large-scale job creation. "It\'s a pretty good growth rate, but it may not be good enough to create enough jobs," said Robert Brusca, chief economist at Fact and Opinion Economics in New York. However, President Bush is expected to point to Commerce Department figures showing that consumer spending grew at 4.6% in the third quarter, up from just 1.6% in the second, as evidence that his policies are generating solid growth. Consumer spending accounts for about two thirds of all economic activity in the US. The weaker than expected growth figure makes it less likely that the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next month, economists said. "The economy regained some traction in the third quarter, but the growth is not robust," AG Edwards\' Thayer. "I think that means the Fed can take its time raising rates. We\'ll probably see one more rate hike before the end of the year." In an effort to pre-empt rising inflation, the Federal Reserve has pushed through three quarter-point rate rises since June this year, taking borrowing costs to 1.75%. On the financial markets, the dollar fell slightly against the euro and the yen, while the Dow Jones index of leading US shares was little changed. ', 'UK', 'Crossrail link \'to get go-ahead\' The £10bn Crossrail transport plan, backed by business groups, is to get the go-ahead this month, according to The Mail on Sunday. It says the UK Treasury has allocated £7.5bn ($13.99bn) for the project and that talks with business groups on raising the rest will begin shortly. The much delayed Crossrail Link Bill would provide for a fast cross-London rail link. The paper says it will go before the House of Commons on 23 February. A second reading could follow on 16 or 17 March. "We\'ve always said we are going to introduce a hybrid Bill for Crossrail in the Spring and this remains the case," the Department for Transport said on Sunday. Jeremy de Souza, a spokesman for Crossrail, said on Sunday he could not confirm whether the Treasury was planning to invest £7.5bn or when the bill would go before Parliament. However, he said some impetus may have been provided by the proximity of an election. The new line would go out as far as Maidenhead, Berkshire, to the west of London, and link Heathrow to Canary Wharf via the City. Heathrow to the City would take 40 minutes, dramatically cutting journey times for business travellers, and reducing overcrowding on the tube. The line has the support of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, business groups and the government, but there have been three years of arguments over how it should be funded. The Mail on Sunday\'s Financial Mail said the £7.5bn of Treasury money was earmarked for spending in £2.5bn instalments in 2010, 2011 and 2012. ', 'UK', 'Small firms \'hit by rising costs\' Rising fuel and materials costs are hitting confidence among the UK\'s small manufacturers despite a rise in output, business lobby group the CBI says. A CBI quarterly survey found output had risen by the fastest rate in seven years but many firms were seeing the benefits offset by increasing expenses. The CBI also found spending on innovation, training and retraining is forecast to go up over the next year. However, firms continue to scale back investment in buildings and machinery. The CBI said companies are looking to the government to lessen the regulatory load and are hoping interest rates will be kept on hold. "Smaller manufacturers are facing an uphill struggle," said Hugh Morgan Williams, chair of the CBI\'s SME Council. "The manufacturing sector needs a period of long-term stability in the economy." The CBI found some firms managed to increase prices for the first time in nine years - but many said increases failed to keep up the rise in costs. Of the companies surveyed, 30% saw orders rise and 27% saw them fall. The positive balance of plus 3 compared with minus 10 in the previous survey. When firms were questioned on output volume, the survey returned a balance of plus 8 - the highest rate of increase for seven years - and rose to plus 11 when looking ahead to the next three months. ', 'India', "Buyers snap up Jet Airways' shares Investors have snapped up shares in Jet Airways, India's biggest airline, following the launch of its much anticipated initial public offer (IPO). The IPO for 17.3 million shares was fully sold within 10 minutes of opening, on Friday. Analysts expect Jet to raise at least 16.4bn rupees ($375m; £198m) from the offering. Interest in Jet's IPO has been fuelled by hopes for robust growth in India's air travel market. The share offer, representing about 20% of Jet's equity, was oversubscribed, news agency Reuters reported. Jet, which was founded by London-based travel agent Naresh Goyal, plans to use the cash to buy new planes and cut its debt. The company has grown rapidly since it launched operations in 1993, overtaking state-owned flag carrier Indian Airlines. However, it faces stiff competition from rivals and low-cost carriers. Jet's IPO is the first in a series of expected share offers from Indian companies this year, as they move to raise funds to help them do business in a rapidly-growing economy. ", 'UK', 'House prices suffer festive fall UK house prices fell 0.7% in December, according to figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Nationally, house prices rose at an annual rate of 10.7% in December, less than the 13.7% rise the previous month. The average UK house price fell from £180,126 in November to £178,906, reflecting recent Land Registry figures confirming a slowdown in late 2004. All major UK regions, apart from Northern Ireland, experienced a fall in annual growth during December. December is traditionally a quiet month for the housing market because of Christmas celebrations. However, recent figures from the Land Registry - showing a big drop in sales between the last quarter of 2004 and the previous year - suggested the slowdown could be more than a seasonal blip. The volume of sales between October and December dropped by nearly a quarter from the same period in 2003, the Land Registry said. Although both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Land Registry figures point to a slowdown in the market, the most recent surveys from Nationwide and Halifax have indicated the market may be undergoing a revival. After registering falls at the back-end of 2004, Halifax said house prices rose by 0.8% in January and Nationwide reported a rise of 0.4% in the first month of the year. ', 'China', 'Yangtze Electric\'s profits double Yangtze Electric Power, the operator of China\'s Three Gorges Dam, has said its profits more than doubled in 2004. The firm has benefited from increased demand for electricity at a time when power shortages have hit cities and provinces across the country. As a hydroelectric-power generator it has not been hurt by higher coal costs. Net income jumped to 3bn yuan in 2004 ($365m; £190m), compared with 1.4bn yuan in 2003. Sales surged to 6.2bn yuan, from 3bn yuan a year earlier. The figures topped analysts expectations, even though the rate of growth has slowed from 2003. Analysts forecast that it is likely to decline further this year to a rate of expansion of closer to 20%. Yangtze Electric has been expanding its output to meet demand driven by China\'s booming economy. The government has delayed the building of a number of power plants in an effort to rein in growth amid concerns that the economy may overheat. That has led to an energy crunch, with demand outstripping supply. Earlier this month, work was halted on an underground power station, and a supply unit on the Three Gorges Dam, as well as a power station on its sister Xiluodu dam because of environmental worries. A total of 30 large-scale projects have been halted across the country for similar reasons. The Three Gorges Dam project has led to more than half a million people being relocated and drawn criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists. Its sister project, the Xiluodu Dam, is being built on the Jinshajiang - or "river of golden sand" as the upper reaches of the Yangtze are known. ', 'Europe', "GSK aims to stop Aids profiteers One of the world's largest manufacturers of HIV/Aids drugs has launched an initiative to combat the smuggling of cheaper pills - supplied to poorer African countries - back into Europe for resale at far higher price. The company, GlaxoSmithKline, is to alter the packaging and change the colour of the pills, currently provided to developing nations under a humanitarian agreement. It is estimated that drugs companies are losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year as a result of the diversion of their products in this way. This is a very sensitive area for the big drugs companies. They want to maintain their profits, but have been put under tremendous pressure to provide cheap anti-Aids drugs to the world's poorest nations. The result is that drugs supplied to Africa are now more than thirty times cheaper than those sold in Europe; bringing these medicines within the reach of millions of HIV-positive Africans through their government's health care systems. But the wide difference in price also means that there are big gains to be made from illegally diverting these cheaper drugs back into wealthier countries and re-selling them at a higher price. GlaxoSmithKline believes that by coating the pills destined for Africa in a red dye and adding new identification codes both onto the pills and on the packaging, then this trade can be substantially reduced. The company says that it will then be possible to identify specific distributors in Africa who have re-sold humanitarian drugs for profit, as well as those suppliers in Europe that have also been involved in the trade. Glaxo says distribution of the new-look drugs has already begun and that their chemical content is identical to those currently being sold in Europe. ", 'US', 'Irish duo could block Man Utd bid Irishmen JP McManus and John Magnier, who own a 29% stake in Manchester United, will reportedly reject any formal £800m offer for the club. The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph say they will oppose any formal £800m takeover bid from US tycoon Malcom Glazer. Mr Glazer got permission to look at the club\'s accounts last week. Irish billionaires Mr McManus and Mr Magnier are said to believe that an £800m bid undervalues club prospects. Mr Magnier and Mr McManus, who hold their stake through their Cubic Expression investment vehicle have the power to block a bid. Mr Glazer\'s financial backers, including JP Morgan, the US investment bank have said they won\'t back a bid unless it receives backing from the owners of at least 75% of the club\'s shares. However, there has been much speculation that the Irish duo simply do not think the price offered - 300p a share - is high enough. Mr Glazer has been stalking the premier league football club since 2003. Mr Magnier and Mr McManus issued a statement late on Friday saying that they remained "long-term investors" in Man Utd. The Sunday Telegraph says the board of Manchester United also considered a management buyout at just over 300p but did not go ahead with it. ', 'France', 'Weak data buffets French economy A batch of downbeat government data has cast doubt over the French economy\'s future prospects. Official figures showed on Friday that unemployment was unchanged at 9.9% last month, while consumer confidence fell unexpectedly in October. At the same time, finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy warned that high oil prices posed a threat to French growth. "[Oil prices] will weigh on consumer spending in the short term, and potentially on confidence," he said. World oil prices have risen by more than 60% since the start of the year as production struggles to keep pace with soaring demand. Analysts said French companies, keen to protect their profit margins at a time of rising energy costs, were reluctant to take on extra staff. "[The unemployment figures] show the main problem of the French economy: we have growth but without an improvement in employment," said Marc Touati, an economist at Natexis Banques Populaires. "Politicians must have the will and guts to solve structural unemployment with thorough reforms, otherwise in five or ten years, it will be too late." Obligatory employer contributions to worker welfare programmes mean that it costs more to hire staff in France than in many other European economies. Many economists have urged the government to stimulate employment by reducing non-wage payroll costs, and by scrapping restrictions on working hours. The French statistics agency, INSEE, expects the economy to grow by about 2.4% this year, buoyed by strong consumer spending and business investment. That is above the projected eurozone average of just above 2%. ', 'UK', 'M&S cuts prices by average of 24% Marks & Spencer has cut prices in London and the regions by an average of 24%, according to research from a City investment bank. Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein said: "In spite of the snow in the UK, it still feels very early to be cutting prices of spring merchandise." Stuart Rose, head of M&S, said last year its prices were too high. "We are bringing in ranges at new price points to compete against mid-market retailers like Next," said M&S. Next is one of M&S\'s biggest competitors and the move may force it to lower prices. DrKW said the cuts are either to clear stock or could indicate a longer term "step change in pricing in certain areas" at M&S. "Either way, this cannot be good news for M&S\' margin," it added. "We have brought in quite a lot of new clothing at new price points as part of Stuart Rose\'s strategy of quality, style -and price," said the M&S spokesman. Many analysts believe February is proving to be a difficult month for retailers and British Retail Consortium figures, due in a few weeks, are expected to reflect the tough trading environment. Separately, investment bank Goldman Sachs produced reseach showing that a basket of 35 M&S goods is now 11% above the high-street average, compared with 43% higher last year. It has been a strange week for M&S, which on Tuesday received a statement from Philip Green, the billionaire Bhs owner, confirming he was not rebidding for the company. This was followed the same day by Mark Paulsmeier, a South African financier, issuing a press release saying his Paulsmeier Group was interested in M&S. A sudden spike in M&S\'s share price followed. However, an M&S spokesman said on Sunday it had no evidence that Mr Paulsmeier had lined up sufficient finance for a bid. He also said the Takeover Panel and the UK\'s financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority had been in touch with M&S at the beginning of the week to find out what it knew about the Paulsmeier developments. ', 'US', 'US bank \'loses\' customer details The Bank of America has revealed it has lost computer tapes containing account details of more than one million customers who are US federal employees. Several members of the US Senate are among those affected, who could now be vulnerable to identity theft. Senate sources say the missing tapes may have been stolen from a plane by baggage handlers. The bank gave no details of how the records disappeared, but said they had probably not been misused. Customers\' accounts were being monitoring and account holders would be notified if any "unusual activity" was detected, bank officials said. Bank of America said the tapes went missing in December while being shipped to a back-up data centre. "We, with federal law authorities, have done a very robust, thorough investigation on this and neither we nor they would make the statement lightly that we believe those tapes to be lost," Alexandra Tower, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina-based bank, told Time magazine. But although there was no evidence of criminal activity, the bank said, the Secret Service - a federal agency whose brief includes investigations of serious financial crime - is said to be looking into the loss. New York Senator Charles Schumer said he was told by the Senate Rules Committee that the tapes were probably stolen from a commercial plane. "Whether it is identity theft, terrorism, or other theft, in this new complicated world baggage handlers should have background checks and more care should be taken for who is hired for these increasingly sensitive positions," the Democrat senator said. Details of his Vermont colleague Pat Leahy\'s credit card account are among those missing, Senator Leahy\'s spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said. About 900,000 military and civilian staff at the defence department are among the 1.2 million affected, according to a Pentagon spokesman. ', 'India', 'Huge rush for Jet Airways shares Indian airline Jet Airways\' initial public offering was oversubscribed 16.2 times, bankers said on Friday. Over 85% of the bids were at the higher end of the price range of 1,050-1,125 rupees ($24-$26). Jet Airways, a low-fare airline, was founded by London-based ex-travel agent Naresh Goya, and controls 45% of the Indian domestic airline market. It sold 20% of its equity or 17.2 million shares in a bid to raise up to $443m (£230.8m). The price at which its shares will begin trading will be agreed over the weekend, bankers said. "The demand for the IPO was impressive. We believe that over the next two years, the domestic aviation sector promises strong growth, even though fuel prices could be high," said Hiten Mehta, manager of merchant banking firm, Fortune Financial Services. India began to open up its domestic airline market - previously dominated by state-run carrier Indian Airlines - in the 1990s. Jet began flying in 1993 and now has competitors including Air Deccan and Air Sahara. Budget carriers Kingfisher Airlines and SpiceJet are planning to launch operations in May this year. Jet has 42 aircraft and runs 271 scheduled flights daily within India. It recently won government permission to fly to London, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. ', 'US', 'Bank payout to Pinochet victims A US bank has said it will donate more than $8m to victims of former Chilean military ruler Augusto Pinochet\'s regime under a Madrid court settlement. Riggs Bank will put money in a special fund to be managed by a Madrid-based charity, the Salvador Allende Foundation, which helps abused victims. The bank had been accused of illegally concealing Gen Pinochet\'s assets. More than 3,000 people were killed for political reasons under Gen Pinochet\'s regime, an official report says. Last month in a US court, Riggs Bank pleaded guilty to failing to report suspicious activity relating to accounts held by Gen Pinochet and the government of Equatorial Guinea. On that occasion, it was ordered to pay a fine of $16m. Gen Pinochet himself has never been put on trial for human rights violations under his 1973-90 rule, despite several high-profile cases against him. He is now facing charges relating to the murder of one Chilean and the disappearance of nine others. He is also being investigated for tax evasion, tax fraud and embezzlement of state funds. The general\'s opponents rejoiced at the settlement, which was agreed in a court in the Spanish capital, Madrid. A lawyer for the victims, Eduardo Contreras, told Reuters news agency: "This demonstrates that the horrors of the Pinochet dictatorship are not a mystery to anyone and that the whole world knows his victims deserve reparations." Riggs spokesman Mark Hendrix said the settlement, details of which will be announced next week, was an opportunity to move on. "This enables the institution to put the matter behind us," he told Reuters. The settlement follows a legal complaint filed against the bank by Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon alleging that it had illegally concealed assets. The bank agreed to create a fund for the victims, but the charges were dropped. ', 'US', 'Qwest may spark MCI bidding war US phone company Qwest has said it will table a new offer for MCI after losing out to larger rival Verizon, setting the scene for a possible bidding war. MCI accepted a $6.75bn (£3.6bn) buyout from telecoms giant Verizon on Monday, rejecting a higher offer from Qwest. Qwest chairman Richard Notebaert sent a letter to MCI\'s board on Thursday saying that it plans to submit a new offer after examining Verizon\'s bid. Formerly known as Worldcom, MCI is a long-distance and corporate phone firm. Snapping up MCI would give the buyer access to a global telecommunications network and a large number of business-based subscribers. Shares of MCI were up more than 4% in electronic trading after the close of New York markets. Qwest said on Wednesday that MCI had rejected a deal worth $8bn. "We would like to advise you that once we have completed our review of the Verizon merger agreement, we do intend to submit a modified offer to acquire MCI," the letter from Qwest said. Verizon\'s offer is made up of cash, shares and dividends, and a number of investors have said that it undervalues MCI. Verizon plans to swap 0.41 of its shares and $1.50 in cash for each MCI share, as well as offering special dividends of $4.50 a share. Both company boards have backed the deal, but regulators will still need to give their approval. As well as trying to lure investors with the promise of better returns, Qwest also reckons that its offer will face less regulatory scrutiny than Verizon\'s. The takeover would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since October as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. Earlier this month, SBC Communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer AT&T for about $16bn. There may be concerns other than cash, however, especially as MCI only emerged from bankruptcy protection last April. Verizon is far bigger than Qwest, has fewer debts and has built a successful mobile division. Also, MCI, while trading under the name Worldcom, became the biggest corporate bankruptcy in US history after admitting that it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. Former Worldcom boss Bernie Ebbers is currently standing trial, accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud. Qwest, meanwhile, had to pay the Securities and Exchange Commission $250m in October to settle charges that it massaged earnings to keep Wall Street happy. ', 'Europe', 'Fiat chief takes steering wheel The chief executive of the Fiat conglomerate has taken day-to-day control of its struggling car business in an effort to turn it around. Sergio Marchionne has replaced Herbert Demel as chief executive of Fiat Auto, with Mr Demel leaving the company. Mr Marchionne becomes the fourth head of the business - which is expected to make a 800m euro ($1bn) loss in 2004 - in as many years. Fiat underperformed the market in Europe last year, seeing flat sales. The car business has made an operating loss in five of the last six years and was forced to push back its break-even target from 2005 to 2006. The management changes are part of a wider shake-up of the business following Fiat\'s resolution of its dispute with General Motors. As part of a major restructuring, Fiat is to integrate the Maserati car company - currently owned by Ferrari - within its own operations. Ferrari, in which Fiat owns a majority stake, could be separately floated on the stock market in either 2006 or 2007. Mr Marchionne, who only joined the company last year, said Fiat Auto was now the "principal focus" of his attention. "I have made the decision to take on the post of chief executive of the auto unit to speed up the company\'s recovery," he said. "A profound cultural transformation is underway following a management reorganisation that has delivered a more agile and efficient structure," he added. Although Mr Marchionne does not have a background in the car industry, he has been playing an increasing role in the group\'s activities. Last year, he said that a series of new models, launched as part of the group\'s recovery plan, had not boosted revenues as much as hoped. The car business, best known for its Alfa Romeo marque, is expected to make a loss of about 800m euros in 2004. Sales are expected to fall in 2005, Fiat said this week, as it exits unprofitable areas such as the rental car market. Mr Demel, a car industry veteran, took the helm in November 2003 after being recruited by former Fiat chief executive Giuseppe Morchio. Mr Morchio made a bid last year to become chairman after the death of president Umberto Agnelli. However, this was rejected by the founding Agnelli family and Mr Morchio subsequently resigned. Earlier this week, Fiat reached an agreement with GM to dissolve an alliance which could have obliged GM to buy the Italian firm outright. GM will pay Fiat $2bn as part of the settlement. ', 'US', 'US regulator to rule on pain drug US food and drug regulators will decide on Friday whether to recommend the sale of painkillers that have been linked to a high risk of heart attack and stroke. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel will give its verdict after hearing evidence for three days. The painkillers - called COX-2 inhibitors - are sold under brand names such as Celebrex and Vioxx. Vioxx was withdrawn from shops last year but Merck said it would consider selling it if it gets FDA approval. The FDA has been asked to decide if the benefits to patients justify the increased risks. Putting Vioxx back on the shelves is likely to boost profits at Merck and make easier any legal battles with people who claim to have been injured by the drug, analysts said. Merck voluntarily stopped sales of Vioxx on 30 September, a move which caused the firm\'s fourth-quarter earnings to slide to $1.1bn (£581m), from $1.4bn a year earlier. Merck\'s shares tumbled more than 10% on the news and the company has had to set aside millions of dollars to cover the cost of Vioxx-related litigation. Alarm bells were rung by a research note called Approve which showed that the risk of heart attack and stroke doubled in patients who had been taking the drug for at least 18 months. The Cox-2 inhibitors were developed by drug companies, including Merck and Pfizer, because they cause users fewer stomach problems than other painkillers. Pfizer is still selling its Celebrex and Bextra products, though investigations have suggested that they may also be harmful to the heart. Merck\'s announcement of a possible reintroduction of Vioxx caught analysts by surprise. Merck\'s head of research Peter Kim said that it withdrew Vioxx "based on the information that was available to us at the time, knowing there were alternative therapies". He went on to say that things have since changed in the light of new reports. "Given this new information, its is not clear that the cardiovascular risk observed in Approve makes Vioxx unique in the class of similar drugs marketed in the US," Mr Kim explained. On Thursday, David Graham from the FDA\'s Office of Drug Safety told the advisory panel that "there really doesn\'t appear to be a need for Cox-2" inhibitors. According to calculations presented to the US Senate by Dr Graham in November, Vioxx may be linked to as many as to 56,000 American deaths. Facing stem criticism for its handling of the Vioxx case, the FDA said on Tuesday that it will create an independent body to oversee the safety of drugs already in the market place. European regulators, meanwhile, ruled on Thursday that patients who have had heart disease or a stroke should not take Cox-2 inhibitors. The European Medicines Agency also said doctors should be "cautious" about giving the drugs to patients who have risk factors for heart disease. ', 'UK', '\'Post-Christmas lull\' in lending UK mortgage lending showed a "post-Christmas lull" in January, indicating a slowing housing market, lenders have said. Both the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and Building Society Association (BSA) said lending was down sharply. The CML said gross mortgage lending stood at £17.9bn, compared with £21.8bn in January last year. The BSA said mortgage approvals - loans approved but not yet made - were £2bn, down from £2.6bn in January 2004. At the same time, the British Bankers\' Association (BBA) said lending was "weaker". Overall, the BBA said mortgage lending rose by £4bn in January, a far smaller increase than the £5.1bn seen in December. This was a return to the "weaker pattern" of lending seen in the last months of 2004, the BBA added. However, it is the year-on-year lending comparisons which are the most striking. The CML said lending for house purchases and gross mortgage lending were 29% and 18% lower year-on-year respectively. "These figures show beyond doubt the recent slowdown in the housing market," Peter Williams, CML deputy director, said. ', 'US', 'Worldcom director ends evidence The former chief financial officer at US telecoms firm WorldCom has finished giving evidence at the trial of his ex-boss Bernie Ebbers. Scott Sullivan admitted to jurors he was willing to commit fraud to meet Wall Street earnings projections. Mr Ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to WorldCom\'s collapse in 2002. He pleads not guilty. Mr Sullivan has spent two days being cross-examined by lawyers for former Worldcom chief executive Mr Ebbers. Attorney Reid Weingarten has attempted to portray Mr Sullivan as a liar and on Thursday quizzed him about his decision to commit fraud to meet analysts\' profit estimates. "At that point in time," Mr Sullivan said, referring to the first false entries in late 2000, "I knew it was wrong and I knew it was against the law, but I thought we would get through it in the short term." Mr Sullivan, 42, has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following Mr Ebbers\' trial, where he is appearing as a prosecution witness. Mr Ebbers, 63, has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in WorldCom\'s finances. The former finance officer said Mr Ebbers knew about the improper accounting entries that were made between 2000 and 2002 to conceal soaring expenses and inflate revenue. Mr Ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. WorldCom\'s problems appear to have begun with the collapse of the dotcom boom which cut its business from internet companies. Prosecutors allege that the company\'s top executives responded by orchestrating massive fraud over a two-year period. WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004, and is now known as MCI. On Monday, MCI agreed to a buyout by Verizon Communications in a deal valued at $6.75bn. ', 'US', 'Cuba winds back economic clock Fidel Castro\'s decision to ban all cash transactions in US dollars in Cuba has once more turned the spotlight on Cuba\'s ailing economy. All conversions between the US dollar and Cuba\'s "convertible" peso will from 8 November be subject to a 10% tax. Cuban citizens, who receive money from overseas, and foreign visitors, who change dollars in Cuba, will be affected. Critics of the measure argue that it is a step backwards, reflecting the Cuban president\'s desire to increase his control of the economy and to clamp down on private enterprise. In a live television broadcast announcing the measure, President Castro\'s chief aide said it was necessary because of the United States\' increasing "economic aggression". "The ten percent obligation applies exclusively to the dollar by virtue of the situation created by the new measures of the US government to suffocate our country," he said. The Bush administration has taken an increasingly harsh line on Cuba in recent months. President Bush\'s government, which has been a strong supporter of the 40-year-old trade embargo on Cuba, introduced even tighter restrictions on Cuba in May. Cubans living in the US are now limited to one visit to Cuba every three years and they can only send money to their immediate relatives. A leading expert on the Cuban economy says that Castro\'s tax plan smacks more of a desperate economic measure than a political gesture. "I think it is primarily an effort to raise some cash," says Jose Barrionuevo, head of strategy for Latin American emerging markets for Barclays Capital. "It underscores the fact that the economy is in very bad shape and the government is looking for sources of revenue." The tax will hit the families of Cuban exiles hardest as they benefit from the money their displaced relatives send home. This money, known as remittances, can amount to as much as $1bn a year. Those remaining in Cuba will have to pay the tax. Their relatives abroad may choose to send money in other currencies which are not subject to the tax, such as euros, or increase their dollar payments to compensate. However, many of Cuban\'s poorest citizens could be worse off as a result. The tax will also affect the two million tourists who visit Cuba every year, particularly those Americans who continue to defy a ban on travel there. Cuba\'s tourist industry has been one of its few economic success stories over the last ten years and, according to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, is now worth $3bn to the country. The tax is designed to provide much-needed revenue for Cuba\'s cash-strapped economy. Cuba badly needs dollars to pay for essential items such as food, fuel and medicine. Much of Cuba\'s basic infrastructure is in a state of disrepair. In recent weeks, Cuba has suffered its most serious power cuts in a decade and there have also been water shortages in parts of the island. Cuba\'s economy had staged a modest recovery during the mid 1990s as the collapse of the Soviet Union forced it to embrace foreign capital, decentralise trade and permit limited private enterprise. However, a decline in foreign tourism since 2002, periodic hurricanes and the increasing costs of importing oil have put a strain on the economy. It has however yet to be seen if the tax will provide a solution to the government\'s economic problems. The tax could fuel an active black market in currency trading, Mr Barrionuevo said. "The main impact could be that it will create a black market which you typically see in countries, like Venezuela, which have restrictions on capital," he says. Mr Barrioneuvo says the measure could be dropped if it has a damaging effect on economic activity. "It is intended to be a permanent measure but I am not sure it can last too long." ', 'US', 'MCI shareholder sues to stop bid A shareholder in US phone firm MCI has taken legal action to halt a $6.75bn (£3.6bn) buyout by telecoms giant Verizon, hoping to get a better deal. The lawsuit was filed on Friday after Qwest Communications, which had an earlier offer for MCI rejected, said it would submit an improved bid. MCI\'s directors have backed Verizon, despite it tabling less money. They are accused of breaching their fiduciary duties by depriving MCI shareholders "of maximum value". According the legal papers filed in a Delaware court, Verizon is set to pay an ""unconscionable, unfair and grossly inadequate" sum for MCI, which was formerly known as Worldcom. Qwest said on Wednesday that MCI had rejected a deal worth $8bn. A number of large MCI shareholders expressed unhappiness at the decision, saying that Verizon\'s offer, made up of cash, shares and dividends, undervalued the company. Friday\'s lawsuit argues that the Verizon offer makes no provision for future growth prospects and that consolidation in the US phone industry will put a premium on MCI\'s network, assets and clients. MCI\'s directors have argued that Verizon is bigger than Qwest, has fewer debts and has built a successful mobile division. Chief executive Michael Capellas spent last week meeting with shareholders in an effort to win their backing. In 2002, investors in the then-named Worldcom lost millions when the company filed for bankruptcy following an accounting scandal. However, the firm - now renamed MCI - has put its operations in order and emerged from bankruptcy protection last April. It is a long-distance and corporate phone firm, and would provide the buyer with access to a global telecommunications network and a large number of business-based subscribers. MCI shares jumped on Friday, hitting their highest level since April 2004 amid speculation that it would be the focus of a bidding war. A takeover of MCI would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since October as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. Earlier this month, SBC Communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone pioneer AT&T for about $16bn. ', 'US', 'Bush to outline \'toughest\' budget President Bush is to send his toughest budget proposals to date to the US Congress, seeking large cuts in domestic spending to lower the deficit. About 150 federal programs could be cut or axed altogether as part of a $2.5 trillion (£1.3 trillion) package aimed at curbing the giant US budget deficit. Defence spending will rise, however, while the proposals exclude the cost of continuing military operations in Iraq. Vice-President Dick Cheney said the budget was the "tightest" so far. At the heart of the administration\'s fifth budget, presented to Congress on Monday, is an austere package of domestic measures. These would see discretionary spending rise below the projected level of inflation. Such belt-tightening is designed to tackle the massive budget deficit increases of President Bush\'s first term. Mr Cheney admitted that the budget was the toughest of the Bush Presidency but argued it was "fair and responsible". "It is not something we have done with a meat axe, nor are we suddenly turning our back on the most needy people in our society," he said. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, increased expenditure on national security after 9/11 and the 2001 recession wiped out the budget surplus inherited by President Bush in 2001 and turned it into a record deficit. The shortfall is projected to rise to $427bn in 2005. Education, environmental protection and transport initiatives are set to be scaled back as a first step towards reducing the deficit to $230bn by 2009. Most controversially, the government is seeking to cut the Medicaid budget, which provides health care to the nation\'s poorest, by $45bn and to reduce farm subsidies by $587m. Spending on defence and homeland security is set to increase, although not by as much as originally planned. President Bush\'s proposals would see the Pentagon\'s budget rise by $19bn to $419.3bn while homeland security would get an extra $2bn. The budget does not include the cost of running military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, for which the administration in expected to seek an extra $80bn from Congress later this year. Also not featuring in the proposals is the cost of funding the administration\'s radical proposed overhaul of social security provision. Some expects believe this could require borrowing of up to $4.5bn trillion over a twenty year period. Despite the Republicans holding a majority in both houses of Congress, the proposals will be fiercely contested over the next few months. John McCain, a Republican Senator, said he was pleased the administration was prepared to tackle the deficit. "With the deficits that we are now running, I am glad the president is coming over with a very austere budget," he said. However, Democratic Senator Kent Conrad said the proposals exposed the country to huge financial commitments beyond 2009. "The cost of everything he [President Bush] advocates explodes," he said. ', 'Europe', 'Standard Life cuts policy bonuses Standard Life, Europe\'s largest mutual life insurer, has cut bonuses for with-profit policyholders. Annual bonus rates on its with-profits life policies were cut from 2.5% to 2%, while bonuses on pension policies were reduced from 3.25% to 2.5%. It is the sixth time in three years Standard Life has made cuts to bonus rates, despite an 8.7% rise in the value of the with-profits fund in 2004. The insurer blamed the cuts on poor share returns and low interest rates. With-profits policies are designed to smooth out the peaks and troughs of stock market volatility. Profits made in good years are kept in reserve to pay investors an annual bonus even when the stock market performs badly. Slumping share prices throughout 2001 and 2002 forced most firms to trim bonus rates on their policies. Standard Life came in for criticism for sticking with stock market investments during 2001 and 2002. The insurer argued that shares outperformed other investments over the long term and that policyholders would feel the benefit when the stock market recovered. Recently, Norwich Union and Axa Sun Life both cut their with-profit bonus rates. John Gill, managing director of the insurer\'s life and pensions division, said that a strong stock market recovery in the past two years had only "partly compensated for losses during 2001 and 2002". In addition, low interest rates meant that "long-term investment returns are well below historic levels", Mr Gill added. However, Mr Gill maintained that with-profits continued to perform well over the long term. "Our payouts continue to stand up well against other types of long-term investments over similar periods," he said. Standard Life has an estimated 2.4 million with-profits policyholders. Last year, the company announced that it was looking to float on the stock market in 2006. ', 'China', "MG Rover China tie-up 'delayed' MG Rover's proposed tie-up with China's top carmaker has been delayed due to concerns by Chinese regulators, according to the Financial Times. The paper said Chinese officials had been irritated by Rover's disclosure of its talks with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp in October. The proposed deal was seen as crucial to safeguarding the future of Rover's Longbridge plant in the West Midlands. However, there are growing fears that the deal could result in job losses. The Observer reported on Sunday that nearly half the workforce at Longbridge could be under threat if the deal goes ahead. Shanghai Automotive's proposed £1bn investment in Rover is awaiting approval by its owner, the Shanghai city government and by the National Development and Reform Commission, which oversees foreign investment by Chinese firms. According to the FT, the regulator has been annoyed by Rover's decision to talk publicly about the deal and the intense speculation which has ensued about what it will mean for Rover's future. As a result, hopes that approval of the deal may be fast-tracked have disappeared, the paper said. There has been continued speculation about the viability of Rover's Longbridge plant because of falling sales and unfashionable models. According to the Observer, 3,000 jobs - out of a total workforce of 6,500 - could be lost if the deal goes ahead. The paper said that Chinese officials believe cutbacks will be required to keep the MG Rover's costs in line with revenues. It also said that the production of new models through the joint venture would take at least eighteen months. Neither Rover nor Shanghai Automotive commented on the reports. ", 'UK', 'Economy \'strong\' in election year UK businesses are set to prosper during the next few months - but this could trigger more interest rate rises, according to a report. Optimism is at its highest since 1997 and business will reap the benefits of a continuing rise in public spending, say researchers at BDO Stoy Hayward. The Bank of England is expected to keep rates on hold this week - but they could go up later in the year. Rates are likely to rise after the anticipated general election in May. The BDO optimism index - a leading indicator of GDP growth two quarters ahead edged up in January to 102.5, from 102.2 in October. The rise is due, in part, to an increase in public spending and increased merger and acquisition activity. The only thing blighting business optimism this year will be uncertainties associated with the general election, BDO said. Its BDO\'s output index - which predicts GDP movements a quarter in advance - remained at 100.8 for January, implying GDP growth at 2.9% in the second quarter of 2005. However, the output index is being held back by recent interest rate rises, sterling\'s strength against the dollar and high oil prices, the group noted. Its inflation index, which has risen continuously over the last 8 months, climbed to 110.0 in January from 108.0 in October last year. "The UK is looking strong going into the general election, but businesses need to prepare themselves for a jolt ahead as the Bank of England reacts to growth and inflationary pressures," said Peter Hemington, partner at BDO Stoy Hayward. "Growth will probably slow by the end of 2005 and it is likely that we will see higher interest rates or a sharp drop in demand for products and services." ', 'China', 'Nissan names successor to Ghosn Nissan has named a lifetime employee to run its operations after Carlos Ghosn, its highly successful boss, takes charge at Renault. As chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga will run Nissan on a daily basis, although Mr Ghosn, who masterminded its recovery, will remain chief executive. Mr Ghosn is to become chairman and chief executive of Renault, which owns 44% of the Japanese carmaker, in April. Mr Ghosn transformed Nissan into a fast-growing and profitable business. Mr Shiga will nominally serve as Mr Ghosn\'s deputy. However, he will be Nissan\'s most senior Japan-based executive and will be in charge of the firm\'s global sales and marketing. He is currently in charge of Nissan\'s operations across Asia and Australasia and is credited with significantly improving its sales in China. He will inherit a strong legacy from Mr Ghosn, who has overseen a dramatic turnaround in Nissan\'s fortunes in the past five years. Dubbed \'le cost killer\' for pushing through huge cost cuts in previous jobs, Mr Ghosn reduced Nissan\'s overheads by 20% and trimmed its workforce by about 200,000 after taking charge in 1999. These actions helped Nissan turn a 684bn yen ($6.4bn) loss in 2000 into a 331bn yen ($2.7bn) profit the following year. During his tenure, Nissan has increased its market share and made significant strides in key export markets. Nissan aims to increase vehicle sales to more than four million by 2008, launching 28 new models in the process. In his new job as Renault chief executive, Mr Ghosn will devote 40% of his time to Renault, 40% to Nissan and the rest to the group\'s activities in North America and other key markets. Mr Ghosn said Mr Shiga\'s appointment would ensure a "seamless" transition in management. "I need a leadership team capable of accelerating the performance and delivery of results that has characterized Nissan over the past six years," Mr Ghosn said. "I have full confidence in Toshiyuki Shiga and the new leadership team to help me implement the next chapter of Nissan\'s growth." Nissan also announced a number of other management appointments with promotions for several younger executives. ', 'UK', 'Absa and Barclays talks continue South Africa biggest retail bank Absa has said it is still in talks with UK bank Barclays over the sale of majority stake in the group. In November, Absa said it was close to striking a deal with Barclays. But the group said Barclays is still waiting for the approval of South Africa\'s banking and competition authorities to make a formal offer. Absa also announced that it expects to see earnings grow by 20-25% in its current financial year. "Discussions with Barclays are continuing, but shareholders are advised that no agreement has been reached as to any offer being made by Barclays to acquire a majority stake in Absa," Absa said in a statement. If Barclays buys a stake in Absa it will be one of the largest foreign investments in South Africa in recent years. Absa currently has a market value of about $8.5bn (£4.4bn). Analysts said Absa\'s earnings forecast was better than expected. However, the company warned that headline earnings growth would be trimmed by about four percentage points because of share options for a black economic empowerment transaction and a staff share incentive scheme. The South African group will release its results for the year to 31 March on 30 May. ', 'UK', 'Standard Life concern at LSE bid Standard Life is the latest shareholder in Deutsche Boerse to express concern at the German stock market operator\'s plans to buy the London Stock Exchange. It said Deutsche Boerse had to show why its planned £1.35bn ($2.5bn) offer for the LSE was good for shareholder value. Reports say Standard Life, which owns a 1% stake in Deutsche Boerse, may seek a shareholder vote on the issue. Fellow shareholders US-based hedge fund Atticus Capital and UK-based TCI Fund Management have also expressed doubts. Deutsche Boerse\'s supervisory board has approved the possible takeover of the LSE despite the signs of opposition from investors. "The onus is on Deutsche Boerse\'s management to demonstrate why the purchase of the LSE creates more value for shareholders than other strategies, such as a buyback," said Richard Moffat, investment director of UK Equities at Standard Life Investments. Atticus Capital, holding 2% of Deutsche Boerse, wants it to buy back its own shares rather than buy the LSE. And TCI which holds about 5%, has made a request for an extraordinary shareholders meeting to be held to vote on replacing the company\'s entire supervisory board. It has also demanded that shareholders be consulted about the proposed acquisition, and whether the operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange should return $500m (£266m) to shareholders instead. In December, Deutsche Boerse, which also owns the derivatives market Eurex and the clearing firm Clearstream, put an informal offer of 530 pence per LSE share on the table. However, the LSE said the cash offer "undervalued" both its own business and the benefits of such a tie-up. Since then an improved offer from Deutsche Boerse has been anticipated as its management has continued talks with LSE chief executive Clara Furse. But the London exchange is also holding talks with Deutsche Boerse\'s rival Euronext, which operates the Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and Paris exchanges, as well as London-based international derivatives market Liffe. ', 'Mexico', 'BP surges ahead on high oil price Oil giant BP has announced a 26% rise in annual profits to $16.2bn (£8.7bn) on the back of record oil prices. Last week, rival Shell reported an annual profit of $17.5bn - a record profit for a UK-listed company. BP added that it was increasing its fourth-quarter dividend by 26% to 8.5 cents, and that it would continue with share buybacks. BP chief executive Lord Browne said the results were strong "both operationally and financially." The company is earning about $1.8m an hour. Despite the record annual profits figure, BP\'s performance was below the expectations of some City analysts. However, BP\'s share price rose 4p or nearly 1% in morning trading to 548p. Its profit rise for the year included profits of $3.65bn (£1.97bn) for the final three months of 2004 - up from $2.89bn a year ago but below its third quarter. Speaking on the BBC\'s Today programme on Tuesday, Lord Browne said the profits were not solely down to the high oil price alone. "The profits are up more than the price of oil is up," he said. Lord Browne pointed out that BP was reaping the benefits of its investment in oil exploration. "We have spent many years buying (assets) when the price is low," he said. The company has made new discoveries in Egypt, the Gulf of Mexico and Angola. However, Lord Browne rejected calls for a windfall tax on his company\'s huge profits, saying that in the North Sea it paid progressively more tax, the more profits it made. Lord Browne believes oil prices will remain quite high. Currently above $40 a barrel, he said: "The price of oil will be well supported above $30 a barrel for the medium term." BP put production for the year at 3.997 billion barrels of oil, up 10% on 2003, but slightly lower than the four billion barrels it had initially aimed for. ', 'US', 'Man Utd to open books to Glazer Manchester United\'s board has agreed to give US tycoon Malcolm Glazer access to its books. Earlier this month, Mr Glazer presented the board with detailed proposals on an offer to buy the football club. In a statement, the club said it would allow Mr Glazer "limited due diligence" to give him the opportunity to take the proposal on to a formal bid. But it said it continued to oppose Mr Glazer\'s plans, calling his assumptions "aggressive" and his plan "damaging". Many of Manchester United\'s supporters own shares in the club, and the fan-based group Shareholders United is strongly opposed to any takeover by Mr Glazer. About 300 fans protested outside the Old Trafford ground two days ago. Rival local club Manchester City has pleaded with visiting fans not to protest inside its ground when the two teams play a televised match on Sunday. Manchester United\'s response comes as little surprise, as the board made clear. "Any board has a responsibility to consider a bona fide offer proposal," the club said in its statement. Should it become a firm offer, it should be at a price that "the board is likely to regard as fair" and on terms which "may be deliverable". But it also stressed that it stayed opposed to Mr Glazer\'s proposal. "The board continues to believe that Mr Glazer\'s business plan assumptions are aggressive," the statement said, "and the direct and indirect financial strain on the business could be damaging." Whether or not the bid is attractive in monetary terms, in the case of Manchester United many investors hold the stock for sentimental rather than financial reasons. At present, Mr Glazer and his family hold a 28.1% stake, making them Manchester United\'s second biggest shareholders. They own the successful Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team based in Florida. If the family makes a formal offer, they will need the support of the club\'s biggest shareholders. Irish horse racing millionaires JP McManus and John Magnier own 29% of United through their investment vehicle Cubic Expression, and have yet to express a view on the bid approach. A group of five MPs are calling on the Department of Trade and Industry to block any takeover of the club by the US football magnate on public interest grounds. They have signed a House of Commons motion, and Tony Lloyd, the Manchester Central MP, whose constituency includes the club\'s Old Trafford ground, has pledged to take the matter "to Tony Blair if necessary". The Commons motion says "any takeover designed to transform the club into a private company would be against the interests of those supporters and football". However, the DTI has dismissed the proposal. A spokesman said the department did not believe there was a case for changing the Enterprise Act so that takeovers of football clubs could be looked at on non-competition grounds. Mr Glazer\'s offer values the club at £800m ($1.5bn). Pitched at 300p per share, it also relies less on debt to finance it than an earlier approach from the US tycoon, which was rejected out of hand. Manchester United shares closed at 270.25p on Friday, down 3.75p on the day. ', 'UK', 'Sales \'fail to boost High Street\' The January sales have failed to help the UK High Street recover from a poor Christmas season, a survey has found. Stores received a boost from bargain hunters but trading then reverted to December levels, the British Retail Consortium and accountants KPMG said. Sales in what is traditionally a strong month rose by 0.5% on a like-for-like basis, compared with a year earlier. Consumers remain cautious over buying big-ticket items like furniture, said BRC director general Kevin Hawkins. Higher interest rates and uncertainty over the housing market continue to take their toll on the retail sector, the BRC said. But clothing and footwear sales were said to be generally better than December, while department stores also had a good month. In the three-months to January, like-for-like sales showed a growth rate of -0.1%, the same as in the three months to December, the BRC said. "Following a relatively strong New Year\'s bank holiday, trading then took a downward turn," said Mr Hawkins. "Even extending some promotions and discounts and the pay-day boost later in the month could not tempt customers." The previous BRC survey found Christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years for retailers. And according to Office for National Statistics data, sales in December failed to meet expectations and by some counts were the worst since 1981. ', 'US', 'Yukos drops banks from court bid Russian oil company Yukos has dropped the threat of legal action against five banks it had accused of involvement in the sale of its key Yugansk unit. State-owned Rosneft bought the unit for $9.3bn (£5bn) after Yukos was forced to sell assets to meet a $27.5bn tax bill. Yukos says the sale was illegal and is pursuing damages in a US court. Its lawyers now accept ABN Amro, BNP Paribas, Calyon, JP Morgan Chase Bank, and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein were not involved in the sale financing. However, Yukos still has an outstanding complaint against Deutsche Bank, which it alleges to be the leader of a consortium that was behind a bid for Yugansk by state gas monopoly Gazprom. The company has also accused Gazprom, the Russian Federation and two other Russian firms. Gazprom had been expected to win the December auction, but ended up not bidding. Yugansk was sold to a little-known shell company, which in turn was bought by Rosneft. Yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The firm, whose finance chief is now based in the US, filed for bankruptcy in Houston, Texas, and sought a court injunction against the sale. But Deutsche Bank has suggested Yukos artificially manufactured a legal case to stop the sale of its main asset. A hearing scheduled for February 16 and 17 will rule on whether the US court has jurisdiction in the case. ', 'US', 'Lloyd\'s of London head chides FSA The head of Lloyd\'s of London, the insurance market, has criticised Britain\'s financial watchdog, the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In a speech on Monday, Mr Prettejohn urged the FSA to force brokers to disclose the size of their commissions. "The FSA should change, and change now" said Mr Prettejohn, who wants it to move from "disclosure on request" to mandatory disclosure. The call came in a speech on improving the London insurance market. "The FSA should not bide their time and \'wait and see\'. They should seize the moment," Mr Prettejohn, Lloyd\'s chief executive said. The FSA took over regulation of the general insurance sector in January, but it sidestepped calls to require brokers to disclose the commissions they earn from insurers to their clients. Last week, the City watchdog gave brokers and insurers guidance on managing conflicts of interest. Brokers must give information on their commissions if, and only if, their customers request it, the FSA said. In the US, lack of transparency about brokers\' commissions has led to problems. The world\'s biggest insurance broker Marsh & McLennan said last week it would pay $850m to settle charges, raised by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in October, that it sought to rig bids in conjunction with insurers. The probe centred around so-called contingent commissions, whereby brokers were rewarded according to how much business they brought to an insurer, an arrangement that did not always benefit brokers\' customers. All of the insurance business written in the Lloyd\'s market is placed via brokers. ', 'UK', 'Card fraudsters \'targeting web\' New safeguards on credit and debit card payments in shops has led fraudsters to focus on internet and phone payments, an anti-fraud agency has said. Anti-fraud consultancy Retail Decisions says \'card-not-present\' fraud, where goods are paid for online or by phone, has risen since the start of 2005. The introduction of \'chip and pin\' cards has tightened security for transactions on the High Street. But the clampdown has caused fraudsters to change tack, Retail Decisions said. The introduction of chip and pin cards aimed to cut down on credit card fraud in stores by asking shoppers to verify their identity with a confidential personal pin number, instead of a signature. Retail Decisions chief executive Carl Clump told the BBC that there was "no doubt" that chip and pin would "reduce card fraud in the card-present environment". "However, it is important to monitor what happens in the card-not-present environment as fraudsters will turn their attention to the internet, mail order, telephone order and interactive TV," he said. "We have seen a 22% uplift in card-not-present fraud here in the UK... since the start of the year. "Fraud doesn\'t just disappear, it mutates to the next weakest link in the chain," he said. Retail Decisions\' survey on the implementation of chip and pin found that shoppers had adapted easily to the new system, but that banks\' performance in distributing the new cards had been patchy, at best. "The main issue is that not everyone has the pins they need," said Mr Clump. Nearly two thirds - 65% - of the 1,000 people interviewed said they had used chip and pin to make payments. Of these, 83% were happy with the experience, though nearly a quarter said they struggled to remember their pin number. However, only 34% said they had received replacement cards with the necessary \'chip\' technology from all their card providers. Furthermore, 16% said that none of their cards had been replaced, while 30% said only some had. UK shoppers spent £5.3bn on plastic cards in 2003, the last full year for which figures are available from the Association of Payment Clearing Services (Apacs). Altogether, card scams on UK-issued cards totalled £402.4m in 2003. Card-not-present fraud rose an annual 6% to £116.4m, making it the biggest category even then. Within this, internet fraud totalled £43m, Apacs\' figures show. ', 'UK', 'Britannia members\' £42m windfall More than 800,000 Britannia Building Society members are to receive a profit share worth on average £52 each. Members of the UK\'s second largest building society will share £42m, with 100,000 receiving a windfall of more than £100. Depending on how much they borrow or invest, members earn "reward" points which entitle them to a share of the society\'s profits. The payouts are bigger than last year, because of stricter eligibility rules. Last year, Britannia members shared £42m, but the average payment was only £38. To qualify for this year\'s payment, customers must have been members for at least two years on 31 December 2004. Britannia has also stopped making payments to members if they are worth less than £5. To qualify for the profit share, members must have either a mortgage, or an investment account other than a deposit account. Customers can also qualify if they have Permanent Interest Bearing Shares (PIBS). The profit share scheme was introduced in 1997 and has paid out more than £370m. Britannia will unveil its results on Wednesday. ', 'UK', 'UK homes hit £3.3 trillion total The value of the UK\'s housing stock reached the £3.3 trillion mark in 2004 - triple the value 10 years earlier, a report indicates. Research from Halifax, the country\'s biggest mortgage lender, suggests the value of private housing stock is continuing to rise steadily. All regions saw at least a doubling in their assets during the past decade. But Northern Ireland led the way with a 262% rise, while Scotland saw the smallest increase of just 112%. The core retail price index rose by just 28% in the same period, underlining how effective an investment in housing has been for most people during the past decade. More than a third of the UK\'s private housing assets - representing more than a trillion pounds in value - are concentrated in London and the South East, the Halifax\'s figures indicate. Tim Crawford, Group Economist at Halifax, said: "The value of the private housing stock continues to grow and the family home remains, by a large margin, the most valuable asset of the majority of households in the UK." Halifax\'s own monthly figures on house sales - issued on Thursday - suggest the average price of a British property now stands at £163,748 after a 0.8% rise in January. Housing experts are split on prospects for the market, with some saying price growth will slow but not fall, while others predict a sharp drop in values. ', 'UK', 'Economy \'strong\' in election year UK businesses are set to prosper during the next few months - but this could trigger more interest rate rises, according to a report. Optimism is at its highest since 1997 and business will reap the benefits of a continuing rise in public spending, say researchers at BDO Stoy Hayward. The Bank of England is expected to keep rates on hold this week - but they could go up later in the year. Rates are likely to rise after the anticipated general election in May. The BDO optimism index - a leading indicator of GDP growth two quarters ahead edged up in January to 102.5, from 102.2 in October. The rise is due, in part, to an increase in public spending and increased merger and acquisition activity. The only thing blighting business optimism this year will be uncertainties associated with the general election, BDO said. Its BDO\'s output index - which predicts GDP movements a quarter in advance - remained at 100.8 for January, implying GDP growth at 2.9% in the second quarter of 2005. However, the output index is being held back by recent interest rate rises, sterling\'s strength against the dollar and high oil prices, the group noted. Its inflation index, which has risen continuously over the last 8 months, climbed to 110.0 in January from 108.0 in October last year. "The UK is looking strong going into the general election, but businesses need to prepare themselves for a jolt ahead as the Bank of England reacts to growth and inflationary pressures," said Peter Hemington, partner at BDO Stoy Hayward. "Growth will probably slow by the end of 2005 and it is likely that we will see higher interest rates or a sharp drop in demand for products and services." ', 'US', 'Ebbers \'aware\' of WorldCom fraud Former WorldCom boss Bernie Ebbers was directly involved in the $11bn financial fraud at the firm, his closest associate has told a US court. Giving evidence in the criminal trial of Mr Ebbers, ex-finance chief Scott Sullivan implicated his colleague in the accounting scandal at the firm. Mr Sullivan, WorldCom\'s former number two, is the government\'s chief witness in its case against Mr Ebbers. Mr Ebbers has denied multiple charges of conspiracy and fraud. Senior WorldCom executives are accused of orchestrating a huge fraud at the former telecoms company in which they exaggerated revenues and hid the cost of expenses. The firm was forced into bankruptcy, the largest in US history. Mr Sullivan, 42, pleaded guilty to fraud last year and agreed to assist the government with its case against Mr Ebbers. Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Ebbers, 63, directed Mr Sullivan to hide the true state of the company\'s finances by providing false information to the firm\'s accountants. Mr Ebbers has denied all the charges, saying he was unaware of the fraud. His lawyers claim that their client was unfamiliar with detailed accounting practices and left that side of the business to Mr Sullivan. However, on Monday Mr Sullivan named Mr Ebbers as one of five executives who participated in the accounting fraud. "He [Ebbers] has got a hands-on grasp of financial information," Mr Sullivan told a New York court. On his first day of questioning, Mr Sullivan admitted to falsifying the company\'s financial statements. "We did not disclose these adjustments," he said. "We did not talk about these adjustments and the information was false." Mr Sullivan said his former boss knew more about accounting matters than many chief financial officers and described him as "detail-oriented". He portrayed Mr Ebbers, a charismatic businessman who built up WorldCom from a small regional operator into one of America\'s largest telecoms firms, as obsessed with costs. "He would talk about that there were more coffee filters than coffee bags and that means employees are taking coffee home," he said. "We needed to cut expenses. We needed to cut a lot more than coffee expenses." Mr Sullivan is at the centre of the government\'s case against Mr Ebbers. Mr Ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. ', 'UK', "Survey confirms property slowdown Government figures have confirmed a widely reported slowdown of the UK's housing market in late 2004. House prices were 11.8% higher on the year in the last quarter of 2004, down from 16.3% in the July-to-September quarter, the Land Registry said. The average house price in England and Wales was £182,920, down from £187,971 in July-September. The volume of sales between October and December dropped by nearly a quarter from the same period in 2003. The government figures are the first official confirmation of falls in the market at the end of 2004. Land Registry figures are less up to date than those of banks and building societies, since they record completions not mortgage approvals. However, the figures are viewed as the most accurate measure of house prices as they include all property transactions, including cash sales. The cost of buying a home fell in seven out of 10 regions between the third and fourth quarters of 2004. The biggest annual gains were made in Wales, where house prices were up by 23% in the fourth quarter. House prices rose the slowest in Greater London, being up by 6%. In the capital, the volume of sales fell by 23% from 36,185 in 2003 to 28,041 for the same period in 2004. There was also a decline in the number of million-pound properties sold in the capital, with 436 properties over £1m sold compared to 469 for the same period in 2003. Although the figures point to a slowdown in the market, the most recent surveys from Nationwide and Halifax have indicated the market may be undergoing a revival. After registering falls at the back end of 2004, Halifax said house prices rose by 0.8% in January and Nationwide reported a rise of 0.4% in the first month of the year. Members of the Bank of England's rate-setting committee will make their latest decision on interest rates on Thursday. ", 'US', 'Bush budget seeks deep cutbacks President Bush has presented his 2006 budget, cutting domestic spending in a bid to lower a record deficit projected to peak at $427bn (£230bn) this year. The $2.58 trillion (£1.38 trillion) budget submitted to Congress affects 150 domestic programmes from farming to the environment, education and health. But foreign aid is due to rise by 10%, with more money to treat HIV/Aids and reward economic and political reform. Military spending is also set to rise by 4.8%, to reach $419.3bn. The budget does not include the cost of running military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, for which the administration is expected to seek an extra $80bn from Congress later this year. Congress will spend several months debating George W Bush\'s proposal. The state department\'s planned budget would rise to just under $23bn - a fraction of the defence department\'s request - including almost $6bn to assist US allies in the "war on terror". However, the administration is keen to highlight its global effort to tackle HIV/Aids, the BBC\'s Jonathan Beale reports, and planned spending would almost double to $3bn, with much of that money going to African nations. Mr Bush also wants to increase the amount given to poorer countries through his Millennium Challenge Corporation. The scheme has been set up to reward developing countries that embrace what the US considers to be good governance and sound policies. Yet Mr Bush\'s proposed spending of $3bn on that project is well below his initial promise of $5bn. A key spending line missing from proposals is the cost of funding the administration\'s proposed radical overhaul of Social Security, the pensions programme on which many Americans rely for their retirement income. Some experts believe this could require borrowing of up to $4.5 trillion over a 20-year period. Neither does the budget include any cash to purchase crude oil for the US emergency petroleum stockpile. Concern over the level of the reserve, created in 1970s, has led to rises in oil prices over the past year. The Bush administration will instead continue to fill the reserve by taking oil - rather than cash - from energy companies that drill under federal leases. The outline proposes reductions in budgets at 12 out of 23 government agencies including cuts of 9.6% at Agriculture and 5.6% at the Environmental Protection Agency. The spending plan for the year beginning 1 October is banking on a healthy US economy to boost government income by 6.1% to $2.18 trillion. Spending is forecast to grow by 3.5% to $2.57 trillion. But the budget is still the tightest yet under Mr Bush\'s presidency. "In order to sustain our economic expansion, we must continue pro-growth policies and enforce even greater spending restraint across federal government," Mr Bush said in his budget message to Congress. Mr Bush has promised to halve the US\'s massive budget deficit within five years. The deficit, partly the result of massive tax cuts early in Mr Bush\'s presidency, has been a key factor in pushing the US dollar lower. The independent Congressional Budget Office estimates that the shortfall could shrink to little more than $200bn by 2009, returning to the surpluses seen in the late 1990s by 2012. But its estimates depend on the tax cuts not being made permanent, in line with the promise when they were passed that they would "sunset", or disappear, in 2010. Most Republicans, however, want them to stay in place. And the figures also rely on the "Social Security trust fund" - the money set aside to cover the swelling costs of retirement pensions - being offset against the main budget deficit. ', 'US', "MCI shares climb on takeover bid Shares in US phone company MCI have risen on speculation that it is in takeover talks. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Qwest has bid $6.3bn (£3.4bn) for MCI. Other firms have also expressed an interest in MCI, the second-largest US long-distance phone firm, and may now table rival bids, analysts said. Shares in MCI, which changed its name from Worldcom when it emerged from bankruptcy, were up 2.4% at $20.15. Press reports suggest that Qwest and MCI may reach an agreement as early as next week, although rival bids may muddy the waters. The largest US telephone company Verizon has previously held preliminary merger discussions with MCI, Reuters quoted sources as saying. Consolidation in the US telecommunications industry has picked up in the past few months as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. A merger between MCI and Qwest would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since October. Last week, SBC Communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer AT&T for about $16bn. Competition has intensified and fixed-line phone providers such as MCI and AT&T have seen themselves overtaken by rivals. Buying MCI would give Qwest, a local phone service provider, access to MCI's global network and business-based subscribers. MCI also offers internet services. MCI was renamed after it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April last year. It hit the headlines as Worldcom in 2002 after admitting it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. The scandal was a key factor in a global slide in share prices and the reverberations are still being felt today. Shareholders lost about $180bn when the company collapsed, while 20,000 workers lost their jobs. Former Worldcom boss Bernie Ebbers is currently on trial, accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud. ", 'UK', 'BT offers equal access to rivals BT has moved to pre-empt a possible break-up of its business by offering to cut wholesale broadband prices and open its network to rivals. The move comes after telecom regulator Ofcom said in November that the firm must offer competitors "real equality of access to its phone lines". At the time, Ofcom offered BT the choice of change or splitting into two. Ofcom is carrying out a strategic review aimed at promoting greater competition in the UK telecom sector. BT\'s competitors have frequently accused it of misusing its status as the former telecoms monopoly and controller of access to many customers to favour its own retail arm. This latest submission was delivered to the watchdog ahead of a deadline for the second phase of its review. "Central to the proposals are plans by BT to offer operators lower wholesale prices, faster broadband services and transparent, highly-regulated access to BT\'s local network," the former monopoly said in a statement. "The United Kingdom has the opportunity to create the most exciting and innovative telecoms market in the world," BT chief executive Ben Verwaayen said. "BT has a critical role to play, and today we are making a set of far-reaching proposals towards that framework," he said. BT wants lighter regulation in exchange for the changes, as well as the removal of the break-up threat. The group is to set up a new Access Services division - with a separate board which would include independent members - to ensure equal access for rivals to the "local loop", the copper wires that run between telephone exchanges and households. The company also unveiled plans to cut the wholesale prices of its most popular broadband product by about 8% from April in areas of high customer demand. It added that it plans to invest £10bn in the next five years to create a "21st Century network". To meet the growing demand for greater bandwidth, BT said it would begin trials in April with a view to launching higher-speed services nationally from the autumn. Telecom analysts Ovum welcomed the move, saying BT had "given a lot of ground". "The big question now is whether the industry, and particularly Ofcom feels BT\'s proposals go far enough ...Now the real negotiation begins," director of telecoms research Tony Lavender said. Internet service provider (ISP) Plus.net also backed the proposals saying "we will be entirely happy if Ofcom accepts them". "BT has been challenged to play fair and its plans will introduce a level playing field. The scenario now is how well people execute their business plans as a service provider," chief executive Lee Strafford said. Chris Panayis, managing director of ISP Freedom2surf said that it would make the situation clearer for business. "I think it\'s the first productive thing we\'ve had from BT," he said. AOL backed the price cuts but said regulation was still needed to ensure a level playing field. "This is a reminder to Ofcom that as long as BT can change the dynamics of the whole broadband market at will, the process of opening up the UK\'s local telephone network to infrastructure investment and competition remains fragile," a spokesman said. "Ofcom needs to return to regulation of the wholesale broadband service [IPStream] and provide more robust rules for local loop unbundling if consumers are to see the benefits of increased competition and infrastructure investment." More than 100 telecom firms, consumer groups and other interested parties are expected to make submissions to the regulator during this consultation phase. Ofcom is expected to spend the next few weeks examining the proposals before making an announcement within the next few months. ', 'US', 'Jobs growth still slow in the US The US created fewer jobs than expected in January, but a fall in jobseekers pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years. According to Labor Department figures, US firms added only 146,000 jobs in January. The gain in non-farm payrolls was below market expectations of 190,000 new jobs. Nevertheless it was enough to push down the unemployment rate to 5.2%, its lowest level since September 2001. The job gains mean that President Bush can celebrate - albeit by a very fine margin - a net growth in jobs in the US economy in his first term in office. He presided over a net fall in jobs up to last November\'s Presidential election - the first President to do so since Herbert Hoover. As a result, job creation became a key issue in last year\'s election. However, when adding December and January\'s figures, the administration\'s first term jobs record ended in positive territory. The Labor Department also said it had revised down the jobs gains in December 2004, from 157,000 to 133,000. Analysts said the growth in new jobs was not as strong as could be expected given the favourable economic conditions. "It suggests that employment is continuing to expand at a moderate pace," said Rick Egelton, deputy chief economist at BMO Financial Group. "We are not getting the boost to employment that we would have got given the low value of the dollar and the still relatively low interest rate environment." "The economy is producing a moderate but not a satisfying amount of job growth," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "That means there are a limited number of new opportunities for workers." ', 'UK', 'Call to overhaul UK state pension The UK pension system has been branded inadequate and too complex by a leading retirement think-tank. The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) said replacing the state pension with a "citizen\'s pension" would help tackle inequality and complexity. The change would see pensions being calculated on length of residency in the UK rather than National Insurance (NI) contributions. Reform could reduce poverty by aiding people with broken employment records. The PPI added that once the state system was reformed the government should look at options to overhaul private and workplace pensions. The think tank\'s proposals were made in response to the recent publication of the Pensions Commission\'s initial report into UK retirement savings. According to the Pensions Commission\'s report 12 million working people are not saving enough for their retirement. As a result, living standards could fall for the next generation of UK pensioners. The report added that a combination of higher taxes, higher savings and/or a higher average retirement age was needed to solve the UK pension crisis. ', 'India', 'Asia shares defy post-quake gloom Indonesian, Indian and Hong Kong stock markets reached record highs. Investors seemed to feel that some of the worst-affected areas were so under-developed that the tragedy would have little impact on Asia\'s listed firms. "Obviously with a lot of loss of life, a lot of time is needed to clean up the mess, bury the people and find the missing," said ABN Amro\'s Eddie Wong. "[But] it\'s not necessarily a really big thing in the economic sense." India\'s Bombay Stock Exchange inched slightly above its previous record close on Wednesday. Expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the Indonesian stock exchange in Jakarta to a record high on Wednesday. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index may be benefiting in part from the potential for its listed property companies to gain from rebuilding contracts in the tsunami-affected regions of South East Asia. In Sri Lanka, some economists have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. Sri Lanka\'s stock market has fallen about 5% since the weekend, but it is still 40% higher than at the start of 2004. Thailand may lose 30bn baht (£398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months, according to tourism minister Sontaya Kunplome. In the affected provinces, he expects the loss of tourism revenue to be offset by government reconstruction spending. Thailand intends to spend a similar sum - around 30bn baht - on the rebuilding work. "It will take until the fourth quarter of next year before tourist visitors in Phuket and five other provinces return to their normal level," said Naris Chaiyasoot, director general at the ministry\'s fiscal policy office. In the Maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth, according to a government spokesman. "Our nation is in peril here," said Ahmed Shaheed, the chief government spokesman. He estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars. The Maldives has gross domestic product of $660m. "It won\'t be surprising if the cost exceeds our GDP," he said. "In the last few years, we made great progress in our standard of living - the United Nations recognised this. Now we see this can disappear in a few days, a few minutes." Shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m. Between 10 and 12 of the 80-odd resorts have been severely damaged, and a similar number have suffered significant damage. However, many experts, including the World Bank, have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact. In part, this is because of its scale, and because delivering aid and recovering the dead remain priorities. "Calculators will have to wait," said an IMF official in a briefing on Wednesday. "The financial and world community will be turning toward reconstruction efforts and at that point people will begin to have a sense of the financial impact." ', 'UK', 'Split-caps pay £194m compensation Investors who lost money following the split-capital investment trust scandal are to receive £194m compensation, the UK\'s financial watchdog has announced. Eighteen investment firms involved in the sale of the investments agreed the compensation package with the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Splits were marketed as a low-risk way to benefit from rising share prices. But when the stock market collapsed in 2000, the products left thousands of investors out of pocket. An estimated 50,000 people took out split-capital funds, some investing their life savings in the schemes. The paying of compensation will be overseen by an independent company, the FSA said. Further details of how investors will be able to claim their share of the compensation package will be announced in the new year. "This should save investors from having to take their case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, something, no doubt, that will be very welcome," Rob McIvor, FSA spokesman, told BBC News. Agreeing to pay compensation did not mean that the eighteen firms involved were admitting any guilt, the FSA added. Any investor accepting the compensation will have to waive the right to take their case to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The FSA has been investigating whether investors were misled about the risks posed by split-capital investment trusts. The FSA\'s 60 strong investigation team looked into whether fund managers colluded in a so-called "magic circle", in the hope of propping up one another\'s share prices. Firms involved were presented with 780 files of evidence detailing 27,000 taped conversations and over 70 interviews. In May, the FSA was widely reported as having asked firms to pay up to £350m in compensation. Mr McIvor told the BBC that the final settlement figure was smaller because two unnamed firms had pulled out of the compensation negotiations. Investors in these two firms may now have to take any compensation claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the courts. ', 'Europe', 'French suitor holds LSE meeting European stock market Euronext has met with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) amid speculation that it may be ready to launch a cash bid. Euronext chief Jean-Francois Theodore held talks with LSE boss Clara Furse the day after rival Deutsche Boerse put forward its own bid case. The German exchange said it had held "constructive, professional and friendly" talks with the LSE. But Euronext declined to comment after the talks ended on Friday. Speculation is mounting that the Germans may raise their bid to £1.5bn. Deutsche Boerse previously offered £1.3bn, which was rejected by the LSE, while Euronext is rumoured to have facilities in place to fund a £1.4bn cash bid. So far, however, neither have tabled a formal bid. But a deal with either bidder would create the biggest stock market operator in Europe and the second biggest in the world after the New York Stock Exchange. There was speculation Euronext would use Friday\'s meeting as an opportunity to take advantage of growing disquiet over Deutsche Boerse\'s own plans for dominance over the London market. Unions for Deutsche Boerse staff in Frankfurt has reportedly expressed fears that up to 300 jobs would be moved to London if the takeover is successful. "The works council has expressed concerns that the equities and derivatives trade could be managed from London in the future," Reuters news agency reports a union source as saying. German politicians are also said to be angry over the market operator\'s promise to move its headquarters to London if a bid were successful. Meanwhile, LSE shareholders fear that Deutsche Boerse\'s control over its Clearstream unit - the clearing house that processes securities transactions - would create a monopoly situation. This would weaken the position of shareholders when negotiating lower transaction fees for share dealings. LSE and Euronext do not have control over their clearing and settlement operations, a situation which critics say is more transparent and competitive. The German group\'s ownership of Clearstream has been seen as the main stumbling block to a London-Frankfurt merger. Commentators believe Deutsche Boerse, which has now formally asked German authorities to approve its plan to buy the LSE, may offer to sell Clearstream to gain shareholder approval. Euronext, so far, has given little away as to what sweeteners it will offer the LSE - Europe\'s biggest equity market - into a deal. ', 'US', "Troubled Marsh under SEC scrutiny The US stock market regulator is investigating troubled insurance broker Marsh & McLennan's shareholder transactions, the firm has said. The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked for information about transactions involving holders of 5% or more of the firm's shares. Marsh has said it is co-operating fully with the SEC investigation. Marsh is also the focus of an inquiry the New York attorney-general into whether insurers rigged the market. Since that inquiry was launched in October, Marsh has replaced its chief executive and held a boardroom shake-out to meet criticism by lessening the number of company executives on the board. Prosecutors allege that Marsh - the world's biggest insurance broker - and other US insurance firms may have fixed bids for corporate cover. This is the issue at the heart of the inquiry by New York's top law officer, Eliot Spitzer, and a separate prosecution of five insurers by the State of California. The SEC's investigation into so-called related party transactions includes dealings in the Trident Funds, managed by MMC Capital, the company's private equity firm. Marsh's new chief executive, Michael Cherkasky, is trying to negotiate a settlement with Mr Spitzer. Mr Spitzer has built up a reputation as a fierce critic and campaigner against corporate America's misdeeds. The uncertainty unleashed by the scandal has prompted three credit rating agencies - Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch - to downgrade Marsh in recent weeks. According to the Financial Times, insurance analysts are now questioning whether Marsh will be able to maintain its strong record of earning growth as they draw up forecasts for the first quarter of next year. Doubts also exist over how much the company may have to pay regulators and lawyers to put the scandal behind. ", 'US', 'Oil prices reach three-month low Oil prices have fallen heavily for a second day, closing at three-month lows after news that US crude stocks have improved ahead of winter. London Brent crude closed at $40.15 on Thursday - a drop of 5.1% - having dived below $40 a barrel for the first time since mid-September. US light crude traded in New York lost more than $2 to $43.25, its lowest close since 10 September. The price of both benchmark crudes has dropped 12% in two days. The falls were triggered when the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday that US crude stocks were 3.5% higher than a year ago. The news calmed worries about winter shortages. Weak US fuel and heating oil stocks have been a persistent factor in pushing up oil prices. "It\'s amazing how quickly sentiment changed," said Rick Mueller, an analyst at Energy Security Analysis. Analysts also attributed the fall to mild early-winter weather, which has tempered demand for heating oil. The stronger fuel inventories helped boost US stock markets to nine-month highs on Wednesday, though only the Nasdaq index had hung onto those gains by the end of Thursday. In London, the FTSE 100 index closed 15 points higher at 4,751. The long-awaited drop in oil prices helped to ease persistent investor jitters over the impact of energy costs on company profits and economic growth. However, traders warned that the fall could be short-lived if there is a cold snap in North America this winter or any major supply problems in other parts of the world. The price of crude is still up about 30% on the start of 2004, but has fallen from the record of $55.67 set in late October. Opec nations have increased production to 25-year highs to meet global demand and this has helped rebuild US stocks hit by supply disruptions after Hurricane Ivan in September. Traders were also encouraged by comments on Wednesday from the energy minister of Opec member Algeria. Chakib Khelil said the cartel was likely to keep output unchanged when it meets next week. However, some analysts believe the sharp fall in crude prices may harden Opec\'s attitude to over-production, leading to a scaling back of oil output. Fears still remain over the level of US heating oil stocks, which are rising but remain down on 2004 levels. A cold spell in north America would start to deplete supplies and could spark further price rises. Analysts, however, say prices will fall further if inventories continue to rise. "Mother Nature is going to be huge in the next several weeks," said Kyle Cooper, at Citigroup Global Markets. "Long term I think we\'re headed to $30-35 but I don\'t think we\'re doing that yet. We have a lot of winter left." John Person, president of National Futures Advisory Services, said the EIA data indicated there should be adequate supplies for the next three months in the US. . ', 'Brazil', 'Markets signal Brazilian recovery The Brazilian stock market has risen to a record high as investors display growing confidence in the durability of the country\'s economic recovery. The main Bovespa index on the Sao Paolo Stock Exchange closed at 24,997 points on Friday, topping the previous record market close reached the previous day. The market\'s buoyancy reflects optimism about the Brazilian economy, which could grow by as much as 4.5% in 2004. Brazil is recovering from last year\'s recession - its worst in a decade. Economic output declined 0.2% in 2003 and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - elected as Brazil\'s first working-class president in 2002 - was strongly criticised for pursuing a hardline economic policy. Investors have praised his handling of the economy as foreign investment has risen, unemployment has fallen and inflation has been brought under control. Analysts believe the stock market will rise above the 25,000 mark for the first time before too long. "There should be more space for gains until the end of the year, somewhere up to 27,000 points," said Paschoal Tadeu Buonomo, head of equities trading at brokers TOV. Brazil\'s currency, the real, also rose to its highest level against the dollar in more than two years on Friday. Although interest rates still stand at a punitive 17.25%, inflation has fallen from 9% to 7% while exports are booming, particularly of agricultural products. "For the first time in decades, we have all three economic policy pillars in line during a recovery," Finance Minister Antonio Palocci told the Associated Press news agency. "Government accounts are in surplus, we have a current account surplus and inflation is under control." Investors were deeply suspicious of President da Silva, a former trade union leader who campaigned on a programme of extensive land redistribution and a large rise in the minimum wage. However, Mr da Silva has stuck to an orthodox monetary policy inherited from his predecessor even in the face of last year\'s economic crisis. This has earned him the disapproval of rural farm workers, thousands of whom who took to the streets of Brasilia on Thursday to protest against government policies. President da Silva has defended his policies, arguing that Brazil cannot afford to continue the cycle of boom and bust which afflicted it in recent decades. ', 'Germany', 'Five million Germans out of work Germany\'s unemployment figure rose above the psychologically important level of five million last month. On Wednesday, the German Federal Labour Agency said the jobless total had reached 5.037 million in January, which takes the jobless rate to 12.1%. "Yes, we have effectively more than five million people unemployed," a government minister said earlier on ZDF public television. Unemployment has not been this high in Germany since the 1930s. Changes to the way the statistics are compiled partly explain the jump of 572,900 in the numbers. But the figures are embarrassing for the government. "With the figures apparently the worst we\'ve seen in the post-war period, these numbers are very charged politically," said Christian Jasperneite, an economist with MM Warburg. "They could well put an end to the recent renaissance we\'ve seen by the SPD [the ruling Social Democrats] in the polls, and with state elections due in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, they may have an adverse effect on the government\'s chances there." The opposition also made political capital from the figures. It said there are a further 1.5 million-2 million people on subsidised employment schemes who are, in fact, looking for real jobs. It added that government reforms, including unpopular benefit cuts, do not go far enough. Under the government\'s controversial "Hartz IV" reforms, which came into effect at the beginning of the year, both those on unemployment benefits and welfare support and those who are long-term unemployed are officially classified as looking for work. The bad winter weather also took its toll, as key sectors such as the construction sector laid off workers. Adjusted for the seasonal factors, the German jobless total rose by 227,000 in January from December. ', 'India', 'India power shares jump on debut Shares in India\'s largest power producer, National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC) have risen 13% on their stock market debut. The government\'s partial sell-off of NTPC is part of a controversial programme to privatise state-run firms. The 865 million share offer, a mix of new shares and sales by the government, raised 54bn rupees($1.2bn). It was India\'s second $1bn stock debut in three months, coming after the flotation by software firm Tata. The share offer was eleven times oversubscribed. "It is a good investment bet," said Suhas Naik, an investment analyst from ING Mutual Fund. "Power needs in India are set to rise and NTPC will benefit from that." Analysts say the success of the NTPC flotation would encourage the government to reduce stakes in more power companies. NTPC has said it will use the money from the share sale to feed the growing needs of the country\'s energy-starved economy. The firm is the largest utility company in India, and the sixth largest power producer in the world. ', 'US', "SBC plans post-takeover job cuts US phone company SBC Communications said it expects to cut around 12,800 jobs following its $16bn (£8.5bn) takeover of former parent AT&T. SBC said 5,125 positions would go as a result of network efficiencies. Another 1,700 will go from its sales department, 3,400 from business operations and 2,600 across legal, advertising and public relations. SBC currently employs 163,000 people while AT&T employs 47,000. The takeover was announced on Monday. The deal will be financed with $15bn of shares as well as a $1bn special dividend paid to AT&T shareholders. It effectively marks the end of AT&T, which was founded in 1875 by telephone pioneer Alexander Graham Bell and is one of the US's best-known companies. SBC and AT&T said estimated cost savings of at least $2bn from 2008 were a main driver for the merger. AT&T is a long-distance telecoms firm, while SBC is mainly focused on the local market in the western US. Both also have data network businesses. The takeover is subject to approval by AT&T's shareholders and regulators. The companies said they expected to complete the agreement during the first half of 2006. ", 'US', 'Amex shares up on spin-off news Shares in American Express surged more than 8% on Tuesday after it said it was to spin off its less profitable financial advisory subsidiary. The US credit card to travel services giant said off-loading American Express Financial Advisors (AEFA) would boost its profitability. AEFA has more than 12,000 advisers selling financial advice, funds and insurance to 2.5 million customers. Over the years it has delivered poor profits and even some losses. "This is an excellent move by American Express to focus on its core businesses, and sell off a laggard division, which has been a problem for quite some time," said Marquis Investment Research analyst Phil Kain. Analysts estimate that a stand-alone AEFA could have a market value of $10bn (£5.3bn). The unit was acquired by American Express 20 years ago as Investors Diversified Service, of Minneapolis, at a time when firms were amassing one-stop financial empires. However, the business of selling investments was never integrated with the rest of the group. ', 'China', 'Chinese dam firm \'defies Beijing\' The China Three Gorges Project Corp is refusing to obey a government order to stop construction of one of its giant dams, the Chinese state press has said. The builder of the Three Gorges Dam is continuing work on the sister Xiluodu dam, said the Beijing News. The Xiluodu dam is one of 30 such large-scale construction projects called to a halt because of a lack of proper environmental checks. The Beijing News said the company may instead choose to pay a fine. The firm has also ignored orders to stop construction at two of its other projects - the Three Gorges Underground Power Plant and the Three Gorges Project Electrical Power Supply Plant. So far, only 22 of the 30 construction projects targeted by China\'s State Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) for having not carried out mandatory environmental impact assessments have complied with its shutdown order. The China Three Gorges Project Corp could now face a fine up to 200,000 yuan ($24,000; £12,700). Last week, it denied that its projects violated regulations. "The Three Gorges Corporation has all along abided by the law and have built our projects in accordance with the law," it said. The Sepa order comes as the Chinese government appears to be trying to cool the country\'s booming economy. Previously it has encouraged construction of new electricity generating capacity to solve chronic energy shortages, which forced many factories into part-time working last year. In 2004, China increased its generating capacity by 12.6% to 440,700 megawatts (MW). The Xiluodu Dam is designed to produce 12,600 MW of electricity, and is being built on the Jinshajiang - or "river of golden sand" as the upper reaches of the Yangtze are known. It is a sister project to the main Three Gorges Dam downstream where more than half a million people have had to be relocated, drawing criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists. ', 'Japan', 'Stock market eyes Japan recovery Japanese shares have ended the year at their highest level since 13 July amidst hopes of an economic recovery during 2005. The Nikkei index of leading shares gained 7.6% during the year to close at 11,488.76 points. In 2005 it "will rise toward 13,000", predicted Morgan Stanley equity strategist Naoki Kamiyama. The optimism in the financial markets contrast sharply with pessimism in the Japanese business community. Earlier this month, the quarterly Tankan survey of Japanese manufacturers found that business confidence had weakened for the first time since March 2003. Slower economic growth, rising oil prices, a stronger yen and weaker exports were blamed for the fall in confidence. Despite this, traders expect strength in the global economy to benefit Japan, which has been close to sliding into recession in recent months. Structural reform within Japan and an anticipated end to the banking sector\'s bad debt problems should also help, they say. ', 'US', 'GE sees \'excellent\' world economy US behemoth General Electric has posted an 18% jump in quarterly sales, and in profits, and declared itself "in great shape". "We are benefiting from our growth initiatives and an excellent global economy," said GE\'s chief executive Jeff Immelt. GE is the US\' biggest firm based on stock market valuation. GE\'s net profits were $5.37bn (£2.86bn) for the final three months of 2004, while sales came in at $43.7bn. The group, whose businesses range from jet engines to the NBC television channel, forecast sustained growth at between 10-15% for this year and next. GE\'s shares rose 1% on the news before ending Friday 0.24% lower. "The industries GE is in are doing very well. The materials, financial and industrial sectors are all picking up," said Steve Roukis, an analyst at fund manager Matrix Asset Advisors, which has shares in GE. GE said orders in the fourth quarter were 15% higher than in the same period of 2003, "with growth across the board". "In the fourth quarter, nine of our 11 businesses delivered at least double-digit earnings growth," said Mr Immelt. Full year 2004 gains were less spectacular, but still respectable. Net profit was up 6% at $16.6bn. Last year, GE bought Vivendi Universal, merging it with NBC to form NBC Universal. The success of Universal Studio\'s film \'Ray\', a portrait of jazz musician Ray Charles, has helped boost earnings at the unit. ', 'UK', 'UK economy facing \'major risks\' The UK manufacturing sector will continue to face "serious challenges" over the next two years, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has said. The group\'s quarterly survey of companies found exports had picked up in the last three months of 2004 to their best levels in eight years. The rise came despite exchange rates being cited as a major concern. However, the BCC found the whole UK economy still faced "major risks" and warned that growth is set to slow. It recently forecast economic growth will slow from more than 3% in 2004 to a little below 2.5% in both 2005 and 2006. Manufacturers\' domestic sales growth fell back slightly in the quarter, the survey of 5,196 firms found. Employment in manufacturing also fell and job expectations were at their lowest level for a year. "Despite some positive news for the export sector, there are worrying signs for manufacturing," the BCC said. "These results reinforce our concern over the sector\'s persistent inability to sustain recovery." The outlook for the service sector was "uncertain" despite an increase in exports and orders over the quarter, the BCC noted. The BCC found confidence increased in the quarter across both the manufacturing and service sectors although overall it failed to reach the levels at the start of 2004. The reduced threat of interest rate increases had contributed to improved confidence, it said. The Bank of England raised interest rates five times between November 2003 and August last year. But rates have been kept on hold since then amid signs of falling consumer confidence and a slowdown in output. "The pressure on costs and margins, the relentless increase in regulations, and the threat of higher taxes remain serious problems," BCC director general David Frost said. "While consumer spending is set to decelerate significantly over the next 12-18 months, it is unlikely that investment and exports will rise sufficiently strongly to pick up the slack." ', 'US', 'Tobacco giants hail court ruling US tobacco companies have welcomed an appeal court\'s decision to reject the government\'s $280bn (£155bn) claim for alleged deceit about smoking dangers. Tobacco stocks rose sharply on Wall Street after the 2-1 decision. The court in Washington found the case - filed by the Clinton administration in 1999 - could not be brought under federal anti-racketeering laws. Anti-smoking groups urge the government to fight on, but the Justice Department has not said if it will appeal. Among the accused were Altria Group, RJ Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard Tobacco, Liggett Group and Brown and Williamson. They were delighted by the decision, which sent Reynolds shares up 4.5% and Altria shares up 5.11%. Charles A Blixt, executive vice-president of RJ Reynolds Tobacco, said the ruling "dramatically transforms" the government\'s lawsuit. Altria Group said, in a statement, the government now "must not only prove that the companies have engaged in fraudulent behaviour in the past, but that they are likely to do so in the future." The government had claimed tobacco firms - manipulated nicotine levels to increase addiction - targeted teenagers with multi-billion dollar advertising campaigns - lied about the dangers of smoking and ignored research to the contrary. Prosecutors wanted the cigarette firms to "disgorge" $280bn in profits accumulated over the past 50 years and impose tougher rules on marketing their products. They brought the case under racketeering laws, which were passed to deny mafia gangs the profits of their crimes. But the tobacco companies denied that they illegally conspired to promote smoking and defraud the public. They also said they had already met many of the government\'s demands in a landmark $206bn settlement reached with 46 states in 1998. The three-judge panel in the District of Columbia\'s Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that the US government could not sue the firms under the anti-racketeering laws. Judge David Sentelle, in his ruling, said such laws were aimed at putting an end to illegal conduct going forward. "We hold that the language of (the law) and the comprehensive remedial scheme of (the law) preclude disgorgement as a possible remedy in this case," he wrote. The Justice Department refused to say if it would appeal. "All we\'re saying today is that we have received the ruling and are reviewing it," a spokeswoman said on Friday. But William Corr of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids urged the government to continue pressing its case. "Today\'s ruling should not be an excuse for this administration to seek a weak settlement that lets the tobacco industry off the hook," he said. ', 'US', 'Steady job growth continues in US The US created fewer jobs than expected in December, but analysts said that the dip in hiring was not enough to derail the world\'s biggest economy. According to Labor Department figures, 157,000 new jobs were added last month. That took 2004\'s total to 2.2 million, the best showing in five years. Job creation was one of last year\'s main concerns for the US economy. While worries still remain, the conditions are set for steady growth in 2005, analysts said. The unemployment rate stayed at 5.4% in December, and about 200,000 jobs will need to be created each month if that figure is to drop. "It was a respectable report," said Michael Moran, analyst at Daiwa Securities. "Payroll growth in December was a little lighter than the consensus forecast, but we had upward revisions to the prior two months and an increase in manufacturing employment." "Manufacturing is a cyclical area of the economy and if it\'s showing job growth, it\'s a good indication that the economy is on a solid growth track." That means that the Federal Reserve is likely to continue its policy of raising interest rates. The Fed lifted borrowing costs five times last year to 2.25%, citing evidence the US economic recovery was becoming more robust. Job creation was one of last year\'s main concerns for the US economy, and proved to be a main topic of debate in the US presidential election. While demand for workers is far from booming, the conditions are set for steady growth. "Overall, compared to the previous year it looks great, it just keeps going stronger and stronger and I expect that to be the case" in 2005, said Kurt Karl, economist at Swiss Re in New York. Meanwhile, economists cautioned against reading too much into data from the Federal Reserve showing an unexpected $8.7bn drop in consumer debt in November. A fall in consumer spending, which makes up about two-thirds of all US economic activity, could help limit the extent of any future interest rate rises. But economists said there could be a number of reasons for a fall in the borrowing, which include credit cards and personal loans, while noting that such figures can vary on a month-to-month basis. ', 'US', 'Glazer makes new Man Utd approach Malcolm Glazer has made a fresh approach to buy Manchester United, which could lead to a bid valuing the Premiership club at £800m. The US tycoon, who has been wooing the club for the last 12 months, has approached the United board with "detailed proposals", it has confirmed. Mr Glazer, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, hopes this will lead to a formal bid being accepted. His new offer is expected to contain substantially less debt. Mr Glazer has already had one takeover attempt turned down by the Red Devils and responded by using his 28.1% shareholding to vote off three board members last November. Man United had turned down the bid because it was based on a high level of borrowing. But newspapers have speculated recently that the tycoon had gained the support of leading banks to come up with a stronger and less debt-laden bid. Last week, however, Mr Glazer issued a statement to the Stock Exchange distancing himself from a new bid. Meanwhile, United\'s chief executive David Gill said in December that talks would not resume unless Glazer came up with "definitive proposals". Now the board has confirmed that the US bidder is back, with a statement issued on Sunday reading: "The board can confirm it has now received a detailed proposal subject to various preconditions which may form the basis of an offer. "A further announcement will be made in due course." To succeed Malcolm Glazer will still need the approval of major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus, who own 28.9% of the club. But the Irish duo have cut off talks with Glazer over the proposed sale of their stake and have so far made no comment on his latest approach. United fans have reacted with anger at the announcement. They have vehemently opposed any proposed takeover by Glazer since he first showed interest in the club in September 2003 and after Sunday\'s announcement they vowed to fight on. "We will fight tooth and nail to stop him whatever his offer says. We do not want him or anybody else taking over United," said Mark Longden of the Independent Manchester United Supporters\' Association. "The campaign against this proposed takeover will continue as it has done since Glazer first showed interest in the club." ', 'US', 'Wall Street cheers Bush victory The US stock market has closed higher in response to George W Bush\'s victory in the presidential elections. The benchmark Dow Jones share index closed more than 1% higher at 10,137, while the Nasdaq rose 0.9% to 2,004. Many investors believe that Mr Bush\'s policies are more business-friendly than those of his Democrat challenger, John Kerry. The higher share prices also reflect relief that a clear winner has emerged from what proved to be a tight poll. Investors had worried that the outcome of the poll would be inconclusive, paving the way for a repeat of the legal wrangling that marred the 2000 election. The Dow lost 5% of its value in the three weeks immediately after that election, when it was unclear who would occupy the White House. Mr Kerry conceded defeat on Wednesday, abandoning last-ditch hopes of carrying the vote in the swing state of Ohio. "The relief for the markets may be that we have a decision and can move forward," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Asset Management. Some analysts predicted that the jump in share prices would be short-lived, saying investors would quickly focus once again on the health of the US economy. "I would look at the stock market rally for Bush as kind of a one-day event," said Ken Mayland at Clearview Economics. The US\' recent economic performance has been mixed, with solid growth offset by disappointingly low job creation figures, and mounting worries over a record budget deficit. Elsewhere in the financial markets on Wednesday, the dollar dipped slightly against the euro and climbed against the yen, while US oil prices closed up $1.26 at $50.88 a barrel in New York. The rise in oil prices partly reflects the view that President Bush is less likely than Mr Kerry to release supplies from the US\' strategic oil reserve. Share prices in London, Frankfurt and Paris also closed higher. Successive polls in the run-up to Tuesday\'s election had shown the two candidates running neck and neck. Economic issues, as well as the war in Iraq, were the forefront of the campaign. In key swing states such as Ohio, which has suffered substantial job losses in the past four years, President Bush\'s handling of the economy became a crucial election issue. Senator Kerry attacked President Bush\'s economic record during his campaign, hammering home the fact that a net 800,000 jobs were lost during his term in office. President Bush focused on the fact that two million jobs have been created in the past year, claiming that it has vindicated his tax-cutting agenda. As for future policies, both candidates pledged to bring America\'s $422bn federal budget deficit under control. Senator Kerry planned to increase taxes on those earning more than $200,000 a year. President Bush has placed reform of the pensions system at the heart of his economic agenda for a second term. However, economists have said both candidates\' economic programmes rested on questionable assumptions about future growth. ', 'US', 'Fannie Mae \'should restate books\' US mortgage company Fannie Mae should restate its earnings, a move that is likely to put a billion-dollar dent in its accounts, watchdogs have said. The Securities & Exchange Commission accused Fannie Mae of using techniques that "did not comply in material respects" with accounting standards. Fannie Mae last month warned that some records were incorrect. The other main US mortgage firm Freddie Mac restated earnings by $5bn (£2.6bn) last year after a probe of its books. The SEC\'s comments are likely to increase pressure on Congress to strengthen supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two firms are key parts of the US financial system and effectively underwrite the mortgage market, financing nearly half of all American house purchases and dealing actively in bonds and other financial instruments. The investigation of Freddie Mac in June 2003 sparked concerns about the wider health of the industry and raised questionsmarks over the role of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the industry\'s main regulator. Having been pricked into action, the OFHEO turned its attention to Fannie May and in September this year said that the firm had tweaked its books to spread earnings more smoothly across quarters and play down the amount of risk it had taken on. The SEC found similar problems. The watchdog\'s chief accountant Donald Nicolaisen said that "Fannie Mae\'s methodology of assessing, measuring and documenting hedge ineffectiveness was inadequate and was not supported" by generally accepted accounting principles. ', 'US', "J&J agrees $25bn Guidant deal Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has agreed to buy medical technology firm Guidant for $25.4bn (£13bn). Guidant is a key producer of equipment that combats heart problems such as implant defibrillators and pacemakers. Analysts said that the deal is aimed at offsetting Johnson & Johnson's reliance on a slowing drug business. They also pointed out that more mergers are likely because the drug and healthcare industries are fragmented and are under pressure to cut costs. A number of Johnson & Johnson's products are facing patent expirations, while the company is also battling fierce competition from generic products. Meanwhile, demand for defibrillators, which give the heart a small electric shock when an irregular heartbeat or rhythm is detected, is expected to increase, analysts said. The move by Johnson & Johnson has been widely expected and the firm will pay $76 for each Guidant share, 6% more than Wednesday's closing price. Analysts say that US antitrust regulators could force the firms to shed some overlapping stent operations. Stents are tubes that are used to keep an artery open after it has been unblocked. ", 'US', 'Libya takes $1bn in unfrozen funds Libya has withdrawn $1bn in assets from the US, assets which had previously been frozen for almost 20 years, the Libyan central bank has said. The move came after the US lifted a trade ban to reward Tripoli for giving up weapons of mass destruction and vowing to compensate Lockerbie victims. The original size of Libya\'s funds was $400m, the central bank told Reuters. However, the withdrawal did not mean that Libya had cut its ties with the US, he added. "We are in the process of opening accounts in banks in the United States," the central bank\'s vice president Farhat Omar Ben Gadaravice said. The previously frozen assets had been invested in various countries and are believed to have included equity holdings in banks. The US ban on trade and economic activity with Tripoli - imposed by then president Ronald Regan in 1986 after a series of what the US deemed terrorist acts, including the 1988 Lockerbie air crash - was suspended in April. Bankers from the two country\'s had been working on how to unfreeze Libya\'s assets. ', 'UK', 'Cactus diet deal for Phytopharm A slimming aid made from a southern African cactus is set to be developed by UK firm Phytopharm and Unilever. Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever will help the pharmaceutical firm develop the snacks containing Hoodia extract. Phytopharm shares jumped 10.7% on the news, with analysts saying sales of $600m (£309m) a year were possible. The plant, licensed to Phytopharm in 1997, has been used for thousands of years by the Sans bushmen of the Kalahari desert to stave off hunger. Studies have reportedly shown the plant curbs appetite instead of reducing calorific intake like many existing products. Phytopharm will receive an initial fee of £6.5m from Unilever - out of a potential total of £21m - as well as future royalties on product sales. Under the deal, production of the Hoodia cactus at Phytopharm\'s nursery in South Africa will also rise from eight million plants to potentially hundreds of millions, said Phytopharm chief executive Richard Dixey. The firm had initially hoped to market a slimming drug from Hoodia with Pfizer. But the research collaboration came to an end in 2003. Analysts said Unilever could launch the new products in 2007. "This deal goes a long way to restoring the market faith in Phytopharm\'s pipeline after the Pfizer exit," said analyst Erling Refsum at Nomura. ', 'Brazil', 'Brazil plays down Varig rescue The Brazilian government has played down claims that it could step in to save the country\'s biggest airline. Brazil\'s airport authority chief Carlos Wilson had claimed the government was on the brink of stepping in to save Varig, Brazil\'s flagship airline. However, the country\'s vice president Jose Alencar has said the government still is looking for a solution. Varig is struggling under a huge debt burden of an estimated debt of 6.5 billion reais ($2.3bn or £1.2bn). Asked whether a rescue was on the cards following a meeting of the country\'s Congress to discuss the airline\'s crisis, Mr Alencar replied: "No, I don\'t think so. We will see." Earlier, Mr Wilson had said that president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has decided to step in and a decree of some kind of intervention could be signed this week. "In practice, it will be an intervention, although this is not the technical name used", he said. An intervention means that the government would take administrative control of the company and its finances. For that to happen Varig\'s main shareholder, the non-profit Ruben Berta Foundation which represents the airline\'s employees, would have to be removed, Mr Wilson said. However, no jobs would be lost and the airline would keep on flying, he added. Varig, which operates in 18 countries apart from Brazil, has been driven to the brink of collapse because of the country\'s economic downturn. The depreciation of Brazil\'s currency has had a direct impact on the airline\'s dollar debt as well as some of its costs. Business has improved recently with demand for air travel increasing and a recovery in the Brazilian economy. The airline could also win a sizeable windfall from a compensation claim against the government. On Tuesday the courts awarded Varig 2bn reais ($725m), after ruling in favour of its compensation claim against the government for freezing tariffs from 1985 to 1992. But the government can appeal the decision. ', 'Brazil', "Brazil approves bankruptcy reform A major reform of Brazil's bankruptcy laws has been approved by the country's Congress, in a move which it is hoped will cut the cost of borrowing. The bill, proposed in 1993, has finally been approved by the leadership of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The old law, dating from 1945, gave priority first to workers, second to tax revenue and finally to creditors. The new legislation changes this, giving priority to creditors and limiting payments to workers. The new regulations will limit payments to workers to 150 times the minimum monthly salary, which is currently $94. The law also makes it more difficult for a company to declare bankruptcy. However, when a firm is declared bankrupt it will gain protection from creditors for 180 days while a recovery plan is worked out. The proposals were opposed in the past by leftist parties, including Mr Lula's Worker Party. They considered that they undermined workers' rights. But President Lula became a defender of the reforms, arguing that the country's bank lending margins were among the highest in the world and were damaging the economy. According to Andreas Adriano of Latin Trade Magazine, the new bankruptcy law will help in reducing the spread - difference between the interest rates of the banks and federal bonds. Nevertheless, Mr Adriano said to reduce the basic interest rate the Central Bank needs to change its policy, focusing not only on inflation but also on economic growth. ", 'UK', 'Retail sales show festive fervour UK retail sales were better than expected in November as Christmas shoppers began their seasonal flock to the High Street, figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales rose 0.6% on the month and 6.1% on the year. But the figures, along with this week\'s inflation report, could trigger another interest rate rise in the New Year. However, recent data from the British Retail Consortium showed a 0.2% slip in High Street sales during November. The ONS data confounded analyst expectations. Many had expected sales to fall slightly in November as shoppers put off buying Christmas presents until December. However, retailers\' attempts to draw in the crowds may be behind November\'s unexpected rise in sales, they say. Aggressive tactics, such as one-day discount sales adopted by stores such as Marks & Spencer, appear to have paid off. "Price discounting has certainly accounted for much of this because the value of retail sales hasn\'t grown as much as volumes," said Investec economist David Page. The figures sparked a rally for sterling as the data supported the view that it is too early to assume that base rates have peaked. ', 'Turkey', "Irish company hit by Iraqi report Shares in Irish oil company Petrel Resources have lost more than 50% of their value on a report that the firm has failed to win a contract in Iraq. Reuters news agency reported that Iraq's Oil Ministry has awarded the first post-war oilfield contracts to a Canadian and a Turkish company. By 1700 GMT, Petrel's shares fell from 97p ($1.87) to 44p ($0.85). Petrel said that it has not received any information from Iraqi authorities to confirm or deny the report. Iraq is seeking to award contracts for three projects, valued at $500m (£258.5m). Turkey's Everasia is reported by Reuters to have won a contract to develop the Khurmala Dome field in the north of the country. A Canadian company, named IOG, is reported to have won the contract to run the Himrin field. Ironhorse Oil and Gas has denied to Reuters that it is the company in question. These two projects aim to develop Khurmala field to produce 100,000 barrels per day and raise the output of Himrin. The winners of the contract are to build new flow lines and build gas separation stations. The contract to develop the Suba-Luhais field has not yet been awarded as Iraq's Oil Ministry is studying the offers. If Iraq's cabinet approves the oil ministry's choice of companies, then this will be the first deal that Iraq has signed with a foreign oil company. Iraq is still trying to boost its production capacity to match levels last seen in the eighties, before the war with Iran. Oil officials hope to double Iraq's output by the end of the decade. ", 'UK', 'Christmas shoppers flock to tills Shops all over the UK reported strong sales on the last Saturday before Christmas with some claiming record-breaking numbers of festive shoppers. A spokesman for Manchester\'s Trafford Centre said it was "the biggest Christmas to date" with sales up 5%. And the Regent Street Association said shops in central London were also expecting the "best Christmas ever". That picture comes despite reports of disappointing festive sales in the last couple of weeks. The Trafford Centre spokeswoman said about 8,500 thousand vehicles had arrived at the centre on Saturday before 1130 GMT. "We predict that the next week will continue the same trend," she added. It was a similar story at Bluewater in Kent. Spokesman Alan Jones said he expected 150,000 shoppers to have visited by the end of Saturday and a further 100,000 on Sunday. "Our sales so far have been 2% up on the same time last year," he said. "We\'re very busy, it\'s really strong and people will be shopping right up until Christmas. "Over the Christmas period we\'re expecting people to spend in excess of £200m at the centre." On Saturday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the St David\'s Shopping Centre in Cardiff said it looked like being its busiest day of the year with about 200,000 shoppers expected to have visited by the close of play. At the St Enoch\'s Shopping Centre in Glasgow, more than 140,000 shoppers - an all-time record - were expected to have passed through the doors by its closing time of 1900 GMT. Senior business manager Jon Walton said: "It has been phenomenal - absolutely mobbed. "Every week footfall has been showing strong growth and at the weekends it has been going mad." Regent Street Association director Annie Walker said on Saturday: "The stores were heaving today and a lot of people are going to be doing last minute shopping as many people finished work on Friday and can go in the week." She said reports of a slump in pre-Christmas sales were related to the growing popularity of internet sales. "I do think this has had a lot to do with reports of lower sales figures," she said. "Internet shopping has gone up enormously and not all stores have websites." ', 'Europe', 'Euronext joins bid battle for LSE Pan-European stock market Euronext has approached the London Stock Exchange (LSE) about a possible takeover bid. "The approach is at an early stage and therefore does not require a response at this point," LSE said. Talks with the European stock market and with rival bidder Deutsche Boerse will continue, the LSE said. Last week, the group rejected a £1.3bn ($2.5bn) takeover offer from Deutsche Boerse, claiming that it undervalued the business. LSE saw its shares surge 4.9% to a new high of 583p in early trade, following the announcement on Monday. The offer follows widespread media speculation that Euronext would make an offer for LSE. Experts now widely expect a bidding war for Europe\'s biggest stock market, which lists stocks with a total capitalisation of £1.4 trillion, to break out. Commentators say that a deal with Euronext, which owns the Liffe derivatives exchange in London and combines the Paris, Amsterdam and Lisbon stock exchanges, could potentially offer the LSE more cost savings than a deal with Deutsche Boerse. A weekend report in the Telegraph had quoted an unnamed executive at Euronext as saying the group would make a cash bid to trump Deutsche Boerse\'s offer. "Because we already own Liffe in London, the cost savings available to us from a merger are far greater than for Deutsche Boerse," the newspaper quoted the executive as saying. Euronext chief executive Jean-Francois Theodore is reported to have already held private talks with LSE\'s chief executive Clara Furse. Further reports had suggested that Euronext could make an offer in excess of the LSE\'s 533p a share closing price on Friday. However, Euronext said it could not guarantee "at this stage" that a firm offer would be made for LSE. There has been extensive speculation about a possible takeover of the company since an attempted merger with Deutsche Boerse failed in 2000. ', 'US', 'Diageo to buy US wine firm Diageo, the world\'s biggest spirits company, has agreed to buy Californian wine company Chalone for $260m (£134m) in an all-cash deal. Although Diageo\'s best-known brands include Smirnoff vodka and Guinness stout, it already has a US winemaking arm - Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. Diageo said it expects to get US regulatory approval for the deal during the first quarter of 2005. It said Chalone would be integrated into its existing US wine business. "The US wine market represents a growth opportunity for Diageo, with favourable demographic and consumption trends," said Diageo North America president Ivan Menezes. In July, Diageo, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, reported an annual turnover of £8.89bn, down from £9.28bn a year earlier. It blamed a weaker dollar for its lower turnover. In the year ending 31 December 2003, Chalone reported revenues of $69.4m. ', 'Japan', 'Tokyo says deflation \'controlled\' The Japanese government has forecast that the country\'s economic growth will slow to 1.6% in the next fiscal year starting in April 2005. While it predicts this fall from the current 2.1% level, it said it was making progress on ending deflation. The figures were given by economics minister Heizo Takenaka who said the economy would grow by 2% in 2006/07. He said the consumer price index (CPI) would rise 0.1% in the next fiscal year, the first gain since 2000/01. "We are attempting to make real economic conditions better and to overcome deflation. I think we are on track," said Mr Takenaka. Deflation - or falling consumer prices - has plagued Japan for more than five years. To ease the problem the Bank of Japan has regularly flooded the money market with excess cash to keep short term interest rates at 0% in an attempt to spur economic activity. ', 'UK', 'No seasonal lift for house market A swathe of figures have provided further evidence of a slowdown in the UK property market. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), British Bankers Association (BBA) and Building Societies Association (BSA) all said mortgage lending was slowing. CML figures showed gross lending fell by 4% in November as the number of people buying new homes fell. Elsewhere, the BBA added underlying mortgage lending rose by £4m in November, compared to October\'s £4.29m. The CML said that loans for new property purchases fell 25% year-on-year to 85,000 - the lowest total seen since February 2003. Data from the CML showed lending fell to just over £25bn in November, from £25.5bn a year earlier. Separate figures from the Building Societies Association showed the value of mortgage approvals -- loans agreed but not yet made -- stood 32% lower than at the same time last year, at a seasonally-adjusted £2.98bn. The figures come hot on the heels of new data from property website Rightmove which suggested owners must indulge in a "winter sale" and slash prices by up to 8%. Miles Shipside, commercial director at Rightmove, said sellers would have to be "more realistic with their asking prices" to tempt buyers. The average asking price of a home fell by more than £600 from £190,329 in November to £189,733 in December, while the length of time it takes to sell a home rose to 81 days from 53 in the summer. Rightmove said estate agents were set to enter 2005 with a third more properties on their books than a year ago. "Even once the quieter holiday period is over, sellers will find themselves competing with a lot of other properties on the market. In any business, excess supply and low demand means one thing - cut prices," Mr Shipside said. "The proof is that some properties that have been appropriately discounted are selling, even in the current market." Overall, asking prices have fallen 3.3% from their July peaks as the equivalent of £6,500 has been cut from an average property. A host of mortgage lenders and economists have predicted that property prices will either fall or stagnate in 2005. "What is apparent is a picture of a slowing market, but one that should remain stable as we return to more normal volumes of lending over 2005 as a whole," CML director general Michael Coogan said. "It\'s a fairly consistent picture, showing that mortgage demand has fallen back again, which is consistent with a continuing correction in the housing market," Investec economist Philip Shaw said. "However, the figures do suggest only a modest weakening, and we stand by our view that the property market will remain in the doldrums for some time, though a collapse is still unlikely." ', 'US', 'Senior Fannie Mae bosses resign The two most senior executives at US mortgage giant Fannie Mae have resigned after accounting irregularities were uncovered at the company. Chief executive Franklin Raines, a former senior official in the Clinton administration, and chief financial officer Tim Howard have left the firm. Fannie Mae was criticised by financial regulators and could have to restate its earnings by up to $9bn (£4.6bn). It is America\'s second largest financial institution. Recent investigations have exposed extensive accounting errors at Fannie Mae, which supplies funds to America\'s $8 trillion mortgage market. Last week, the firm was admonished by the Securities and Exchange Commission which said it had made major errors in its financial reporting. The financial regulator said Fannie Mae would have to raise substantial new capital to restore its balance sheet. Analysts said the SEC\'s criticism made it impossible for Fannie Mae\'s senior executives to remain. Mr Raines, head of the Office of Management and Budget under President Clinton, has taken early retirement while Mr Howard has also stepped down, the company said on Tuesday. KPMG, Fannie Mae\'s independent auditor, will also be replaced. "By my early retirement, I have held myself accountable," Mr Raines said in a statement. Fannie Mae was found to have violated accounting rules relating to derivatives - financial instruments used to hedge against fluctuations in interest rates - and some pre-paid loans. As a result, it could be forced to restate $9bn in earnings over the past four years, effectively wiping out a third of the company\'s profits since 2001. Although not making loans directly to buyers, Fannie Mae is the largest single player in the mortgage market, underwriting half of all US house purchases. The firm operates under charter from the US Congress. It has faced stinging criticism from Congressional leaders who held hearings into its finances earlier this year and from government regulator, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). "We are encouraged that the board\'s announcement signals a new culture and a new direction for Fannie Mae," Armando Falcon, OFHEO director said. The problems afflicting Fannie Mae are just the latest to hit the US mortgage industry. Freddie Mac, the country\'s other largest mortgage firm, was forced to restate its earnings by $4.4bn last year and pay a $125m fine after an investigation of its books. ', 'US', 'Bush to get \'tough\' on deficit US president George W Bush has pledged to introduce a "tough" federal budget next February in a bid to halve the country\'s deficit in five years. The US budget and its trade deficit are both deep in the red, helping to push the dollar to lows against the euro and fuelling fears about the economy. Mr Bush indicated there would be "strict discipline" on non-defence spending in the budget. The vow to cut the deficit had been one of his re-election declarations. The federal budget deficit hit a record $412bn (£211.6bn) in the 12 months to 30 September and $377bn in the previous year. "We will submit a budget that fits the times," Mr Bush said. "It will provide every tool and resource to the military, will protect the homeland, and meet other priorities of the government." The US has said it is committed to a strong dollar. But the dollar\'s weakness has hit European and Asian exporters and lead to calls for US intervention to boost the currency. Mr Bush, however, has said the best way to halt the dollar\'s slide is to deal with the US deficit. "It\'s a budget that I think will send the right signal to the financial markets and to those concerned about our short-term deficits," Mr Bush added. "As well, we\'ve got to deal with the long-term deficit issues." ', 'UK', 'House prices drop as sales slow House prices fell further in November and property sale times lengthened as rate rises took their toll, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors found. A total of 48% of chartered surveyor estate agents reported lower prices in the three months to November - the highest level in 12 years. Meanwhile the number of sales dropped 32% to an average of 22 per surveyor. The amount of unsold properties on their books rose for the sixth month in a row to an average of 67 properties. "The slowdown occurring in the market has given buyers more power to negotiate, but this time of year is traditionally a quiet one," RICS housing spokesman Ian Perry said. "The decision by the Bank of England not to increase interest rates further and the healthy economy is allowing confidence to consolidate." The figures support recent data from the government and other bodies which all point to a slowdown in the housing market. On Monday, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, British Bankers Association and Building Societies Association all said mortgage lending was slowing. The figures were published as another survey by property website Rightmove said the average asking price of a home fell by more than £600 from £190,329 in November to £189,733 in December. Around the UK, the Midlands and South saw the biggest price falls, while London prices fell but at less than the national rate. In Scotland, where prices have remained on an upward path, increases were more "moderate", RICS added. But the news failed to dent confidence that sales will recover in future, with surveyors at their most optimistic in a year - as new purchase inquiries stabilised despite holding at lower levels. "Sales usually pick up in the New Year and I am confident this year will be no exception," Mr Perry added. Looking ahead, the group is anticipating a quiet start to 2005 with the market picking up in the second half - prompting a 3% rise in prices over the coming 12 months. ', 'US', 'Disney settles disclosure charges Walt Disney has settled charges from US federal regulators that it failed to disclose how family members of directors were employed by the company. The media giant was not fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, but has agreed to refrain from any future violations of securities law. Disney failed to tell investors that between 1999 and 2001 it employed three adult children of three then directors. The firm has neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing in the settlement. The three Disney directors in question in the central matter of the SEC\'s investigation - Reveta Bowers, Stanley Gold and Raymond Watson - have all since left the company, with Ms Bowers and Mr Watson both retiring, and Mr Gold quitting in 2003. Their children were paid between $60,000 (£30,800) and $150,000 a year, with shareholders not being informed. The SEC also found that Disney did not disclose that a 50% Disney-owned subsidiary company - Lifetime - employed the wife of current Disney director John Bryson, and that she earned more than $1m a year. Louise Bryson remains with Lifetime. Disney also failed to disclose payments to Air Shamrock, an airline owned by Mr Gold and fellow former Disney directors Roy Disney. Finally, Disney also did not reveal that it provided more than $200,000 annually for office space, secretarial services, and a leased car and driver to former director Thomas Murphy. "Shareholders have a significant interest in information regarding relationships between the company and its directors," said SEC deputy enforcement director Linda Thomsen. "Failure to comply with the SEC\'s disclosure rules in this area impedes shareholders\' ability to evaluate the objectivity and independence of directors." ', 'US', "Troubled Marsh under SEC scrutiny The US stock market regulator is investigating troubled insurance broker Marsh & McLennan's shareholder transactions, the firm has said. The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked for information about transactions involving holders of 5% or more of the firm's shares. Marsh has said it is co-operating fully with the SEC investigation. Marsh is also the focus of an inquiry the New York attorney-general into whether insurers rigged the market. Since that inquiry was launched in October, Marsh has replaced its chief executive and held a boardroom shake-out to meet criticism by lessening the number of company executives on the board. Prosecutors allege that Marsh - the world's biggest insurance broker - and other US insurance firms may have fixed bids for corporate cover. This is the issue at the heart of the inquiry by New York's top law officer, Eliot Spitzer, and a separate prosecution of five insurers by the State of California. The SEC's investigation into so-called related party transactions includes dealings in the Trident Funds, managed by MMC Capital, the company's private equity firm. Marsh's new chief executive, Michael Cherkasky, is trying to negotiate a settlement with Mr Spitzer. Mr Spitzer has built up a reputation as a fierce critic and campaigner against corporate America's misdeeds. The uncertainty unleashed by the scandal has prompted three credit rating agencies - Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch - to downgrade Marsh in recent weeks. According to the Financial Times, insurance analysts are now questioning whether Marsh will be able to maintain its strong record of earning growth as they draw up forecasts for the first quarter of next year. Doubts also exist over how much the company may have to pay regulators and lawyers to put the scandal behind. ", 'US', 'US firm pulls out of Iraq A US company has pulled out of a major contract to rebuild Iraq\'s transport system after attacks on reconstruction efforts, Pentagon officials have said. Contrack International, of Arlington, Virginia, heads a coalition of firms working on a series of schemes. Its withdrawal from the $325m (£170m) contract in November is thought to be the largest cancellation to date. Contrack said "the original scope of work that was envisioned could not be executed in a cost-effective manner". But the firm denied reports it was withdrawing completely from Iraq. "Members of the joint venture including Contrack are committed to the ongoing reconstruction efforts, are actively working in Iraq and continue to look for new construction opportunities in the country," it said in a statement. The Pentagon\'s Project and Contract Office (PCO) in Baghdad said it had taken over Contrack\'s management of the subcontractors working on the transportation projects. US firms and their workers have been targets of attacks, and security concerns are said to be a major reason for the slow pace of reconstruction in Iraq. Of the $18.4bn in reconstruction funds approved by Congress, less than $2bn has been spent. Lt Col Eric Schnaible of the PCO told the Associated Press news agency Contrack\'s withdrawal from the transportation contract was a "mutually agreed-to separation" and did not indicate a movement by US companies to leave Iraq. "Some parts of the country are a whole lot more permissive than others," he added. "Where we can get the work done, good things are happening." ', 'China', 'Police detain Chinese milk bosses Chinese police have detained three top executives at milk firm Yili, with reports suggesting that they are being investigated for embezzlement. Yili - full name Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial - confirmed its chairman, chief financial officer and securities representative were all in custody. The company, China\'s third-largest milk producer, is to hold an emergency meeting to debate the issue. A Yili spokesman said it may now move to oust chairman Zheng Junhuai. The spokesman did not say why the three had been detained by the police. The official Xinhua News Agency said the arrest was linked to alleged embezzlement. Yili has recently been the subject of intense media speculation over its financial operations. Executives are suspected of wrongly using 417m yuan ($50.4m; £26m) of company funds to support a management buyout back in July 2003. Yili\'s shares were suspended on Tuesday, having fallen by 10% on Monday. The company and its two main rivals - market leader Mengniu Dairy and second place Bright Dairy - dominate a Chinese milk market that has grown by almost 30% over the past five years. Analysts wondered if the scandal at Yili - the latest to befall Chinese companies this year - could be followed by further revelations of corporate wrongdoing. "Investors wonder if Yili\'s scandal, one of a slew to be uncovered this year, isn\'t just the tip of the iceberg," said Chen Huiqin, an analyst at Huatai Securities. ', 'UK', 'Jarvis sells Tube stake to Spain Shares in engineering group Jarvis have soared more than 16% on news that it is offloading its stake in London underground consortium Tube Lines. The sale of the 33% stake to Spain\'s Ferrovial for £146m ($281m) is a lifeline to Jarvis, which was weighed down by debts of more than £230m. The company recently warned it could go under if it did not secure a refinancing deal by mid-January 2005. But now its banks have agreed to extend its credit facilities until March 2006. The company also said it had agreed terms over the completion of 14 of its biggest construction projects under the government\'s Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Jarvis wants to scale back the division, which has proved too costly and has been blamed for many of its problems. Instead, it plans to focus on UK rail renewal, roads and plant hire work. Madrid-based Ferrovial already holds a 33% stake in Tube Lines, which maintains the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. The Spanish group has been keen to snap up more UK infrastructure assets, having bought Amey in 2003. Jarvis said the sale, which raked in more than the £100m analysts had expected, would "substantially" enhance its financial position. "I am now confident that we can now move forward in 2005 towards rebuilding Jarvis and return it to growth as a profitable business," said chief executive Alan Lovell. Shares in Jarvis were up more than 16% to 18 pence by the close of trade on Friday. ', 'India', 'India-Pakistan peace boosts trade Calmer relations between India and Pakistan are paying economic dividends, with new figures showing bilateral trade up threefold in the summer. The value of trade in April-July rose to $186.3m (£97m) from $64.4m in the same period in 2003, the Indian Government said. Nonethless, the figures represent less than 1% of India\'s overall exports. But business is expected to be boosted further from 2006 when the South Asian Free Trade Area Agreement starts. Both countries eased travel and other restrictions as part of the peace process aimed at ending nearly six decades of hostilities. Sugar, plastics, pharmaceutical products and tea are among the major exports from India to its neighbour, while firms in Pakistani have been selling fabrics, fruit and spices. "If the positive trend continues, two-way trade could well cross half a billion dollars this fiscal year," India\'s federal commerce Minister Kamal Nath said. According to official data, the value of India\'s overall exports in the current fiscal year is expected to reach more than $60bn, while in Pakistan\'s case it is set to hit more than $12bn. Meanwhile, the Indian Government said the prospects for the country\'s booming economy remained "very bright" despite a "temporary aberration" this year. Its mid-year economic review forecasts growth of 6-6.5% in 2004, compared with 8.2% in 2003. Higher oil prices, the level of tax collections, and an unfavourable monsoon season affecting the farm sector had hurt the economy in April-September, it said. ', 'US', 'US to probe airline travel chaos The US government is to investigate two airlines- US Airways and Delta Air Lines\' Comair subsidiary - after travel chaos over the Christmas weekend. Staff calling in sick at US Airways and computer failures at Comair left 30,000 passengers stranded and 10,000 pieces of baggage undelivered. US Airways is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, and battling to cut costs. It is currently trying to negotiate pay cuts with flight and baggage staff. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said he was "deeply concerned" at the disruption to passengers, and ordered a thorough investigation. Comair\'s computer breakdown plunged its flight-crew scheduling system into disarray. Altogether, some 1,100 flights were cancelled over the holiday long weekend. Mr Mineta said it was important to understand "what happened, why it happened and whether the carriers properly planned for the holiday travel period and responded appropriately to consumer needs in the aftermath". Adding to the atmosphere of chaos were mountains of luggage left to pile up when a third of US Airways\' baggage handling staff called in sick. There was also a shortage of US Airways flight attendants, with nearly a fifth saying they were too sick to work, leading to many flight cancellations. However, union officials denied there had been a deliberate "sickout". They said that many people have flu at this time of year and that the airline is chronically understaffed. US Airways ended up cancelling over 100 flights on Christmas Day, stranding passengers in as many as 119 airports. Ground crews at US Airways, the seventh-largest US airline, which is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, face a court-imposed pay cut next month. The airline needs to negotiate other paycuts if it is to find a route out of bankruptcy. It is looking for paycuts totalling $800m. "US Airways has a full-scale employee mutiny on its hands," commented Michael Boyd, an industry consultant. Disruptions to flight schedules could discourage customers from flying with US Airways, reducing revenues. US Airways had to cancel approximately 65 flights on Thursday, 180 on Friday, 140 on Saturday, 43 on Sunday and 15 on Monday, said industry officials. The airline said it was "embarrassed by the situation" and "deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to customers," The probe will focus on the industry\'s compliance with a 1999 agreement aimed at improving the quality of passenger service that has so far allowed airlines to avoid congressionally-mandated standards. Analysts said the Christmas chaos cast doubt on US Airway\'s ability to emerge from bankruptcy - and was likely to worsen the finances of troubled Delta, parent of Comair. Comair "deeply regrets the inconvenience to all of our customers caused by the severe winter storm in the Ohio River Valley during the busy holiday season, exacerbated by problems with the airline\'s crew scheduling system, causing additional flight delays and cancellations," the Delta subsidiary said in a statement. ', 'US', 'Dollar hits new low versus euro The US dollar has continued its record-breaking slide and has tumbled to a new low against the euro. Investors are betting that the European Central Bank (ECB) will not do anything to weaken the euro, while the US is thought to favour a declining dollar. The US is struggling with a ballooning trade deficit and analysts said one of the easiest ways to fund it was by allowing a depreciation of the dollar. They have predicted that the dollar is likely to fall even further. The US currency was trading at $1.364 per euro at 1800 GMT on Monday. This compares with $1.354 to the euro in late trading in New York on Friday, which was then a record low. The dollar has weakened sharply since September when it traded about $1.20 against the euro. It has lost 7% this year, while against the Japanese yen it is down 3.2%. Traders said that thin trading levels had amplified Monday\'s move. "It\'s not going to take much to push [the dollar] one way or the other," said Grant Wilson of Mellon Bank. Liquidity - a measure of the number of parties willing to trade in the market - was about half that of a normal working day, traders said. ', 'US', 'Mild winter drives US oil down 6% US oil prices have fallen by 6%, driven down by forecasts of a mild winter in the densely populated northeast. Light crude oil futures fell $2.86 to $41.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), and have now lost $4 in five days. Nonetheless, US crude is still 30% more expensive than at the beginning of 2004, boosted by growing demand and bottlenecks at refineries. Traders ignored the possible effects of Asia\'s tidal waves on global supplies. Instead, the focus is now on US consumption, which is heavily influenced in the short term by the weather. "With the revised milder temperatures... I\'m more inclined to think we\'ll push lower and test the $40-40.25 range," said John Brady of ABN AMRO. "The market definitely feels to be on the defensive." Statistics released last week showed that stockpiles of oil products in the US had risen, an indication that severe supply disruptions may not arise this winter, barring any serious incident. Oil prices have broken records in 2004, topping $50 a barrel at one point, driven up by a welter of worries about unrest in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, rising demand and supply bottlenecks. London\'s International Petroleum Exchange remained closed for the Christmas holiday. ', 'Italy', 'GM in crunch talks on Fiat future Fiat will meet car giant General Motors (GM) on Tuesday in an attempt to reach agreement over the future of the Italian firm\'s loss-making auto group. Fiat claims that GM is legally obliged to buy the 90% of the car unit it does not already own; GM says the contract, signed in 2000, is no longer valid. Press reports have speculated that Fiat may be willing to accept a cash payment in return for dropping its claim. Both companies want to cut costs as the car industry adjusts to waning demand. The meeting between Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne and GM\'s Rick Wagoner is due to take place at 1330 GMT in Zurich, according to the Reuters news agency. Mr Marchionne is confident of his firm\'s legal position, saying in an interview with the Financial Times that GM\'s argument "has no legs". The agreement in question dates back to GM\'s decision to buy 20% of Fiat\'s auto division in 2000. At the time, it gave the Italian firm the right, via a \'put option\', to sell the remaining stake to GM. In recent weeks, Fiat has reiterated its claims that this \'put\' is still valid and legally binding. However, GM argues that a Fiat share sale made last year, which cut GM\'s holding to 10%, together with asset sales made by Fiat have terminated the agreement. Selling the Fiat\'s car-making unit may not prove so simple, analysts say, especially as it is a company that is so closely linked to Italy\'s industrial heritage. Political and public pressure may well push the two firms to reach a compromise. "We are not expecting Fiat to exercise its put of the auto business against an unwilling GM at this point," brokerage Merrill Lynch said in a note to investors, adding that any legal battle would be protracted and damaging to the business. "As far as we are aware, the Agnelli family, which indirectly controls at least 30% of Fiat, has not given a firm public indication that it wants to sell the auto business. "Fiat may be willing to cancel the \'put\' in exchange for money." ', 'US', 'US consumer confidence up Consumers\' confidence in the state of the US economy is at its highest for five months and they are optimistic about 2005, an influential survey says. The feel-good factor among US consumers rose in December for the first time since July according to new data. The Conference Board survey of 5,000 households pointed to renewed optimism about job creation and economic growth. US retailers have reported strong sales over the past 10 days after a slow start to the crucial festive season. According to figures also released on Tuesday, sales in shopping malls in the week to 25 December were 4.3% higher than in 2003 following a last minute rush. Wal-Mart, the largest US retailer, has said its December sales are expected to be better than previously forecast because of strong post-Christmas sales. It is expecting annual sales growth of between 1% and 3% for the month. Consumer confidence figures are considered a key economic indicator because consumer spending accounts for about two thirds of all economic activity in the United States. "The continuing economic expansion, combined with job growth, has consumers ending this year on a high note," said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board\'s consumer research centre. "And consumers\' outlook suggests that the economy will continue to expand in the first half of next year." The overall US economy has performed strongly in recent months, prompting the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates five times since June. ', 'UK', 'Cash gives way to flexible friend Spending on credit and debit cards has overtaken cash spending in the UK for the first time. The moment that plastic finally toppled cash happened at 10.38am on Wednesday, according to the Association for Payment Clearing Services (Apacs) Apacs chose school teacher Helen Carroll, from Portsmouth, to make the historic transaction. The switch over took place as she paid for her groceries in the supermarket chain Tesco\'s Cromwell Road branch. Mrs Carroll was born in the same year that plastic cards first appeared in the UK. "I pay for most things with my debit card, with occasional purchases on one of my credit cards," said Mrs Carroll, who teaches at Peel Common Infants School in Gosport. Spending patterns for the year and estimates for December led Apacs to conclude that 10.38am was the time that plastic would finally rule the roost. Shoppers in the UK are expected to put £269bn on plastic cards during the whole of 2004, compared with £268bn paid with cash, Apacs said. When the first plastic cards appeared in the UK in June 1966, issued by Barclaycard, but only a handful of retailers accepted them and very few customers held them. "But in less than 40 years, plastic has become our most popular way to pay, due to the added security and flexibility it offers," said Apacs spokeswoman Jemma Smith. "The key driver has been the introduction of debit cards, which now account for two-thirds of plastic card transactions and are used by millions of us every day." ', 'UK', 'Durex maker SSL awaits firm bid UK condom maker SSL International has refused to comment on reports it may be subject to a takeover early in 2005. A Financial Times report said business intelligence firm GPW was understood to be starting due diligence work on SSL International, for a corporate client. An spokesman for SSL, which makes the famous Durex brand of condom, would not to comment on "market speculation". However the news sent shares in SSL, which also makes Scholl footwear, up more than 6%, or 16.75 pence to 293.5p. The FT said most the high-profile firm that might woo SSL was Anglo-Dutch household products group Reckitt Benckiser. Eighteen months ago Reckitt Benckiser was at the centre of a rumoured takeover bid for SSL - but that came to nothing. Other firms that have been seen as would-be suitors include Kimberly-Clark, Johnson & Johnson, and private equity investors. Analysts have seen SSL as a takeover target for years. It sold off its surgical gloves and antiseptics businesses for £173m to a management team in May. SSL was formed by a three-way merger between Seton Healthcare, footwear specialists Scholl and condom-maker London International Group. Its other brands include Syndol analgesic, Meltus cough medicine, Sauber compression hosiery and deodorant products, and Mister Baby. ', 'US', 'Warning over US pensions deficit Taxpayers may have to bail out the US agency that protects workers\' pension funds, leading economists have warned. With the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) some £23bn (£12m) in deficit, the Financial Economists Roundtable (FER) wants Congress to act. Instead of taxpayers having to pick up the bill, the FER wants Congressmen to change the PBGC\'s funding rules. The FER says firms should not have been allowed to reduce the insurance premiums they pay into the PBGC fund. The FER blames this on a 2004 law, in a statement signed by several members, who include Nobel economics laureate William Sharpe. It said it was "dismayed" at the situation and wants Congress to overturn the legislation. Cash-strapped US companies, including those in the airline, car-making and steel industries, had argued in favour of the 2004 rule change, claiming that funding the insurance premiums adequately would force them to have to cut jobs. "With a little firmer hand on the pensions issues in the US, I think that Congress could avoid having to turn to the taxpayer and instead turn the obligations back onto the companies that deserve to pay them," said Professor Dennis Logue, dean of Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. The PBGC was founded in 1974 to protect workers\' retirement rights. Its most recent action came last week when it took control of the pilots\' pension scheme at United Airlines. With United battling bankruptcy, the carrier had wanted to use the money set aside for pensions to finance running costs. The company has an estimated $2.9bn hole in its pilots\' pension scheme, which the PBGC will now guarantee. ', 'US', 'US manufacturing expands US industrial production increased in December, according to the latest survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Its index of national manufacturing activity rose to 58.6 last month from 57.8 in November. A reading above 50 indicates a level of growth. The result for December was slightly better than analysts\' expectations and the 19th consecutive expansion. The ISM said the growth was driven by a "significant" rise in the new orders. "This completes a strong year for manufacturing based on the ISM data," said chairman of the ISM\'s survey committee. "While there is continuing upward pressure on prices, the rate of increase is slowing and definitely trending in the right direction." The ISM\'s index of national manufacturing activity is compiled from monthly responses of purchasing executives at more than 400 industrial companies, ranging from textiles to chemicals to paper, and has now been above 50 since June 2003. Analysts expected December\'s figure to come in at 58.1. The ISM manufacturing index\'s main sister survey - the employment index - eased to 52.7 in December from 57.6 in November, while its "prices paid" index, measuring the cost to businesses of their inputs, also eased to 72.0 from 74.0. The ISM\'s "new orders" index rose to 67.4 from 61.5. ', 'US', 'Madagascar completes currency switch Madagascar has completed the replacement of its Malagasy franc with a new currency, the ariary. From Monday, all prices and contracts will have to be quoted in the ariary, which was trading at 1,893 to the US dollar. The Malagasy franc, which lost almost half its value in 2004, is no longer legal tender but will remain exchangeable at banks until 2009. The phasing out of the franc, begun in July 2003, was intended to distance the country from its past under French colonial rule and address the problem of the large amount of counterfeit francs in circulation. "It\'s above all a question of sovereignty," Reuters quoted a central bank official as saying. "It is symbolic of our independence from the old colonial ways. Since we left the French monetary zone in 1973 we should have our own currency with its own name." The ariary was the name of a pre-colonial currency in the Indian Ocean island state. ', 'US', "Quiksilver moves for Rossignol Shares of Skis Rossignol, the world's largest ski-maker, have jumped as much as 15% on speculation that it will be bought by US surfwear firm Quiksilver. The owners of Rossignol, the Boix-Vives family, are said to be considering an offer from Quiksilver. Analysts believe other sporting goods companies may now take a closer look at Rossignol, prompting an auction and pushing the sale price higher. Nike and K2 have previously been mentioned as possible suitors. Rossignol shares touched 17.70 euros, before falling back to trade 7.8% higher at 16.60 euros. European sporting goods companies have seen foreign revenues squeezed by a slump in the value of the US dollar, making a takeover more attractive, analysts said. Companies such as Quiksilver would be able to cut costs by selling Rossignol skis through their shops, they added. The Boix-Vives family is thought to have spent the past couple of years sounding out possible suitors for Rossignol, which also makes golf equipment, snowboards and sports clothing. ", 'US', 'Dollar hovers around record lows The US dollar hovered close to record lows against the euro on Friday as concern grows about the size of the US budget deficit. Analysts predict that the dollar will remain weak in 2005 as investors worry about the state of the US economy. The Bush administration\'s apparent unwillingness to intervene to support the dollar has caused further concern. However, trading has been volatile over the past week because of technical and automated trading and light demand. This has amplified reactions to news, analysts said, adding that they expect markets to become less jumpy in January. The dollar was trading at $1.3652 versus the euro on Friday morning after hitting a fresh record low of $1.3667 on Thursday. One dollar bought 102.55 yen. Disappointing business figures from Chicago triggered the US currency\'s weakness on Thursday. The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said its manufacturing index dropped to 61.2, a bigger fall than expected. "There are no dollar buyers now, especially after the Chicago data yesterday," said ABN Amro\'s Paul Mackel. At the same time, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced concerns about the strength of the euro. Mr Berlusconi said the euro\'s strength was "absolutely worrying" for Italian exports. Mr Schroeder said in a newspaper article that stability in foreign exchange markets required a correction of global economic imbalances. Investors will now look towards February\'s meeting of finance ministers from the G7 industrialised nations in London for clues as to whether central banks will combine forces to stem the dollar\'s decline. ', 'US', 'Dollar slides ahead of New Year The US dollar has hit a new record low against the euro and analysts predict that more declines are likely in 2005. Disappointing economic reports dented the currency, which had been rallying after European policy makers said they were worried about the euro\'s strength. Earlier on Thursday, the Japanese yen touched its lowest versus the euro on concerns about economic growth in Asia. Currency markets have been volatile over the past week because of technical and automated trading and light demand. This has amplified reactions, analysts said, adding that they expect markets to become less jumpy in January. "People want to go into the weekend and the New Year positioned for a weaker buck," said Tim Mazanec, director of foreign exchange at Investors Bank and Trust. The dollar slid to a record $1.3666 versus the euro on Thursday, before bouncing back to $1.3636. Against the yen the dollar was trading down at $103.05. The yen, meanwhile, dropped to 141.60 per euro in afternoon trading. It later strengthened to 140.55. Investors are concerned about the size of the US trade and budget deficits and are betting that George W Bush\'s administration will allow the dollar to weaken despite saying they favour a strong currency. Also playing on investors\' minds are mixed reports about the state of the US economy. On Thursday, disappointing business figures from Chicago brought a sudden end to a rally in the value of the dollar. The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said its index dropped to 61.2, more than analysts had expected. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced concerns about the strength of the euro. Mr Berlusconi said the euro\'s strength was "absolutely worrying" for Italian exports. Mr Schroeder said in a newspaper article that stability in foreign exchange markets required a correction of global economic imbalances. ', 'India', 'VW considers opening Indian plant Volkswagen is considering building a car factory in India, but said it had yet to make a final decision. The German giant said it was studying the possibility of opening an assembly plant in the country, but that it remained only a "potential" idea. Its comments came after the industry minister of India\'s Andhra Pradesh state said a team of VW officials were due to visit to discuss the plans. B. Satyanarayana said he expected VW to co-sign a memorandum of agreement. Several foreign carmakers, including Hyundai, Toyota, Suzuki and Ford, already have Indian production facilities to meet demand for automobiles in Asia\'s fourth-largest economy. VW\'s proposed plant would be set up in the port city of Visakhapatnam on India\'s eastern coast. An Andhra Pradesh official added that VW had already approved a factory site measuring 250 acres. ', 'Russia', 'Ukraine strikes Turkmen gas deal Ukraine has agreed to pay 30% more for natural gas supplied by Turkmenistan. The deal was sealed three days after Turkmenistan cut off gas supplies in a price dispute that threatened the Ukrainian economy. Supplies from Turkmenistan account for 45% of all natural gas imported by Ukraine, which has large coal deposits but no gas fields. Turkmenistan is also trying to strike a similar deal with Russia, which is not so dependent on its gas. Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, who signed the contract, said the Turkmen side agreed to lower the price demanded by $2 per 1,000 cubic metres, bringing it down to $58. But the new price is still $14 higher than the price fixed in the contract for 2004. The head of the Ukrainian state-owned Naftohaz company, Yury Boyko, said he was "fully happy" with the deal. On Friday, Turkmenistan acted on a threat and shut off gas supplies to Ukraine in attempt to bring the price dispute to a head. Mr Niyazov said that his government would insist on the same price for supplies to Russia. Analysts say thay may not happen as Russia, the world\'s leading gas producer, needs the cheap Turkmen gas only to relieve is state-owned Gazprom from costly investment in the exploration of oil fields in Siberia. Turkmenistan is the second-largest gas producer in the world. ', 'India', "Reliance unit loses Anil Ambani Anil Ambani, the younger of the two brothers in charge of India's largest private company, has resigned from running its petrochemicals subsidiary. The move is likely to be seen as the latest twist in a feud between Mr Ambani and his brother Mukesh. Anil, 45, has stepped down as director and vice-chairman of Indian Petrochemicals Corporation (IPC). The company was not available for comment. IPC is 46%-owned by Reliance Industries which in turn is run by Mukesh. Mukesh has spoken of ownership issues between the two brothers, who took over control of the Reliance empire following the death of their father in July, 2002. Reliance's operations have massive reach, covering textiles, telecommunications, petrochemicals, petroleum refining and marketing, as well as oil and gas exploration, insurance and financial services. The brothers' spat has hogged headlines in India during recent weeks, despite a denial from the family that there was anything wrong. Speculation has been rife about what has triggered the stand-off, with some observers blaming Anil's political ambitions, others the heavy investment by Mukesh and Reliance in a mobile phone venture. Shares of IPC dipped on the news in Mumbai, but recovered to trade almost 6% higher. Reliance shares added 1.7%, while Reliance Energy, headed by Anil, jumped 7%. ", 'US', 'Oil rebounds from weather effect Oil prices recovered in Asian trade on Tuesday, after falling in New York on milder winter weather across the US. With winter temperatures staying relatively high in the northern US, a barrel of light crude ended Monday down $1.33 to $42.12. However crude prices have rebounded in Asia, rising to $42.30 a barrel for February delivery. In London, trading of Brent crude was suspended for a public holiday, but the price fell to $39.20 in the Far East. With milder temperatures expected to continue in the northern parts of the US over the next few days at least, analysts have said the price of oil may fall further - even if the decline was only temporary. "Weather has been the Achilles\' heel of this market," said ABN AMRO analyst John Brady. "But it is winter in the northeast. Eventually we\'ll get another cold blast." Despite a fall of more than $12 a barrel from the record highs reached in late October, the price of crude oil remains almost 30% higher than year-ago levels. Prices rose last week after militant attacks in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, briefly renewed fears that the supply chain might be broken in the world\'s leading crude exporter. "The market was panicked but fears essentially evaporated... since there was no follow-up," said Deborah White, senior economist for energy at SG Securities in Paris. ', 'US', 'Fed warns of more US rate rises The US looks set for a continued boost to interest rates in 2005, according to the Federal Reserve. Minutes of the December meeting which pushed rates up to 2.25% showed that policy-makers at the Fed are worried about accelerating inflation. The clear signal pushed the dollar up to $1.3270 to the euro by 0400 GMT on Wednesday, but depressed US shares. "The markets are starting to fear a more aggressive Fed in 2005," said Richard Yamarone of Argus Research. The Dow Jones index dropped almost 100 points on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq also falling as key tech stocks were hit by broker downgrades. The dollar also gained ground against sterling on Tuesday, reaching $1.8832 to the pound before slipping slightly on Wednesday morning. The release of the minutes just three weeks after the 14 December meeting was much faster than usual, indicating the Fed wants to keep markets more apprised of its thinking. This, too, is being taken in some quarters as a sign of aggressive moves on interest rates to come. The key Fed funds rate has risen 1.25 percentage points during 2004 from the 46-year low of 1% reached not long after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. That long trough "might be contributing to signs of potentially excessive risk-taking in financial markets", said the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC), which sets interest rates. The odds now favour a further boost to rates at the next meeting in early February, economists said. But the respite for the dollar, which spent late 2003 being pushed lower against other major currencies by worries about massive US trade and budget deficits, may be short-lived. "You can\'t rule out a further correction... but we don\'t think it\'s a change in direction in the dollar," said Jason Daw at Merrill Lynch. "Nothing fundamental has changed." ', 'UK', 'Venezuela identifies \'idle\' farms Venezuelan authorities have identified more than 500 farms, including 56 large estates, as idle as it continues with its controversial land reform policy. Under a 2001 land law, the government can tax or seize unused farm sites. A further 40,000 farms are yet to be inspected, the state\'s National Land Institute has told Associated Press. Vice president Jose Vicente Rangel has said farmers and ranchers with their titles in order and their lands productive have "nothing to fear." Critics of the land reform policy claim president Hugo Chavez is trying to enforce a communist-style economic programme that ignores property rights and will damage the country. Land owners claim the National Land Institute has made mistakes in classifying lands as public or private. But the government - Venezuela\'s largest land owner - say they are proceeding cautiously to prevent conflicts. In a statement, Mr Rangel said the land reform is not against the constitution, which permits private property, while stressing the efforts are to "vindicate social and economically" years of inequality in the country. One property in conflict with the government is the El Charcote cattle ranch, run by Agroflora, a subsidiary of the UK food group Vestey. Agriculture minister Arnoldo Marquez told Reuters news agency the site\'s documents "do not guarantee that this is a private land". Administrators of the ranch, however, have complained that pro-Chavez squatters have taken over 80% of the property in the last four years, and the UK government has asked Venezuelan authorities to resolve the conflict. "You should ask the company when they are going to put their papers in order and hand over the land that is not theirs," said Mr Marquez. ', 'US', 'Yukos heading back to US courts Russian oil and gas company Yukos is due in a US court on Thursday as it continues to fight for its survival. The firm is in the process of being broken up by Russian authorities in order to pay a $27bn (£14bn) tax bill. Yukos filed for bankruptcy in the US, hoping to use international business law to halt the forced sale of its key oil production unit, Yuganskneftegas. The unit was however sold for $9.4bn to state oil firm Rosneft but only after the state auction had been disrupted. Yukos lawyers now say the auction violated US bankruptcy law. The company and its main shareholders have vowed to go after any company that buys its assets, using all and every legal means. The company wants damages of $20bn, claiming Yuganskneftegas was sold at less than market value. Judge Letitia Clark will hear different motions, including one from Deutsche Bank to throw out the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The German lender is one of six banks that were barred from providing financing to Gazprom, the Russian state-owned company that was expected to win the auction for Yuganskneftegas. Deutsche Bank, which is also an advisor to Gazprom, has called on the US court to overturn its decision to provide Yukos with bankruptcy protection. Lifting the injunction would remove the uncertainty that surrounds the court case and clarify Deutsche Bank\'s business position, analysts said. Analysts are not optimistic about Yukos\' chances in court. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country\'s legal authorities have repeatedly said that the US has no jurisdiction over Yukos and its legal wranglings. On top of that, the firm only has limited assets in the US. Yukos has won small victories, however, and is bullish about its chances in court. "Do we have an ability to influence what happens? We think we do," said Mike Lake, a Yukos spokesman. "The litigation risks are real," said Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Vadim Mitroshin The dispute with the Russian authorities is partly driven by President Putin\'s clampdown on the political ambitions of ex-Yukos boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Mr Khodorkovsky is in jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion. ', 'Europe', 'Deutsche Boerse set to \'woo\' LSE Bosses of Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange are to meet amid talk that a takeover bid for the LSE will be raised to £1.5bn ($2.9bn). Last month, the German exchange tabled a 530 pence-per-share offer for LSE, valuing it at £1.3bn. Paris-based Euronext, owner of Liffe in London, has also said it is interested in bidding for LSE. Euronext is due to hold talks with LSE this week and it is reported to be ready to raise £1.4bn to fund a bid. Euronext chief Jean-Francois Theodore is scheduled to meet his LSE counterpart Clara Furse on Friday. Deutsche Boerse chief Werner Seifert is meeting Ms Furse on Thursday, in the third meeting between the two exchanges since the bid approach in December. The LSE rejected Deutsche Boerse\'s proposed £1.3bn offer in December, saying it undervalued the business. But it agreed to leave the door open for talks to find out whether a "significantly-improved proposal" would be in the interests of LSE\'s shareholders and customers. In the meantime, Euronext, which combines the Paris, Amsterdam and Lisbon stock exchanges, also began talks with the LSE. In a statement on Thursday, Euronext said any offer was likely to be solely in cash, but added that: "There can be no assurances at this stage that any offer will be made." A deal with either bidder would create the biggest stock market operator in Europe and the second biggest in the world after the New York Stock Exchange. According to the FT, in its latest meeting Deutsche Boerse will adopt a charm offensive to woo the London exchange. The newspaper said the German suitor will offer to manage a combined cash and equities market out of London and let Ms Furse take the helm. Other reports this week said the Deutsche Boerse might even consider selling its Luxembourg-based Clearstream unit - the clearing house that processes securities transactions. Its ownership of Clearstream was seen as the main stumbling block to a London-Frankfurt merger. LSE shareholders feared a Deutsche Boerse takeover would force them to use Clearstream, making it difficult for them to negotiate for lower transaction fees. ', 'UK', 'Laura Ashley chief stepping down Laura Ashley is parting company with its chief executive Ainum Mohd-Saaid. The clothing and home furnishing retailer said Ms Mohd-Saaid had resigned for personal reasons. Her departure will come into effect on 1 February and follows the departure of co-chief executive Rebecca Navarednam on 1 January. Ms Mohd-Saaid is to be replaced by Lillian Tan, presently a non-executive director of the company and head of a Malaysian retailer. In a statement issued on Thursday, Laura Ashley thanked Ms Mohd-Saaid for her services to the company. Its shares were down 8.51% to 10.75p in late Thursday morning trading on the London Stock Exchange. Since 2002, Ms Tan has been managing director and chief executive of Metrojaya, one of the largest retail groups in Malaysia. Laura Ashley, which is due to issue its next trading statement in the next few weeks, has in recent months been hit by reports of poor sales. In October last year, it announced the closure of one of its two Welsh factories. In September, the company had said that its half-year clothing sales had been "below expectations". In recent times, it has put renewed focus on home furnishings rather than clothing, but last September it reported that interim six month losses had risen from £1m to £1.2m, while sales had fallen from £138m to £118m. Laura Ashley, which floated on the London Stock Exchange for £200m ($376m) in 1995, is majority-owned by Malaysia entrepreneur Dr Khoo Kay Peng. In 1996, its share price was more than 200p. It has long been reported that Dr Khoo intends to take the company private, but he has always denied this. "Laura Ashley is a bit of a shrivelled husk of a company," said retail analyst Nick Bubb of Evolution Securities. "It is all pretty odd with its Malaysian owners seemingly just shuffling the deckchairs." Laura Ashley was founded by its late namesake in Kent in 1955, before moving to Mid Wales in 1961 where it still has its main UK factory. ', 'US', 'US Airways staff agree to pay cut A union representing 5,200 flight attendants at bankrupt US Airways have agreed to a new contract that cuts pay by nearly 10%. The deal will help the carrier, trying to survive by cutting costs by nearly $1bn (£530m) a year, save about $94m. More than two thirds of its 28,000 staff have now accepted wage cuts. But talks are still continuing with a union representing mechanics, baggage handlers and cleaners, which has so far failed to negotiate a new contract. The seventh largest carrier in the US sought bankruptcy protection for a second time in two years last September. It had been one of the quickest to deal with difficulties faced by the aviation industry after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. But it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2003 to face competition from low-cost carriers and higher fuel costs. US Airways management has said it may need to start liquidating assets if it does not receive concessions from all staff by the middle of this month. ', 'US', 'Delta cuts fares in survival plan Delta Air Lines is cutting domestic fares by as much as 50% as part of a plan to ensure its financial survival. Other US carriers, including United, have sought bankruptcy protection, amid high fuel costs and competition from discount carriers. Delta is restructuring in a bid to fight off insolvency. This latest move to boost business has prompted speculation other firms will be forced to match their fares, hurting revenues in the sector. Delta\'s new SimpliFares were trialled from August last year on tickets from Cincinnati, its second-largest hub. The airline says no one-way economy fare will now be priced higher than $499 (£264), and no first-class fare will be priced higher than $599. It is also eliminating a Saturday-night stay requirement on discount fares and will give further reductions to customers opting for non-refundable tickets, booking in advance and online. Delta, which lost $646m in the three months to September, was forced to cut 6,900 jobs worldwide as part of its aim to slash $5bn from its costs. In October, it reached a crucial agreement with pilots on pay and conditions and it has also issued new shares to staff in return for wage cuts. Airline shares closed lower on the announcement, with Delta, Continental and American Airlines all falling by more than 7%. "We believe the whole airline industry will now have to move in this direction; this will likely hurt revenue in the short run but could be beneficial in the long run," said analyst Ray Neidl at Calyon Securities. ', 'China', "Profits jump at China's top bank Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICBC), China's biggest lender, has seen an 18% jump in profits during 2004. The increase in earnings has allowed the firm to write off bad loans and pave the way for a state bailout and eventual stock-market listing. China is trying to clean up its banking system, which is weighed down by billions of dollars of unpaid loans. It has already pumped $45bn (£24bn) into two of its largest banks, and has identified ICBC as a recipient of aid. ICBC's profits were 74.7bn yuan ($9bn; £4.8bn) in 2004, the bank said in a statement. The percentage of non-performing loans dropped to 19.1%, down about 2 percentage points. ICBC was founded in 1984 and had total assets of 5.3 trillion yuan at the end of 2003. China committed to gradually opening up its banking sector when it joined the World Trade Organisation in 2002. ", 'US', 'Tsunami to cost Sri Lanka $1.3bn Sri Lanka faces a $1.3bn (£691m) bill in 2005 for reconstruction after the tsunami which killed more than 30,000 of its people, its central bank says. This estimate is preliminary, bank governor Sunil Mendis told reporters, and could rise in 2006. The island state is asking for about $320m from the International Monetary Fund to help pay for relief, he said. The bank has 5bn rupees ($50m; £27m) set aside to lend at a lower interest rate to those who lost property. According to Mr Mendis, half the IMF support could come from a freeze on debt repayments, which would free up resources immediately. The rest could come from a five-year emergency loan. Sri Lanka is hoping for a wider freeze from other creditors. The Paris Club of 19 creditors meets on 12 January to discuss a debt moratorium for the nations hit by the tsunami, which ravaged south and east Asia on 26 December. Some 150,000 people across the region are feared to be dead and millions have been left homeless and destitute. A full reckoning of the economic cost to Sri Lanka of the tsunami will not be clear for some time to come. But already it looks likely that growth in the first half of 2005 will slow, Mr Mendis told reporters, although he would not say by how much. One side-effect of the disaster has been that the value of the rupee has risen as foreign funds have flooded into the country. The currency has strengthened 4% since late December, coming close to 100 rupees to the US dollar for the first time in more than six months. ', 'US', 'Marsh executive in guilty plea An executive at US insurance firm Marsh & McLennan has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with an ongoing fraud and bid-rigging probe. New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer said senior vice president Robert Stearns had pleaded guilty to scheming to defraud. The offence carries a sentence of 16 months to four years in state prison. Mr Spitzer\'s office added Mr Stearns had also agreed to testify in future cases during the industry inquiry. "We are saddened by the development," Marsh said in a statement. The company added it would continue to co-operate in the case, adding it was "committed to resolving the company\'s legal issues and to serving our clients with the highest standards of transparency and ethics". According to a statement from Mr Spitzer\'s office, the Marsh executive admitted he instructed insurance companies to submit non-competitive bids for insurance business between 2002 and 2004. Those bids were then "conveyed to Marsh clients under false and fraudulent pretences". Through the practice, Marsh was allowed to determine which insurers won business from clients, and so control the insurance market, Mr Spitzer\'s office added. It also protected incumbent insurers when their business was up for renewal and helped Marsh to maximise its fees, a statement said. In one case, an email showed Mr Stearns had instructed a colleague to solicit a non-competitive - or "B" - quote from AIG that was "higher in premium and more restrictive in coverage" and so fixed the bids in a way that would support the present provider Chubb. The company is also still being examined by US stock market regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Late last month the SEC asked for information about transactions involving holders of 5% or more of the firm\'s shares. ', 'US', 'US interest rate rise expected US interest rates are expected to rise for the fifth time since June following the US Federal Reserve\'s latest rate-setting meeting later on Tuesday. Borrowing costs are tipped to rise by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25%. The move comes as a recovery in the US economy, the world\'s biggest, shows signs of robustness and sustainability. The dollar\'s record-breaking decline, meanwhile, has spooked markets and along with high oil prices has raised concerns about the pace of inflation. "We are seeing evidence that inflation is moving higher," said Ken Kim, an analyst at Stone & McCarthy Research. "It\'s not a risk, it\'s actually happening." Mr Kim added that borrowing costs could rise further. The Fed has said that it will move in a "measured" way to combat price growth and lift interest rates from their 40-year lows that were prompted by sluggish US and global growth. With the economic picture now looking more rosy, the Fed has implemented quarter percentage point rises in June, August, September and November. Although the US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.9% in the three months to September, analysts warn that Fed has to be careful not to move too aggressively and take the wind out of the recovery\'s sails. Earlier this month figures showed that job creation is still weak, while consumer confidence is subdued. "I think the Fed feels it has a fair amount of flexibility," said David Berson, chief economist at Fannie Mae. "While inflation has moved up, it hasn\'t moved up a lot." "If economic growth should subside... the Fed would feel it has the flexibility to pause in its tightening. "But if economic growth picked up and caused core inflation to rise a little more quickly, I think the Fed would be prepared to tighten more quickly as well." ', 'US', 'WorldCom bosses\' $54m payout Ten former directors at WorldCom have agreed to pay $54m (£28.85m), including $18m from their own pockets, to settle a class action lawsuit, reports say. James Wareham, a lawyer representing one of the directors, told Reuters the 10 had agreed to pay those who lost billions when the firm collapsed. The remaining $36m will be paid by the directors\' insurers. But, a spokesman for the prosecutor, New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, said no formal agreement had been made. Corporate governance experts said that if the directors do dip into their own pockets for the settlement, it will set a new standard for the accountability of bosses, when the firms they oversee face problems. "Directors very rarely pay," said Charles Elson, chairman of the Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. He added that the settlement "sends a pretty strong shockwave through the director world". A formal agreement on the payout is expected to be signed on Thursday in a US district court in Manhattan. Earlier, the New York Times had reported that the personal payments were required as part of any deal at the start of negotiations. The ten former outside directors are James Allen, Judith Areen, Carl Aycock, Max Bobbitt, Clifford Alexander, Stiles Kellett, Gordon Macklin, John Porter, Lawrence Tucker and the estate of John Sidgmore, who died last year. It has not yet been determined how much each director will have to pay. "None of the 10 former directors was a direct participant in the accounting machinations of the WorldCom fraud," said the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Two other outside former directors, Bert Roberts and Francesco Galesi, remain defendants in the lawsuit, said the newspaper. According to the WSJ, which cites people familiar to the case, the settling directors are expected to deny wrongdoing and state they are settling the case to eliminate the uncertainties and expense of further litigations. The second-largest US long-distance telecoms operator filed for bankruptcy in 2002 when an $11bn accounting scandal was unearthed. The company emerged from Chapter 11 protection last year and changed its name to MCI Inc. Former WorldCom chief executive Bernard Ebbers is to face trial this month on criminal charges that he oversaw the fraud. ', 'US', 'Continental \'may run out of cash\' Shares in Continental Airlines have tumbled after the firm warned it could run out of cash. In a filing to US regulators the airline warned of "inadequate liquidity" if it fails to reduce wage costs by $500m by the end of February. Continental also said that, if it did not make any cuts, it expects to lose "hundreds of millions of dollars" in 2005 in current market conditions. Failure to make cutbacks may also push it to reduce its fleet, the group said. Shares in the fifth biggest US carrier had fallen 6.87% on the news to $10.44 by 1830 GMT. "Without the reduction in wage and benefit costs and a reasonable prospect of future profitability, we believe that our ability to raise additional money through financings would be uncertain," Continental said in its filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Airlines have faced tough conditions in recent years, amid terrorism fears since the 11 September World Trade Centre attack in 2001. But despite passengers returning to the skies, record-high fuel costs and fare wars prompted by competition from low cost carriers have taken their toll. Houston-based Continental now has debt and pension payments of nearly $984m which it must pay off this year. The company has been working to streamline its operations - and has managed to save $1.1bn in costs without cutting jobs. Two weeks\' ago the group also announced it would be able to shave a further $48m a year from its costs with changes to wage and benefits for most of its US-based management and clerical staff. ', 'UK', 'House prices rebound says Halifax UK house prices increased by 1.1% in December, the first monthly rise since September, the Halifax has said. The UK\'s biggest mortgage lender said prices rose 15.1% over the whole of 2004, but by only 2.8% in the second half of the year. The average price of a house in the UK now stands at £162,086, Halifax said. The survey seems to fly in the face of recent evidence that the UK housing market has been slowing substantially in response to interest rate rises. Last week, the Nationwide said that house prices fell 0.2% in December, with annual inflation running at a three year low. On Tuesday, figures from the Bank of England showed that the number of mortgages approved in the UK has fallen to the lowest level for nearly a decade. New loans in November fell to 77,000, from 85,000 in October, the lowest rate since September 1995, the Bank of England said. Growth in unsecured lending, such as personal loans and credit cards, also slowed last month. Capital Economics, which has in the past predicted a sharp fall in UK house prices, branded Halifax\'s findings a "temporary surprise," which would be reversed over the coming months. "The month by month volatility of the Halifax house price data should not distract from the fact that there is a clear downward trend in house prices," a Capital Economics statement said. Experts believe five interest rate rises since November 2003 are cutting borrowers\' appetite for debt. Despite recording a price rise in December, the Halifax survey concluded that there was "continuing signs of a genuine slowdown in the housing market." Martin Ellis, Halifax chief economist, said that there was no need to revise the bank\'s prediction, made last month, that prices would fall by 2% in 2005. "Sound housing market fundamentals will continue to underpin the market in 2005, ensuring that the market remains healthy and that house prices fall only slightly," Mr Ellis said. If the bank\'s prediction of a 2% price drop comes true, it will be the first annual fall in nine years. The bank said that the recent pattern of house prices rising the fastest in the north of England continued in December. In the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, Halifax said prices rose by 3% and 1.2% in the two regions respectively during the month. At the other send of the scale, prices in the South East and London fell by 1.6% and 0.5% respectively. The biggest decline was seen in Wales where prices fell by 6.2%, an area that had experienced strong house price growth during most of 2004. Overall, Halifax said prices in the final quarter of 2004 were 0.1% higher than in the previous quarter. This was the smallest quarterly rise since the second quarter of 2000, the bank said. As a result, annual house price inflation dipped below 20% during the final few months of 2004. ', 'US', 'Mixed Christmas for US retailers US retailers posted mixed results for December - with luxury retailers faring well while many others were forced to slash prices to lift sales. Upscale department store Nordstrom said same store sales were 9.3% higher than during the same period last year. Trendy youth labels also sold well, with sales jumping 28% at young women\'s clothing retailer Bebe Stores and 32.2% at American Eagle Outfitters. But Wal-Mart only saw its sales rise after it cut prices. The company saw a 3% rise in December sales, less than the 4.3% rise seen a year earlier. Customers at the world\'s biggest retailer are generally seen to be the most vulnerable to America\'s economic woes. Commentators claim many have cut back on spending amid uncertainty over job security, while low and middle-income Americans have reined in spending in the face of higher gasoline prices. Analysts said Wal-Mart faced a "stand-off" with shoppers, stepping up its discounts as the festive season wore on, as consumers waited longer to get the best bargains. However, experts added that if prices had not been cut across the sector, Christmas sales - which account for nearly 23% of annual retail sales - would have been far worse. "So far, we are faring better than expected, but the results are still split," Ken Perkins, an analyst at research firm RetailMetrics LLC, told Associated Press. "Stores that have been struggling over the last couple of months appear to be continuing that trend. And for stores that have been doing well over the last several months, December was a good month." Overall, December sales are forecast to rise by 4.5% to $220bn - less than the 5.1% increase seen a year earlier. One discount retailer to fare well in December was Costco Wholesale, which continued a recent run of upbeat results with a better-than-expected 8% jump in same store sales. However, the losers were many and varied. Home furnishings store Pier 1 Imports saw its same store sales sink by a larger-than-forecast 8.8% as it battled fierce competition. Leading electronics chain Best Buy, meanwhile, missed its sales target of a 3-5% rise in sales, turning in a 2.5% increase over the Christmas period. Accessory vendor Claire\'s Stores also suffered as an expected last minute shopping rush never materialised, leaving its same store sales 5% higher, compared to a 6% rise last year. Jeweller Zale also felt little Christmas cheer with December sales down 0.7% on the same month last year. "This was not a good period for retailers or shoppers. We saw a dearth of exciting, new items," Kurt Barnard, president of industry forecaster Retail Consulting Group, said. However, one beneficiary of the desertion of the High Street is expected to be online stores. According to a survey by Goldman Sachs & Co, Harris Interactive and Neilsen/Net Ratings sales surged 25% over the holiday season to $23.2bn. ', 'Indonesia', 'Tsunami cost hits Jakarta shares The stock market in Jakarta has seen its biggest slide in a month, after the country doubled the likely cost of rebuilding from the Asian tsunami. The fall came as Indonesia said it expected debt repayments of up to 30 trillion rupiah ($3.2bn; £1.7bn) to be frozen to help pay for the recovery. By Monday\'s close, the Jakarta Stock Exchange was down 2.1% at 1,011.15. Bar a slight dip at the New Year, The JSE had risen steadily by 4.7% since the tsunami hit on 26 December. Construction and property companies in particular have gained ground, although banks were among the main fallers on Monday. So far, more than 100,000 people are believed to have been killed in Indonesia, the country closest to the earthquake which triggered the great wave. On Friday, the government said its five-year estimate of rebuilding costs for Banda Aceh province - much of which was flattened by the quake and the tsunami - was 20 trillion rupiah ($2.2bn; £1.1bn), twice what it had previously estimated. That cost could be defrayed by temporary debt relief. On Monday, Indonesian economy minister Aburizal Bakrie told reporters that the Paris Club group of creditor countries was expected to freeze 20-30bn rupiah in payments due in 2005 and 2006. "We hope we can resume the repayments at least from 2007," Mr Bakrie said. French finance minister Herve Gaymard said on Sunday that the Paris Club had already agreed to a moratorium on repayments for tsunami-hit countries ahead of its meeting on 12 January. ', 'US', 'Enron bosses in $168m payout Eighteen former Enron directors have agreed a $168m (£89m) settlement deal in a shareholder lawsuit over the collapse of the energy firm. Leading plaintiff, the University of California, announced the news, adding that 10 of the former directors will pay $13m from their own pockets. The settlement will be put to the courts for approval next week. Enron went bankrupt in 2001 after it emerged it had hidden hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. Before its collapse, the firm was the seventh biggest public US company by revenue. Its demise sent shockwaves through financial markets and dented investor confidence in corporate America. "The settlement is very significant in holding these outside directors at least partially personally responsible," William Lerach, the lawyer leading the class action suit against Enron, said. "Hopefully, this will help send a message to corporate boardrooms of the importance of directors performing their legal duties," he added. Under the terms of the $168m settlement - $155m of which will be covered by insurance - none of the 18 former directors will admit any wrongdoing. The deal is the fourth major settlement negotiated by lawyers who filed a class action on behalf of Enron\'s shareholders almost three years ago. So far, including the latest deal, just under $500m (£378.8m) has been retrieved for investors. However, the latest deal does not include former Enron chief executives Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Both men are facing criminal charges for their alleged misconduct in the run up to the firm\'s collapse. Neither does it cover Andrew Fastow, who has pleaded guilty to taking part in an illegal conspiracy while he was chief financial officer at the group. Enron\'s shareholders are still seeking damages from a long list of other big name defendants including the financial institutions JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston. The University of California said the trial in the case is scheduled to begin in October 2006. It joined the lawsuit in December 2001alleging "massive insider trading" and fraud, claiming it had lost $145m on its investments in the company. ', 'UK', 'UK house prices dip in November UK house prices dipped slightly in November, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has said. The average house price fell marginally to £180,226, from £180,444 in October. Recent evidence has suggested that the UK housing market is slowing after interest rate increases, and economists forecast a drop in prices during 2005. But while the monthly figures may hint at a cooling of the market, annual house price inflation is still strong, up 13.8% in the year to November. Economists, however, forecast that ODPM figures are likely to show a weakening in annual house price growth in coming months. "Overall, the housing market activity is slowing down and that is backed up by the mortgage lending and the mortgage approvals data," said Mark Miller, at HBOS Treasury Services. "The ODPM data is a fairly lagging indicator." The figures come after the Bank of England said the number of mortgages approved in the UK has fallen to the lowest level for nearly a decade. The Halifax, meanwhile, said last week that house prices increased by 1.1% in December - the first monthly rise since September. The UK\'s biggest mortgage lender said prices rose 15.1% over the whole of 2004, but by only 2.8% in the second half of the year. It is predicting a 2% fall in overall prices in 2005 as the market stabilises after large gains in recent years. The ODPM attributed the monthly fall of prices in November to a drop in the value of detached houses and flats. It said annual inflation rose between October and November because prices had fallen by 1.1% in the same period in 2003. The ODPM data showed the average house price was £192,713 in England; £139,544 in Wales; £116,542 in Scotland, and £111,314 in Northern Ireland. All areas saw a rise in annual house price inflation in November except for Northern Ireland and the West Midlands, where the rate was unchanged, the ODPM said. The North East showed the highest rate of inflation at 26.2%, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber on 21.7%, and the North West on 21.1%. The East Midlands, the West Midlands and the South West all had an annual inflation rate of more than 15%. In London, the area with the highest average house price at £262,825, annual inflation rose only slightly in November to 7.1% from 7% the previous month. ', 'US', 'Steady job growth continues in US The US created fewer jobs than expected in December, but analysts said that the dip in hiring was not enough to derail the world\'s biggest economy. According to Labor Department figures, 157,000 new jobs were added last month. That took 2004\'s total to 2.2 million, the best showing in five years. Job creation was one of last year\'s main concerns for the US economy. While worries still remain, the conditions are set for steady growth in 2005, analysts said. The unemployment rate stayed at 5.4% in December, and about 200,000 jobs will need to be created each month if that figure is to drop. "It was a respectable report," said Michael Moran, analyst at Daiwa Securities. "Payroll growth in December was a little lighter than the consensus forecast, but we had upward revisions to the prior two months and an increase in manufacturing employment." "Manufacturing is a cyclical area of the economy and if it\'s showing job growth, it\'s a good indication that the economy is on a solid growth track." That means that the Federal Reserve is likely to continue its policy of raising interest rates. The Fed lifted borrowing costs five times last year to 2.25%, citing evidence the US economic recovery was becoming more robust. Job creation was one of last year\'s main concerns for the US economy, and proved to be a main topic of debate in the US presidential election. While demand for workers is far from booming, the conditions are set for steady growth. "Overall, compared to the previous year it looks great, it just keeps going stronger and stronger and I expect that to be the case" in 2005, said Kurt Karl, economist at Swiss Re in New York. Meanwhile, economists cautioned against reading too much into data from the Federal Reserve showing an unexpected $8.7bn drop in consumer debt in November. A fall in consumer spending, which makes up about two-thirds of all US economic activity, could help limit the extent of any future interest rate rises. But economists said there could be a number of reasons for a fall in the borrowing, which include credit cards and personal loans, while noting that such figures can vary on a month-to-month basis. ', 'US', 'US firm \'bids for Lacroix label\' A US firm has said it is in final negotiations with luxury goods group LVMH to buy the loss-making Christian Lacroix haute-couture house. Paris-based LVMH has been selling non-core businesses and focusing on its most profitable labels including Moet & Chandon champagne and Louis Vuitton. Privately-held Falic Group bought two cosmetics brands, Hard Candy and Urban Decay, from LVMH in early 2003. The Florida company also own a chain of 90 duty free stores in the US. LVMH refused to comment on the reports. But one of the three brothers behind the Falic Group said the firm had also held talks with the designer Christian Lacroix, and wished to retain him. "We are buying his name," Simon Falic told the Reuters news agency. "We have plans to increase the exposure of the brand and increase the volume of business." ', 'Europe', 'LSE \'sets date for takeover deal\' The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is planning to announce a preferred takeover by the end of the month, newspaper reports claim. The Sunday Telegraph said the LSE\'s plan was further evidence it wants to retain tight control over its destiny. Both Deutsche Boerse and rival Euronext held talks with the London market last week over a possible offer. A £1.3bn offer from Deutsche Boerse has already been rejected, while Euronext has said it will make an all cash bid. Speculation suggests that Paris-based Euronext has the facilities in place to make a bid of £1.4bn, while its German rival may up its bid to the £1.5bn mark. Neither has yet tabled a formal bid, but the LSE is expected to hold further talks with the two parties later this week. However, the Sunday Telegraph report added that there are signs that Deutsche Boerse chief executive Werner Seifert is becoming increasingly impatient with the LSE\'s managed bid process. Despite insisting he wants to agree a recommended deal with the LSE\'s board, the newspaper suggested he may pull out of the process and put an offer directly to shareholders instead. The newspaper also claimed Mr Seifert was becoming "increasingly frustrated" with the pace of negotiations since Deutsche Boerse\'s £1.3bn offer was rejected in mid-December, in particular the LSE\'s decision to suspend talks over the Christmas period. Meanwhile, the German exchange\'s offer has come under fire recently. Unions for Deutsche Boerse staff in Frankfurt have reportedly expressed fears that up to 300 jobs would be moved to London if the takeover is successful. Others claim it will weaken the city\'s status as Europe\'s financial centre, while German politicians are also said to be angry over the market operator\'s promise to move its headquarters to London if a bid is successful. A further stumbling block is Deutsche Boerse\'s control over its Clearstream unit, the clearing house that processes securities transactions. LSE shareholders fear it would create a monopoly situation, weakening the position of shareholders when negotiating lower transaction fees for share dealings. LSE and Euronext do not have control over their clearing and settlement operations, a situation which critics say is more transparent and competitive. ', 'US', "Israel looks to US for bank chief Israel has asked a US banker and former International Monetary Fund director to run its central bank. Stanley Fischer, vice chairman of banking giant Citigroup, has agreed to take the Bank of Israel job subject to approval from parliament and cabinet. His nomination by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came as a surprise, and led to gains on the Tel Aviv stock market. Mr Fischer, who speaks fluent Hebrew, will have to become an Israeli citizen to take the job. The US says he will not have to give up US citizenship to do so. Previous incumbent David Klein, who often argued with the Finance Ministry, steps down on 16 January. Mr Fischer will face a delicate balancing act - both in political and economic terms - between Mr Sharon and finance minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who also backed his nomination. But his appointment has also raised hopes that it could bring in fresh investment - and perhaps even an improvement in the country's credit rating Mr Fischer first went to Israel for six months in 1973, and almost emigrated there before deciding finally to return to the US. While teaching at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology he spent a month seconded to the Bank of Israel in 1979, beginning a long-time involvement in studying Israel's economy. In 1983 Mr Fischer became adviser on Israel's economy to then-US secretary of state George Shultz. At the World Bank in 1985, he participated in drawing up an economic stabilisation package for Israel. ", 'Russia', 'Minister hits out at Yukos sale Russia\'s renationalisation of its energy industry needs to be reversed, a senior government figure has warned. Economy minister German Gref told the Kommersant newspaper that direct state involvement in oil was "unjustified". His comments follow the sale of much of oil giant Yukos to cover back taxes - a deal which effectively took most of the firm\'s assets into public ownership. On 28 December, another senior economic adviser called the sale "the swindle of the century". Yuganskneftegaz, the unit which produced 60% of Yukos\' output, had been seized and sold in December for less than $10bn to a previously unknown firm called Baikal. Baikal promptly passed into the hands of state-controlled firm Rosneft, itself shortly to merge with state gas giant Gazprom. "We used to see street hustlers do this kind of thing," Andrei Illarionov - then economic adviser to President Vladimir Putin - told a press conference. "Now officials are doing it." Within days, he was stripped of most of his responsibilities. Mr Gref, a well-known opponent of nationalisation in competitive parts of the market, was keen to distance himself from Mr Iliaronov\'s comments. The privatisation of companies such as Yukos in the 1990s had been badly handled, he said. But he stressed that the government needed to get out of oil. "I think that Rosneft and Yuganskneftegaz, should it become a state-owned company, must be privatized," he said. "Today our government is ineffective and state companies, as a result, are for the overwhelming part ineffective as well." And he warned that using back taxes to deal with firms like Yukos - a technique now being applied by the Kremlin to several other firms - was a mistake. "If we follow that logic, we should nationalise all businesses," he said. Many large Russian companies, particularly in the energy sector, use complex webs of offshore companies to avoid taxes. Mr Gref also poured cold water on President Putin\'s promises of doubled economic growth within a decade. The assault on Yukos\' assets has been widely blamed for a slowdown in economic growth in recent months. "The task is not simply to double GDP; instead it is to use GDP to qualitatively improve people\'s lives," Mr Gref told Kommersant. "We don\'t need simply to increase GDP, but to improve its structure." Instead of focusing on headline growth figures, Russia needed to focus on better institutions, such as a more efficient - and less corrupt - court system. ', 'US', 'US prepares for hybrid onslaught Sales of hybrid cars in the US are set to double in 2005, research suggests. Research group JD Power estimates sales will hit 200,000 in 2005, despite higher prices and customer scepticism. Carmakers are starting to build hybrid sports utility vehicles (SUVs), the four-wheel-drive vehicles which now dominate the US car market. Hybrids cut both petrol consumption and emissions by combining a petrol engine with an electric motor constantly kept charged by extra engine power. Several jurisdictions, notably the state of California, mandate low emissions for new cars. Equally, the rise in oil prices over the past year has sparked hopes that consumers may be tempted by potential savings of a few hundred dollars a year on fuel. At the Detroit Motor Show, a range of manufacturers are prominently displaying their hybrid credentials. Toyota has led the market to date with the Prius, popularised by a number of celebrities keen to burnish their "green" credentials. In April it will launch a hybrid version of its Highlander SUV, with an SUV from its luxury Lexus marque due later in the year. Honda has three hybrids on the market, and between them the two Japanese carmakers sold more than 80,000 units last year. Ford, which has sold 4,000 of its first hybrid since its launch in August, is bringing a hybrid SUV - the Mariner - to market a year ahead of schedule, with plans for three more models by 2008. GM has a hybrid pickup on the market and is showing two concept SUVs in Detroit. Even sports car maker Porsche may join the race, although it insists it is still considering whether to hybridise its Cayenne SUV. Others remain more sceptical. Nissan has bought Toyota\'s hybrid technology, but plans to bring out its first model only in 2006. "We want to make sure we are not concentrating on one technology," Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said. "We will not be surprised by any acceleration or deceleration in the hybrid market." Volkswagen, meanwhile, says it will focus on clean-burning diesel engines instead. And some watchers point out that the price tag on a hybrid - upwards of $3,000 above that of an equivalent normal-engined car, and suspicion of the technology - may still cool its attraction. "The average consumers aren\'t willing to pay that premium for a car they won\'t drive more than six years," said Anthony Pratt from JD Power. ', 'UK', 'BA to suspend two Saudi services British Airways is to halt its flights from London Heathrow to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia from 27 March. The airline said the decision was a commercial one due to reduced passenger demand for the services. BA currently operates four flights per week from Heathrow to Jeddah, and three weekly journeys to Riyadh. It suspended flights to Saudi Arabia for three weeks in autumn 2003 after a government warning about a "threat to UK aviation interests in Saudi Arabia". BA will now suspend the Saudi flights - which it says will remain "under constant review" - from 27 March. "The decision to suspend flights between the UK and Saudi Arabia is a difficult one to make as we have enjoyed a long history of flying between the two countries," said BA director of commercial planning, Robert Boyle. "However, the routes don\'t currently make a profitable contribution to our business and we are unable to sustain them while this remains the case." Passengers with flights booked after the suspension date will be contacted by BA for alternative arrangements to be made. ', 'Germany', 'ECB holds rates amid growth fears The European Central Bank has left its key interest rate unchanged at 2% for the 19th month in succession. Borrowing costs have remained on hold amid concerns about the strength of economic growth in the 12 nations sharing the euro, analysts said. Despite signs of pick-up, labour markets and consumer demand remain sluggish, while firms are eyeing cost cutting measures such as redundancies. High oil prices, meanwhile, have put upward pressure on the inflation rate. Surveys of economists have shown that the majority expect borrowing costs to stay at 2% in coming months, with an increase of a quarter of a percentage point predicted some time in the second half of the year. If anything, there may be greater calls for an interest rate cut, especially with the euro continuing to strengthen against the dollar. "The euro land economy is still struggling with this recovery," said economist Dirk Schumacher. The ECB "may sound rather hawkish but once the data allows them to cut again, they will." Data coming out of Germany on Thursday underlined the problems facing European policy makers. While Germany\'s economy expanded by 1.7% in 2004, growth was driven by export sales and lost some of its momentum in the last three months of the year. The strength of the euro is threatening to dampen that foreign demand in 2005, and domestic consumption currently is not strong enough to take up the slack. Inflation in the eurozone, however, is estimated at about 2.3% in December, above ECB guidelines of 2%. ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet has remained upbeat about prospects for the region, and inflation is expected to drop below 2% later in 2005. The ECB has forecast economic growth in the eurozone of 1.9% in 2005. ', 'China', 'China bans new tobacco factories The world\'s biggest tobacco consumer, China, has said it will not allow any new tobacco factories to be built. China already has more than enough cigarette-making capacity, according to a spokesman for the tobacco industry regulator quoted in China Daily. The ban threatens to reignite tensions between the regulator and British American Tobacco, which plans to become China\'s first foreign cigarette maker. A spokeswoman for Bat declined to comment on the report. "China won\'t allow any new tobacco factories to be built, including joint ventures", said Xing Wangli, a spokesman for the State Tobacco Administration Monopoly quoted in China Daily. He also said that the state would retain its monopoly on cigarette distribution. China has 350 million smokers who consumer 1.7 trillion cigarettes a year. Smoking is fashionable in China, where it is seen as an essential - and manly - sociable touch for some jobs, such as salesmen. More young, urban woman are taking up smoking too. In July 2004, Bat announced it had won approval for to build a $1.5bn (£800m) joint venture factory in China which would make it the first foreign cigarette maker to manufacture there. The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration said a week later that it had not approved the deal, leading to an embarrassing public row. Bat told the BBC at that time that it had not negotiated with the STMC, and secured approval from "the highest levels of government". Since then, the row has flared occasionally, most recently at a forum in November. Bat consistently declines to comment. "Xing\'s statement comes as especially bad news for British American Tobacco", the China Daily newspaper said of the latest development. The Bat spokeswoman said: "There is nothing for us to add...since our announcement in July last year. The central government of China is the authority that approved our strategic investment." The decision to ban further tobacco factories does not apply to deals made before 2005, according to the French news agency AFP. The joint venture factory was expected to take till 2006 to build. The Bat spokeswoman would not comment on its progress. However, if the STMA continues to take a tough stance, expansion opportunities could be limited. China\'s tobacco market is increasingly valuable as anti-smoking campaigners target public smoking in the West. China Daily said the market was currently enjoying steady growth, making more than 210bn yuan ($25.4bn) in pre-tax profits last year, almost double the figure in 2000. The paper made no mention of health concerns. The STMA is trying to restructure the domestic tobacco industry, closing some factories, though such moves can be unpopular with local governments. ', 'UK', 'UK interest rates held at 4.75% The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold again at 4.75%, in a widely-predicted move. Rates went up five times from November 2003 - as the bank sought to cool the housing market and consumer debt - but have remained unchanged since August. Recent data has indicated a slowdown in manufacturing and consumer spending, as well as in mortgage approvals. And retail sales disappointed over Christmas, with analysts putting the drop down to less consumer confidence. Rising interest rates and the accompanying slowdown in the housing market have knocked consumers\' optimism, causing a sharp fall in demand for expensive goods, according to a report earlier this week from the British Retail Consortium. The BRC said Britain\'s retailers had endured their worst Christmas in a decade. "Today\'s no change decision is correct," said David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). "But, if there are clear signs that the economy slows, the MPC should be ready to take quick corrective action and cut rates. "Dismal reports from the retail trade about Christmas sales are worrying, if they indicate a more general weakening in consumer spending." Mr Frost added: "The housing market outlook remains highly uncertain. "It is widely accepted that, if house prices start falling more sharply, the risks facing the economy will worsen considerably." CBI chief economist Ian McCafferty said the economy had "slowed in recent months in response to rate rises" but that it was difficult to gauge from the Christmas period the likely pace of activity through the summer. "The Bank is having to juggle the emergence of inflationary pressures, driven by a tight labour market and buoyant commodity prices, against the risk of an over-abrupt slowdown in consumer activity," he said. "Interest rates are likely to remain on hold for some time." On Thursday there was more gloomy news on the manufacturing front, as the Office for National (ONS) statistics revealed British manufacturing output unexpectedly fell in November - for the fifth month in the past six. The ONS said manufacturing output dropped 0.1% in November, matching a similar unrevised fall in October and confounding economists\' expectations of a 0.3% rise. Manufacturers\' organisation, the EEF, said it expected the hold in interest rates to continue in the near future. It also said there was evidence that manufacturers\' confidence may be waning as the outlook for the world economy becomes more uncertain. "So far the evidence suggests that last year\'s rate increases have helped to rebalance the economy without damaging the recovery in manufacturing," said EEF chief economist, Steve Radley. "However, should the business outlook start to deteriorate, the Bank should stand ready to cut rates." Some economists have predicted rates will drop later in the year, although others feel the Bank may still think there is a need for a rise to 5% before that happens. The Bank remains concerned about the long-term risks posed by personal debt - which is rising at 15% a year - if economic conditions worsen. ', 'Germany', 'German economy rebounds Germany\'s economy, the biggest among the 12 countries sharing the euro, grew at its fastest rate in four years during 2004, driven by strong exports. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 1.7% last year, the statistical office said. The economy contracted in 2003. Foreign sales increased by 8.2% last year, compared with a 0.3% slide in private consumption. Concerns remain, however, over the strength of the euro, weak domestic demand and a sluggish labour market. The European Central Bank (ECB) left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2% on Thursday. It is the nineteenth month in a row that the ECB has not moved borrowing costs. Economists predict that an increase is unlikely to come until the second half of 2005, with growth set to sputter rather than ignite. "During 2004 we profited from the fact that the world economy was strong," said Stefan Schilbe, analyst at HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt. "If exports weaken and domestic growth remains poor, we cannot expect much from 2005." Many German consumers have been spooked and unsettled by government attempts to reform the welfare state and corporate environment. Major companies including Volkswagen, DaimlerChrysler and Siemens have spent much of 2004 in tough talks with unions about trimming jobs and costs. They have also warned there are more cost cutting measures on the horizon. ', 'US', 'Kraft cuts snack ads for children Kraft plans to cut back on advertising of products like Oreo cookies and sugary Kool-Aid drinks as part of an effort to promote healthy eating. The largest US food maker will also add a label to its more nutritional and low-fat brands to promote the benefits. Kraft rival PepsiCo began a similar labelling initiative last year. The moves come as the firms face criticism from consumer groups concerned at rising levels of obesity in US children. Major food manufacturers have recently been reformulating the content of some calorie-heavy products. Kraft\'s new advertising policy, which covers advertising on TV, radio and in print publications, is aimed at children between the ages of six and 11. It means commercials for some of its most famous snacks and cereals shown during early morning cartoon shows on TV will now be replaced by food and drink qualifying for Kraft\'s new "Sensible Solution" label. But the firm said it would continue to advertise all its products in media seen by parents and "all family" audiences. "We\'re working on ways to encourage both adults and children to eat wisely by selecting more nutritionally balanced diets," said Lance Friedmann, Kraft senior vice president. ', 'Russia', 'Khodorkovsky quits Yukos shares Jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has transferred his controlling stake in oil giant Yukos to a business partner. Mr Khodorkovsky handed over his entire 59.5% stake in holding company Group Menatep - which controls Yukos - to Leonid Nevzlin. A close ally of the ex-Yukos boss, Mr Nevzlin is currently based in Israel. Mr Khodorkovsky handed over his stake after the forced sale of Yukos\' core oil production unit, Yuganskneftegaz to pay a giant tax bill. Yuganskneftegaz was sold off at auction in December last year, eventually falling into the hands of state oil firm Rosneft in a deal worth $9.4bn (£5bn). "Since the sale of Yuganskneftegaz, I have been delivered of (all) responsibility for the business that remains and the group\'s money as a whole," Mr Khodorkovsky said. "It is all over. As before, I see my future in public activity to build a civil society in Russia." Mr Nevzlin is Yukos\' largest shareholder but is living in self-imposed exile in Israel. Yuganskneftegaz pumps around 1 million barrels of oil a day. It was sold by the Russian authorities to recover government tax claims against Yukos totalling over $27bn. Previously considered to be Russia\'s richest man, with an estimated fortune of $15bn, Mr Khodorkovsky is currently on trial for fraud and tax evasion following his arrest in October 2003. However, the charges are widely seen as politically motivated and part of a drive by Russian President Vladimir Putin to rein in the country\'s super-rich business leaders, the so-called oligarchs. It is also believed that Mr Khodorkovsky was particularly targeted because he had started to bankroll political opponents of Mr Putin. ', 'US', 'Wal-Mart fights back at accusers Two big US names have launched advertising campaigns to "set the record straight" about their products and corporate behaviour. The world\'s biggest retailer Wal-Mart took out more than 100 full page adverts in national newspapers. The group is trying to see off criticism over it pay deals, benefits package and promotion strategy. Meanwhile, drugs group Eli Lilly is planning a campaign against "false" claims about its product Prozac. Wal-Mart kicked off the battle with adverts in newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, using an open letter from company president Lee Scott saying it was time for the public to hear the "unfiltered truth". "There are lots of \'urban legends\' going around these days about Wal-Mart, but facts are facts. Wal-Mart is good for consumers, good for communities and good for the US economy," Mr Scott said in a separate statement. Its adverts - and a new website - outlined the group\'s plans to create more than 10,000 US jobs in 2005. Wal-Mart\'s average pay is almost twice the national minimum wage of $5.15 (£3.90) an hour, while employees are offered health and life insurance, company stock and a retirement plan, the adverts say. Unions accuse Wal-Mart of paying staff less than its rivals do, with fewer benefits. In California, the company is fighting opposition to new stores amid allegations it forces local competitors out of business. Lawmakers in the state are also examining allegations that the firm burdens the state with an unfair proportion of employee health care costs. "I think they are going to have a tough time suddenly overcoming the perceptions of some people," said Larry Bevington, chairman of Save Our Community - a group fighting to prevent Wal-Mart opening a store in Rosemead, California. Wal-Mart is also fighting two lawsuits - one accusing it of discriminating against women and another alleging it discriminates against black employees. Meanwhile Eli Lilly is launching a series of adverts in a dozen major newspapers, to present what is says are the true facts about its anti-depressant drug Prozac. The move is in response to a British Medical Journal article that claimed "missing" Lilly documents linked Prozac to suicide and violent behaviour. In the averts, entitled An Open Letter from chief executive Sidney Taurel, the company says the article continues to "needlessly spread fear among patients who take Prozac". "It was simply wrong to suggest that information on Prozac was missing, or that important research data on the benefits and possible side effects of the drug were not available to doctors and regulators," the letter added. Eli Lilly\'s chief medical officer Alan Breier said that the article was "false and misleading" as the documents it referred to were actually created by officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and presented to an FDA meeting in 1991. Later, FDA medical advisors agreed the claims were based on faulty data and there was no increased risk of suicide. ', 'US', 'US retail sales surge in December US retail sales ended the year on a high note with solid gains in December, boosted by strong car sales. Seasonally adjusted sales rose 1.2% in the month, compared to 0.1% a month earlier, boosted by a surge in shopping just before and after Christmas. Sales climbed 8% for the year, the best performance since an 8.5% rise in 1999, the Commerce Department added. The gains were led by a 4.3% jump in auto sales as dealers used enhanced offers to get cars out of showrooms. Dealers were forced to cut prices in December to maintain sales growth in a tough quarter when the usual end-of-year holiday sales boom was slow to get started. The increase in sales during December pushed total spending for the month to $349.4bn (£265.9bn). Sales for the year also broke through the $4 trillion mark for the first time - with annual sales coming in at $4.06 trillion However, if automotives are excluded from December\'s data, retail sales rose just 0.3% on the month. Home furnishings and furniture stores also performed well, rising 2.2%. But as well as hitting the shops, more US consumers were going online or using mail order for their purchases - with non-store retailers seeing sales rise by 1.9%. However, analysts said that the strong figures were unlikely to put the Federal Reserve Bank off its current policy of measured interest rate rises. "Consumers for now remain willing to spend freely, sustaining the US expansion. Given that attitude, the Fed remains likely to continue boosting the Fed funds rate at upcoming meetings," UBS economist Maury Harris told Reuters. Retail sales are seen as a major part of consumer spending - which in turn makes up two-thirds of economic output in the US. Consumer spending has been picking up in recent years after slumping during 2001 and 2002 as the country battled to recover from its first recession of the decade and the World Trade Centre attacks. During that time, sales grew a lacklustre 2.9% in 2001 and 2.5% a year later. Looking ahead, analysts now expect improvement in jobs growth to feed through to the High Street with consumer spending remaining strong. The belief comes despite the latest labor department report showing a surprise rise in unemployment. The number of Americans filing initial jobless claims jumped to 367,000, the highest rate since September. However, long-term claims slipped to their lowest level since 2001. ', 'Australia', 'Winemaker rejects Foster\'s offer Australian winemaker Southcorp has rejected a takeover offer worth 3.1bn Australian dollars ($2.3bn; £1.8bn) from brewing giant Foster\'s Group. Southcorp, whose brands include Penfolds, Rosemount and Lindemans, dismissed the offer as inadequate. The two companies held four days of talks after Foster\'s bought an 18.8% stake in Southcorp on 13 January. A merger would create a global player with worldwide annual sales of 39m cases and revenues of A$2.6bn. Southcorp said Foster\'s A$4.17-a-share takeover proposal offered a "excellent strategic fit" but undervalued the company. "Southcorp\'s board has informed Foster\'s that it is not prepared to recommend the offer as it does not adequately reflect the strategic value of the company," said Southcorp chairman Brian Finn. Southcorp said Foster\'s takeover offer was "opportunistic". However, it said that the offer may represent an \'opening bid\', opening up the possibility of Foster\'s returning with an improved offer. Foster\'s said a combination of the two companies would create a global player with an "unrivalled" collection of premium wine brands. Despite being best known for brewing Foster\'s Lager, Foster\'s is already one of Australia\'s largest wine producers, owning the Beringer and Wolf Blass brands among others. "The combination of Foster\'s and Southcorp will transform the global wine industry and significantly enhance Australia\'s competitive position on the global stage," said Trevor O\'Hoy, Foster\'s chief executive officer. Foster\'s spent A$584m on buying an 18.8% stake in Southcorp from the Oatley family, which founded the Rosemount Estates business and later merged it into Southcorp. Shares in both companies were suspended while the two held talks about a deal. Southcorp\'s shares rose 12% to A$4.76 on news of the offer but Foster\'s shares fell 3.7% to A$5.44. ', 'US', 'US industrial output growth eases US industrial production continued to rise in November, albeit at a slower pace than the previous month. The US Federal Reserve said output from factories, mines and utilities rose 0.3% - in line with forecasts - from a revised 0.6% increase in October. Analysts added that if the carmaking sector - which saw production fall 0.5% - had been excluded the data would have been more impressive. The latest increase means industrial output has grown 4.2% in the past year. Many analysts were upbeat about the prospects for the US economy, with the increase in production coming on the heels of news of a recovery in retail sales. "This is very consistent with an economy growing at 3.5 to 4.0%. It is congruent with job growth and consumer optimism," Comerica chief economist David Littman said of the figures. The US economy grew at a respectable annual rate of 3.7% in the three months between July and September, while jobs growth averaged 178,000 during the same period. While the employment figures are not spectacular, experts believe they are enough to whittle away at America\'s 5.4% jobless rate. A breakdown of the latest production figures shows mining output drove the increase, surging 2.1%, while factory output rose 0.3%. But utility output dropped 1.4%. Meanwhile, the amount of factory capacity in use during the month rose to 77.6% - its highest level since May 2001. "Many investors think that product market inflation won\'t be a problem until the utilisation rates are at 80% or higher," Cary Leahy, senior US economist at Deutsche Bank Securities, said. "So there is still a lot of inflation-fighting slack in the manufacturing sector," "Overall I\'d say manufacturing at least away from autos continues to improve and I would bet that it improves at a faster rate in coming months given how lean inventories are," Citigroup senior economist Steven Wieting added. ', 'UK', '\'Golden economic period\' to end Ten years of "golden" economic performance may come to an end in 2005 with growth slowing markedly, City consultancy Deloitte has warned. The UK economy could suffer a backlash from the slowdown in the housing market, triggering a fall in consumer spending and a rise in unemployment. Deloitte is forecasting economic growth of 2% this year, below Chancellor Gordon Brown\'s forecast of 3% to 3.5%. It also believes that interest rates will fall to 4% by the end of the year. In its quarterly economic review, Deloitte said the UK economy had enjoyed a "golden period" during the past decade with unemployment falling to a near 30 year low and inflation at its lowest since the 1960s. But it warned that this growth had been achieved at the expense of creating major "imbalances" in the economy. Deloitte\'s chief economic advisor Roger Bootle said: "The biggest hit of all is set to come from the housing market which has already embarked on a major slowdown. "Whereas the main driver of the economy in recent years has been robust household spending growth, this is likely to suffer as the housing market slowdown gathers pace." Economic growth is likely to be constrained during the next few years by increased pressure on household budgets and rising taxes, Deloitte believes. Gordon Brown will need to raise about $10bn a year in order to sustain the public finances in the short term, the firm claims. This will result in a marked slowdown in growth in 2005 and 2006 compared to last year, when the economy expanded by 3.25%. However, Deloitte stressed that the slowdown was unlikely to have any major impact on retail prices while it expected the Bank of England to respond quickly to signs of the economy faltering. It expects a series of "aggressive" interest rate cuts over the next two years, with the cost of borrowing falling from its current 4.75% mark to 3.5% by the end of 2006. "Although 2005 may not be the year when things go completely wrong, it will probably mark the start of a more difficult period for the UK economy," Mr Bootle. ', 'China', 'Beijingers fume over parking fees Choking traffic jams in Beijing are prompting officials to look at reorganising car parking charges. Car ownership has risen fast in recent years, and there are now two and a half million cars on the city\'s roads. The trouble is that the high status of car ownership is matched by expensive fees at indoor car parks, making motorists reluctant to use them. Instead roads are being clogged by drivers circling in search of a cheaper outdoor option. "The price differences between indoor and outdoor lots are unreasonable," said Wang Yan, an official from the Beijing Municipal Commission for Development and Reform quoted in the state-run China Daily newspaper. Mr Wang, who is in charge of collecting car parking fees, said his team would be looking at adjusting parking prices to close the gap. Indoor parking bays can cost up to 250% more than outdoor ones. Sports fans who drive to matches may also find themselves the target of the commission\'s road rage. It wants them to use public transport, and is considering jacking up the prices of car parks near sports grounds. Mr Wang said his review team may scrap the relatively cheap hourly fee near such places and impose a higher flat rate during matches. Indoor parking may be costly, but it is not always secure. Mr Wang\'s team are also going to look into complaints from residents about poor service received in exchange for compulsory monthly fees of up to 400 yuan ($48; £26). The Beijing authorities decided two years ago that visiting foreign dignitaries\' motorcades should not longer get motorcycle outriders as they blocked the traffic. Unclogging Beijing\'s increasingly impassable streets is a major concern for the Chinese authorities, who are building dozens of new roads to create a showcase modern city ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. ', 'US', 'US economy still growing says Fed Most areas of the US saw their economy continue to expand in December and early January, the US Federal Reserve said in its latest Beige Book report. Of the 12 US regions it identifies for the study, 11 showed stronger economic growth, with only the Cleveland area falling behind with a "mixed" rating. Consumer spending was higher in December than November, and festive sales were also up on 2003. The employment picture also improved, the Fed said. "Labour markets firmed in a number of districts, but wage pressures generally remained modest," the Beige Book said. "Several districts reported higher prices for building materials and manufacturing inputs, but most reported steady or only slightly higher overall price levels." The report added that residential real estate activity remained strong and that commercial real estate activity strengthened in most districts. "Office leasing was especially brisk in Washington DC, and New York City, two of the nation\'s strongest commercial markets," the Fed said. ', 'US', "WorldCom trial starts in New York The trial of Bernie Ebbers, former chief executive of bankrupt US phone company WorldCom, has started in New York with the selection of the jury. Mr Ebbers, 63, is accused of being the mastermind behind an $11bn (£6bn) accounting fraud that eventually saw the firm collapse in July 2002. His indictment includes charges of securities fraud, conspiracy and filing false reports with regulators. If found guilty, Mr Ebbers could face a substantial jail sentence. He has firmly declared his innocence. Under Mr Ebbers' leadership, WorldCom emerged from Mississippi obscurity to become a $160bn telecoms giant and the darling of late 1990s investors. Yet as competition intensified and the telecoms boom petered out, WorldCom found itself under growing financial stress. When WorldCom finally collapsed, shareholders lost about $180bn and 20,000 workers lost their jobs. Mr Ebbers' trial, which is expected to last two months, is the latest in a series of attempts by US prosecutors to pursue senior executives for fraud. It will coincide with the retrial of former Tyco International chief Dennis Kozlowski and his top lieutenant, accused of looting the industrial conglomerate to the tune of $600m. Trail preparations are also preparing for former executives of shamed US energy firm Enron. ", 'US', 'High fuel costs hit US airlines Two of the largest airlines in the US - American and Southwest - have blamed record fuel prices for their disappointing quarterly results. American Airlines\' parent AMR reported a loss of $387m (£206m) for the fourth quarter of 2004, against a $111m loss for the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines saw its fourth-quarter 2004 profits fall 15% to $56m, against $66m a year earlier. Both said high fuel bills would continue to pressure revenues in 2005. American, the world\'s biggest airline by some measures, said it expected to report a loss for the first quarter of 2005. Southwest, which has the highest market value of any US carrier, said it would remain profitable despite high fuel prices. AMR\'s shares were flat in Wednesday morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as the results were slightly better than analysts had anticipated. AMR\'s chief executive Gerard Arpey said the airline\'s difficulties reflected the situation within the industry. "AMR\'s results for the fourth quarter of 2004 reflect the economic woes that plagued the airline industry throughout 2004 - in particular, high fuel prices and a tough revenue environment," he said. For the full year, AMR posted a loss of $761m, lower than 2003\'s $1.2bn loss and an indication that the airline has successfully cut costs. AMR added that as part of its cost cutting measures, it is postponing the delivery of 54 Boeing jets. Shares in Southwest fell 65 cents to $14.35 as analysts voiced their disappointment. "The results came in below our already conservative estimate for the quarter," said Ray Neidl, an analyst at Calyon Securities. Both American and Southwest have been squeezed by cut-throat competition in the US airline industry, as a glut of available seats has led to fierce price reductions. ', 'Indonesia', 'Tsunami slows Sri Lanka\'s growth Sri Lanka\'s president has launched a reconstruction drive worth $3.5bn (£1.8bn) by appealing for peace and national unity. President Kumaratunga said it was now important to find a peaceful solution to years of internal conflict. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said damage from the tsunami would cut one percentage point from Sri Lanka\'s economic growth this year. It estimated the wave left physical damage equal to 6.5% of the economy. Separately, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that at least one million people have lost their livelihoods in Sri Lanka and Indonesia alone. It called for action to create jobs. President Kumaratunga attended a ceremony in the southern town of Hambantota. She was joined by government and opposition politicians, together with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian clergy. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse laid the foundation stone on a new housing project intended to provide 6,000 homes for survivors of the tsunami. Mrs Kumaratunga called for the tragedy to be "the start of a new beginning to rebuild our nation". "We are a country blessed with so many natural resources and we have not made use of them fully. Instead we have been squabbling, fighting," she added. Norway\'s peace negotiator Erik Solheim is due to arrive on Wednesday to try to revive peace talks in the decades-long conflict between government forces and the Tamil Tigers, who want a separate state in the north east of the country. Reconstruction efforts in eastern Sri Lanka have been hampered by tensions between the two sides. The IMF said that the Sri Lankan authorities\' initial estimates have put the physical damage at $1.3 to $1.5bn, but added that the implications for the economy were much wider than this. "The broader macroeconomic impact will clearly be substantial but the details are difficult to assess at this early stage," the IMF said. Growth, inflation, the balance of payments and foreign exchange reserves are all expected to show the effects of lost businesses and reconstruction costs. "The fishing industry has been devastated, agricultural production may be affected and tourism will suffer, especially in the short term," the report said. The ILO estimated that 400,000 Sri Lankans have lost their jobs, mostly in these three industries. Earnings from tourism this year are expected to be 15% lower than last year. Economic growth this year is expected to be 4%, which is about 1% less than previously forecast. Inflation could climb to 14% compared to a previous estimate of 12%. Although major exports have not suffered, the IMF expects the reconstruction effort will require higher imports which could damage the balance of payments. Foreign exchange reserves may become strained as "Sri Lanka will be hard pressed to keep international reserves at the pre-tsunami level" which totalled more than two months worth of imports. Last week, the IMF approved Sri Lanka\'s request for a freeze on loan repayments. ', 'China', 'China suspends 26 power projects China has ordered a halt to construction work on 26 big power stations, including two at the Three Gorges Dam, on environmental grounds. The move is a surprising one because China is struggling to increase energy supplies for its booming economy. Last year 24 provinces suffered black outs. The State Environmental Protection Agency said the 26 projects had failed to do proper environmental assessments. Topping the list was a controversial dam on the scenic upper Yangtze River. "Construction of these projects has started without approval of the assessment of their environmental impact... they are typical illegal projects of construction first, approval next," said SEPA vice-director Pan Yue, in a statement on the agency\'s website. Some of the projects may be allowed to start work again with the proper permits, but others would be cancelled, he said. Altogether, the agency ordered 30 projects halted. Other projects included a petrochemicals plant and a port in Fujian. The bulk of the list was made up of new power plants, with some extensions to existing ones. The stoppages would appear to be another step in the central government\'s battle to control projects licensed by local officials. However, previous crackdowns have tended to focus on projects for which the government argued there was overcapacity, such as steel and cement. The government has encouraged construction of new electricity generating capacity to solve chronic energy shortages which forced many factories onto part-time working last year. In 2004, China increased its generating capacity by 12.6%, or 440,700 megawatts (MW). The biggest single project to be halted was the Xiluodi Dam project, designed to produce 12,600 MW of electricity. It is being built on the Jinshajiang - or \'river of golden sand\' as the upper reaches of the Yangtze are known. Second and third on the agency\'s list were two power stations being built at the $22bn Three Gorges Dam project on the central Yangtze - an underground 4,200 MW power plant and a 100 MW plant. The Three Gorges Dam has proved controversial in China - where more than half a million people have been relocated to make way for it - and abroad. It has drawn criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists. The damming of the Upper Yangtze has also begun to attract criticism from environmentalists in China. In April 2004, central government officials ordered a halt to work on the nearby Nu River, which is part of a United Nations world heritage site, the Three Parallel Rivers site which covers the Yangtze, Mekong and Nu (also known as the Salween), according to the UK-published China Review. That move reportedly followed a protest from the Thai government about the downstream impact of the dams, and a critical documentary made by Chinese journalists. China\'s energy shortage influenced global prices for oil, coal and shipping last year. ', 'Italy', 'Two Nigerian banks set to merge Nigerian banks United Bank of Africa and Standard Trust Bank have agreed plans to merge and create the biggest bank in West Africa. The deal is also in line with a 2004 directive from the Nigerian central bank that called for more consolidation in the nation\'s crowded banking sector. The merger was announced in a statement on Standard Trust\'s website on Tuesday, but no financial details were revealed. United Bank is the third biggest in Nigeria in terms of number of branches. Standard Trust is smaller but more profitable. "The boards of United Bank and Standard Trust, at separate meetings yesterday, approved arrangements to merge both institutions," Standard Trust said. Standard Trust is 100% Nigerian-owned, but United Bank has some foreign investors, including New York-based Global Depository Receipts (32.8%), and Banca Nazionale del Lavoro and Monte del Paschi di Siena, both from Italy, who each have a 2.4% stake. ', 'Australia', 'Virgin Blue shares plummet 20% Shares in Australian budget airline Virgin Blue plunged 20% after it warned of a steep fall in full year profits. Virgin Blue said profits after tax for the year to March would be between 10% to 15% lower than the previous year. "Sluggish demand reported previously for November and now December 2004 continues," said Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey. Virgin Blue, which is 25% owned by Richard Branson, has been struggling to fend off pressure from rival Jetstar. It cut its full year passenger number forecast by "approximately 2.5%". Virgin Blue reported a 22% fall in first quarter profits in August 2004 due to tough competition. In November, first half profits were down due to slack demand and rising fuel costs. Virgin Blue was launched four years ago and now has roughly one third of Australia\'s domestic airline market. But the national carrier, Qantas, has fought back with its own budget airline, Jetstar, which took to the skies in May 2004. Sydney-listed Virgin Blue\'s shares recovered slightly to close 12% down on Wednesday. Shares in its major shareholder, Patrick Corporation - which owns 46% of Virgin Blue - had dropped 31% by the close. ', 'US', 'Watchdog probes Vivendi bond sale French stock market regulator AMF has filed complaints against media giant Vivendi Universal, its boss and another top executive. It believes the prospectus for a bond issue was unclear and that executives may have had privileged information. AMF has begun proceedings against Vivendi, its chief executive Jean-Rene Fourtou and chief operating officer Jean-Bernard Levy. Vivendi advisor Deutsche Bank was also the subject of a complaint filing. Deutsche Bank, which was responsible for selling the convertible bonds to investors, could face penalties if the complaint is upheld. Vivendi has said it believes there is "no legal basis" for the complaints. The watchdog is said to believe the executive pair were party to "privileged information" surrounding the issue of the bonds. Both men bought some of the bonds, the Associated Press news agency reported. AMF is investigating claims that the duo were aware of an interest in Vivendi\'s US assets from investor Marvin Davis, at the time of the bond sale. Vivendi, however, has said that the information was public knowledge as Mr Davis\' offer for the US assets had already been rejected by Vivendi\'s board. AMF is also looking into whether the executives knew that Vivendi was considering exercising its right to buy British Telecom\'s shares in Cegetel. Vivendi has rejected the charge, saying the decision to buy the Cegetel shares was "no more than a possibility, of which the public was perfectly aware" at the time of the bond issue. Back in December, Vivendi and its former chief executive Jean-Marie Messier were each fined 1m euros ($1.3m; £690,000) by AMF. The fines came after a 15-month probe into allegations that the media giant misled investors after a costly acquisition programme went wrong. ', 'US', 'JP Morgan admits US slavery links Thousands of slaves were accepted as collateral for loans by two banks that later became part of JP Morgan Chase. The admission is part of an apology sent to JP Morgan staff after the bank researched its links to slavery in order to meet legislation in Chicago. Citizens Bank and Canal Bank are the two lenders that were identified. They are now closed, but were linked to Bank One, which JP Morgan bought last year. About 13,000 slaves were used as loan collateral between 1831 and 1865. Because of defaults by plantation owners, Citizens and Canal ended up owning about 1,250 slaves. "We all know slavery existed in our country, but it is quite different to see how our history and the institution of slavery were intertwined," JP Morgan chief executive William Harrison and chief operating officer James Dimon said in the letter. "Slavery was tragically ingrained in American society, but that is no excuse." "We apologise to the African-American community, particularly those who are descendants of slaves, and to the rest of the American public for the role that Citizens Bank and Canal Bank played." "The slavery era was a tragic time in US history and in our company\'s history." JP Morgan said that it was setting up a $5m scholarship programme for students living in Louisiana, the state where the events took place. The bank said that it is a "very different company than the Citizens and Canal Banks of the 1800s". ', 'India', 'Wipro beats forecasts once again Wipro, India\'s third-biggest software firm, has reported a 60% rise in profit, topping market expectations. Net income in the last quarter was 4.3bn rupees ($98m; £52m), against 2.7bn a year earlier. Profit had been forecast to be 4.1bn rupees. Wipro offers services such as call centres to foreign clients and has worked for more than half of the companies on the Fortune 500 list. Wipro said demand was strong, allowing it to increase the prices it charged. "On the face of it, the results don\'t look very exciting," said Apurva Shah, an analyst at ASK-Raymond James. "But the guidance is positive and pricing going up is good news." Third-quarter sales rose 34% to 20.9bn rupees. One problem identified by Wipro was the high turnover of its staff. It said that 90% of employees at its business process outsourcing operations had had to be replaced. "We have to get that under control," said vice-chairman Vivek Paul. Wipro is majority owned by India\'s richest man Azim Premji. ', 'UK', 'Christmas sales worst since 1981 UK retail sales fell in December, failing to meet expectations and making it by some counts the worst Christmas since 1981. Retail sales dropped by 1% on the month in December, after a 0.6% rise in November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The ONS revised the annual 2004 rate of growth down from the 5.9% estimated in November to 3.2%. A number of retailers have already reported poor figures for December. Clothing retailers and non-specialist stores were the worst hit with only internet retailers showing any significant growth, according to the ONS. The last time retailers endured a tougher Christmas was 23 years previously, when sales plunged 1.7%. The ONS echoed an earlier caution from Bank of England governor Mervyn King not to read too much into the poor December figures. Some analysts put a positive gloss on the figures, pointing out that the non-seasonally-adjusted figures showed a performance comparable with 2003. The November-December jump last year was roughly comparable with recent averages, although some way below the serious booms seen in the 1990s. And figures for retail volume outperformed measures of actual spending, an indication that consumers are looking for bargains, and retailers are cutting their prices. However, reports from some High Street retailers highlight the weakness of the sector. Morrisons, Woolworths, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer and Big Food all said that the festive period was disappointing. And a British Retail Consortium survey found that Christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years. Yet, other retailers - including HMV, Monsoon, Jessops, Body Shop and Tesco - reported that festive sales were well up on last year. Investec chief economist Philip Shaw said he did not expect the poor retail figures to have any immediate effect on interest rates. "The retail sales figures are very weak, but as Bank of England governor Mervyn King indicated last night, you don\'t really get an accurate impression of Christmas trading until about Easter," said Mr Shaw. "Our view is the Bank of England will keep its powder dry and wait to see the big picture." ', 'India', "India's Reliance family feud heats up The ongoing public spat between the two heirs of India's biggest conglomerate, Reliance Group, has spilled over to the board meeting of a leading company within the group. Anil Ambani, vice-chairman of India Petrochemicals Limited (IPCL), stayed away from a gathering of senior managers on Thursday. The move follows a decision earlier this month by Anil - the younger brother of Reliance Group president Mukesh Ambani - to resign from his post. His resignation was not accepted by his brother, who is also the boss of IPCL. The IPCL board met in Mumbai to discuss the company's results for the October-to-December quarter. It is understood that the board also considered Anil's resignation and asked him to reconsider his decision. However, Anil's demand that Anand Jain - another IPCL board member accused by Anil of creating a rift in the Ambani family - be thrown out, was not met. Anil has accused Anand Jain, a confidant of his brother Mukesh, of playing a negative role in the Ambani family, and being responsible for the trouble between the brothers. On Wednesday, the board of Reliance Energy, another Reliance Group company, reaffirmed its faith in Anil, who is the company's chief. Reliance Group acquired the government's 26% stake in IPCL - India's second-largest petrochemicals company - in 2002, as part of the privatisation drive. Meanwhile, the group's flagship company, Reliance Industries, has its board meeting on Friday to consider its financial results. Mukesh is the company's chairman and Anil its deputy, and it is expected that both brothers will come face to face in the meeting. The Ambani family controls 48% of the group, which is worth $17bn (£9.1bn; 745bn Indian rupees). It was founded by their father, Dhiru Bhai Ambani, who died two years ago. ", 'US', 'US budget deficit to reach $368bn The US budget deficit is set to hit a worse-than-expected $368bn (£197bn) this year, officials said on Tuesday. The cost of military operations still needs to be factored in, with analysts saying the deficit could end up a further $100bn in the red. Past Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts said there would be a $348bn shortfall in the 2005 fiscal year. In recent months, the dollar has weakened amid market jitters about the size of the budget and trade deficits. In November, the gap between US exports and imports widened to more than $60bn, a record figure. The CBO says it envisages a further "orderly" decline in the greenback over the next two years as the twin deficit drives dollar investors away. But the non-partisan fiscal watchdog notes the declines will help exporters and boost US economic growth. The budget deficit hit a record $412bn in the 12 months to 30 September 2004, after reaching $377bn in the previous fiscal year. The CBO also forecast a total shortfall of $855bn for the years from 2006 to 2015, an improvement on previous projections. However, analysts say the new figures fail to take into account the potential $2-$3.8 trillion costs of the president\'s plan to revamp state pensions and extend tax cuts. The figure could also be worsened by any further military costs. Republicans have blamed the size of the deficit on slow economic conditions after the 11 September attacks and ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of President George W Bush\'s election pledges was to halve the budget deficit within five years. But Democrats have accused the president of excluding Iraq-related costs from previous budgets to meet the aim of reducing the deficit, a charge which the administration denies. On Tuesday, the US administration asked Congress for additional funds for military operations. ', 'Brazil', 'Brazil jobless rate hits new low Brazil\'s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in three years in December, according to the government. The Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said it fell to 9.6% in December from 10.6% in November and 10.9% in December 2003. IBGE also said that average monthly salaries grew 1.9% in December 2004 from December 2003. However, average monthly wages fell 1.8% in December to 895.4 reais ($332; £179.3) from November. Tuesday\'s figures represent the first time that the unemployment rate has fallen to a single digit since new measurement rules were introduced in 2001. The unemployment rate has been falling gradually since April 2004 when it reached a peak of 13.1%. The jobless rate average for the whole of 2004 was 11.5%, down from 12.3% in 2003, the IBGE said. This improvement can be attributed to the country\'s strong economic growth, with the economy registering growth of 5.2% in 2004, the government said. The economy is expected to grow by about 4% this year. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promised to reduce unemployment when he was elected two years ago. Nevertheless, some analysts say that unemployment could increase in the next months. "The data is favourable, but a lot of jobs are temporary for the (Christmas) holiday season, so we may see slightly higher joblessness in January and February," Julio Hegedus, chief economist with Lopes Filho & Associates consultancy in Rio de Janeir, told Reuters news agency. Despite his leftist background, President Lula has pursued a surprisingly conservative economic policy, arguing that in order to meet its social promises, the government needs to first reach a sustained economic growth. The unemployment rate is measured in the six main metropolitan areas of Brazil (Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Salvador and Porto Alegre), where most of the population is concentrated. ', 'Italy', "Parmalat bank barred from suing Bank of America has been banned from suing Parmalat, the food group which went bust in 2003 after an accounting scandal. The bank - along with investors, auditors and the group's managers - wants damages for being a victim of fraud at the hands of the Italian firm. But a judge has barred Bank of America and two auditors from the case. The bank, and Italaudit - formerly the Italian arm of auditor Grant Thornton - face lawsuits and possible prosecution. A second auditor, Deloitte & Touche, has also been banned from the case. Grant Thornton - now rid of the Italian unit at the centre of the case - is still being permitted to sue, as are Consob, Italy's stock market regulator, hundreds of small investors and Parmalat's new managers. Parmalat collapsed in December 2003 after it emerged that the 4bn euros ($5.2bn; £2.8bn) it supposedly held in a Bank of American offshore account did not in fact exist. ", 'US', 'FBI agent colludes with analyst A former FBI agent and an internet stock picker have been found guilty of using confidential US government information to manipulate stock prices. A New York court ruled that former FBI man Jeffrey Royer, 41, fed damaging information to Anthony Elgindy, 36. Mr Elgindy then drove share prices lower by spreading negative publicity via his newsletter. The Egyptian-born analyst would extort money from his targets in return for stopping the attacks, prosecutors said. "Under the guise of protecting investors from fraud, Royer and Elgindy used the FBI\'s crime-fighting tools and resources actually to defraud the public," said US Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf. Mr Royer was convicted of racketeering, securities fraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Mr Elgindy was convicted of racketeering, securities fraud and extortion. The charges carry sentences of up to 20 years. When the guilty verdict was announced by the jury foreman, Mr Elgindy dropped his face into his hands and sobbed, the Associated Press news agency reported. He was led weeping from the court room by US marshals, AP said. Defense lawyers contended that Mr Royer had been feeding information to Mr Elgindy and another trader in an attempt to expose corporate fraud. Mr Elgindy\'s team claimed that he also was fighting against corporate wrongdoing. "Elgindy\'s conviction marks the end of his public charade as a crusader against fraud in the market," said Ms Mauskopf. One of the more bizarre aspects of the trial focused on the claims that Mr Elgindy may have had foreknowledge of the 11 September terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Mr Elgindy had been trying to sell stock prior to the attack and had predicted a slump in the market. No charges were brought in relation to these allegations. ', 'China', "China Aviation seeks rescue deal Scandal-hit jet fuel supplier China Aviation Oil has offered to repay its creditors $220m (£117m) of the $550m it lost on trading in oil futures. The firm said it hoped to pay $100m now and another $120m over eight years. With assets of $200m and liabilities totalling $648m, it needs creditors' backing for the offer to avoid going into bankruptcy. The trading scandal is the biggest to hit Singapore since the $1.2bn collapse of Barings Bank in 1995. Chen Jiulin, chief executive of China Aviation Oil (CAO), was arrested by at Changi Airport by Singapore police on 8 December. He was returning from China, where he had headed when CAO announced its trading debacle in late-November. The firm had been betting heavily on a fall in the price of oil during October, but prices rose sharply instead. Among the creditors whose backing CAO needs for its restructuring plan are banking giants such as Barclay's Capital and Sumitomo Mitsui, as well as South Korean firm SK Energy. Of the immediate payment, the firm - China's biggest jet fuel supplier - said it would be paying $30m out of its own resources. The rest would come from its parent company, China Aviation Oil Holding Company in Beijing. The holding company, owned by the Chinese government, holds most of CAO's Singapore-listed shares. It cut its holding from 75% to 60% on 20 October. ", 'France', "Algeria hit by further gas riots Algeria suffered a weekend of violent protests against government plans to raise gas prices, local press reports. Demonstrators in a number of regions blocked roads, attacked public buildings and overturned vehicles, newspapers including El Watan reported. The price of butane gas, a vital fuel for cooking, has risen to 200 dinars ($2.77) per canister from 170 dinars. Even before the hike, failing economic conditions had been fanning resentment in some of Algeria's poorest regions. Demonstrators took to the streets last week when the cost change was first announced, but police seemed to have restored order. According to local press reports, trouble flared up again on Saturday and carried on into Sunday. El Watan said that a number of hot spots centred on the villages and towns close to Bouira, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital Algiers. Among the other main areas affected were the western Tiaret region and Sidi Ammar in the east of the country, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported. Riots also flared up in the Maghnia region close to the border with Morocco in the west, AFP said. Butane gas and fuel oil are used as the main source of fuel to heat homes and cook food in Algeria's remote mountain areas. ", 'UK', 'UK economy ends year with spurt The UK economy grew by an estimated 3.1% in 2004 after accelerating in the last quarter of the year, says the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure is in line with Treasury and Bank of England forecasts. The ONS says gross domestic product (GDP) rose by a strong 0.7% in the three months to 31 December, compared with 0.5% in the previous quarter. The rise came despite a further decline in production output and the worst Christmas for retailers in decades. The annual figure marked out the best year since 2000, and was also well ahead of the 2.2% recorded in 2003. Growth in the final three months of 2004 marked the 50th consecutive quarter of expansion. "On the basis of the latest information the UK has entered 2005 on course to continue its record period of growth," said Paul Boateng, chief secretary to the Treasury in a statement. The ONS said the services sector, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of the UK economy, grew 1.0% in the quarter. The strong services figure was welcomed by analysts, given lacklustre retail sales in December and across the Christmas holiday period. "The fact that other services components are doing so well suggests to me that we are back to trend (growth) and I am not particularly concerned about any further slowdown," said Ross Walker, UK economist at RBS Financial Markets. However, output in the production sector contracted 0.5%, the second quarterly fall in row and a state of affairs that some economists classify as a recession. However the ONS would not comment on the definition of a recession and whether the manufacturing recovery was over. But Steve Radley, chief economist at the manufacturers\' organisation EEF, said: "These figures remain at odds with what is actually happening on the ground. "Whilst companies may be experiencing tougher conditions this year, \'recession\' is not a word that manufacturers would currently recognise." The ONS said a sharp fall in mining and quarrying, which was driven by oil and gas extraction, was primarily responsible for the overall contraction in manufacturing production figures. Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at Gerrard, said: "This outturn (of 0.7%) was well ahead of the market expectations and cast doubt on the scare stories doing the rounds surrounding the current state of the UK economy." And he said the GDP figures may help to "push interest rate expectations a little higher along the curve". "The suggestion from the money markets is that the next move is now more likely to be in an upward rather than a downward direction. This is consistent with our own thinking," said Mr Rubinsohn. The Bank of England\'s nine-strong rate-setting committee voted unanimously earlier this month to keep interest rates steady at 4.75%, minutes of the meeting showed on Wednesday. ', 'US', 'HealthSouth ex-boss goes on trial The former head of US medical services firm HealthSouth overstated earnings and assets to boost the company\'s share price, it was claimed in court. Richard Scrushy, 52, is accused of "directing" a $2.7bn (£1.4bn) accounting fraud at the company he co-founded in Alabama in 1984. Prosecutors said he was motivated by wealth - spending about $200m between 1996 and 2002 while earning much less. Defence lawyers said Mr Scrushy had been deceived by other executives. Several former HealthSouth employees have already pleaded guilty to fraud and are expected to give evidence against Mr Scrushy. "We will present evidence that Richard Scrushy knew about the conspiracy, that he participated in the conspiracy and that he profited," prosecutor Alice Martin told the court. Mr Scrushy is the first chief executive to be tried for breaching the Sarbanes Oxley Act - a law introduced in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom frauds which obliges corporate bosses to vouch for the accuracy of their companies\' results. Among the charges he faces are conspiracy to commit fraud, filing false statements and money laundering. After federal agents raided HealthSouth\'s offices in March 2003, the company said none of its past financial statements could be relied on. The firm has since reorganised its board and management team and currently operates about 1,400 health clinics. ', 'US', "Lacroix label bought by US firm Luxury goods group LVMH has sold its loss-making Christian Lacroix clothing label to a US investment group. The Paris-based firm has been shedding non-core businesses and focusing on its most profitable brands including Moet & Chandon champagne and Louis Vuitton. LVMH said the French designer's haute couture and ready-to-wear labels had been purchased by the Falic Group for an unspecified sum. The Falic Group bought two cosmetics labels from LVMH in 2003. The sale of the Lacroix label comes as many fashion houses are struggling to make money from their expensive haute couture ranges. The Florida-based Falic group, which also runs a chain of 90 duty free stores in the US, said it planned to expand the brand by opening new stores. Mr Lacroix said he planned to stay at the label he founded in 1987 although exact details are still to be confirmed. "]
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['US', 'Jarre joins fairytale celebration French musician Jean-Michel Jarre is to perform at a concert in Copenhagen to mark the bicentennial of the birth of writer Hans Christian Andersen. Denmark is holding a three-day celebration of the life of the fairy-tale author, with a concert at Parken stadium on 2 April. Other stars are expected to join the line-up in the coming months, and the Danish royal family will attend. "Christian Andersen\'s fairy tales are timeless and universal," said Jarre. "For all of us, at any age there is always - beyond the pure enjoyment of the tale - a message to learn." There are year-long celebrations planned across the world to celebrate Andersen and his work, which includes The Emperor\'s New Clothes and The Little Mermaid. Denmark\'s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited New York on Monday to help promote the festivities. The pair were at a Manhattan library to honour US literary critic Harold Bloom "the international icon we thought we knew so well". "Bloom recognizes the darker aspects of Andersen\'s authorship," Prince Frederik said. Bloom is to be formally presented with the Hans Christian Andersen Award this spring in Anderson\'s hometown of Odense. The royal couple also visited the Hans Christian Anderson School complex, where Queen Mary read The Ugly Duckling to the young audience. Later at a gala dinner, Danish supermodel Helena Christensen was named a Hans Christian Andersen ambassador. Other ambassadors include actors Harvey Keitel and Sir Roger Moore, athlete Cathy Freeman and Brazilian soccer legend Pele. ', 'US', "Bennett play takes theatre prizes The History Boys by Alan Bennett has been named best new play in the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. Set in a grammar school, the play also earned a best actor prize for star Richard Griffiths as teacher Hector. The Producers was named best musical, Victoria Hamilton was best actress for Suddenly Last Summer and Festen's Rufus Norris was named best director. The History Boys also won the best new comedy title at the Theatregoers' Choice Awards. Partly based upon Alan Bennett's experience as a teacher, The History Boys has been at London's National Theatre since last May. The Critics' Circle named Rebecca Lenkiewicz its most promising playwright for The Night Season, and Eddie Redmayne most promising newcomer for The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? Paul Rhys was its best Shakespearean performer for Measure for Measure at the National Theatre and Christopher Oram won the design award for Suddenly Last Summer. Both the Critics' Circle and Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice award winners were announced on Tuesday. Chosen by more than 11,000 theatre fans, the Theatregoers' Choice Awards named US actor Christian Slater best actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Diana Rigg was best actress for Suddenly Last Summer, Dame Judi Dench was best supporting actress for the RSC's All's Well That Ends Well and The History Boys' Samuel Barnett was best supporting actor. ", 'UK', 'Levy tipped for Whitbread prize Novelist Andrea Levy is favourite to win the main Whitbread Prize book of the year award, after winning novel of the year with her book Small Island. The book has already won the Orange Prize for fiction, and is now 5/4 favourite for the £25,000 Whitbread. Second favourite is a biography of Mary Queen of Scots, by John Guy. A panel of judges including Sir Trevor McDonald, actor Hugh Grant and writer Joanne Harris will decide the overall winner on Tuesday. The five writers in line for the award won their respective categories - first novel, novel, biography, poetry and children\'s book - on 6 January. Small Island, Levy\'s fourth novel, is set in post-war London and centres on a landlady and her lodgers. One is a Jamaican who joined British troops to fight Hitler but finds life difficult out of uniform when he settles in the UK. "What could have been a didactic or preachy prospect turns out to hilarious, moving humane and eye-popping. It\'s hard to think of anybody not enjoying it," wrote the judges. The judges called Guy\'s My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots "an impressive and readable piece of scholarship, which cannot fail but leave the reader moved and intrigued by this most tragic and likeable of queens". Guy has published many histories, including one of Tudor England. He is a fellow at Clare College, Cambridge and became a honorary research professor of the University of St Andrews in 2003. The other contenders include Susan Fletcher for Eve Green, which won the first novel prize. Fletcher has recently graduated from the University of East Anglia\'s creative writing course. The fourth book in the running is Corpus, Michael Symmons Roberts\' fourth collection of poems. As well as writing poetry, Symmons Roberts also makes documentary films. Geraldine McCaughrean is the final contender, having won the children\'s fiction category for the third time for Not the End of the World. McCaughrean, who went into magazine publishing after studying teaching, previously won the category in 1987 with A Little Lower than Angels and in 1994 with Gold Dust. ', 'US', 'Uganda bans Vagina Monologues Uganda\'s authorities have banned the play The Vagina Monologues, due to open in the capital, Kampala this weekend. The Ugandan Media Council said the performance would not be put on as it promoted and glorified acts such as lesbianism and homosexuality. It said the production could go ahead if the organisers "expunge all the offending parts". But the organisers of the play say it raises awareness of sexual abuse against women. "The play promotes illegal, unnatural sexual acts, homosexuality and prostitution, it should be and is hereby banned," the council\'s ruling said. The show, which has been a controversial sell-out around the world, explores female sexuality and strength through individual women telling their stories through monologues. Some parliamentarians and church leaders are also siding with the Media Council, Uganda\'s New Vision newspaper reports. "The play is obscene and pornographic although it was under the guise of women\'s liberation," MP Kefa Ssempgani told parliament. But the work\'s author, US playwright Eve Ensler, says it is all about women\'s empowerment. "There is obviously some fear of the vagina and saying the word vagina," Ms Ensler told the BBC. "It\'s not a slang word or dirty word it\'s a biological, anatomical word." She said the play is being produced and performed by Ugandan women and it is not being forced on them. The four Ugandan NGOs organising the play intended to raise money to campaign to stop violence against women and to raise funds for the war-torn north of the country. "I\'m extremely outraged at the hypocrisy," the play\'s organiser in Uganda, Sarah Mukasa, told the BBC\'s Focus on Africa programme. "I\'m amazed that this country Uganda gives the impression that it is progressive and supports women\'s rights and the notions of free speech; yet when women want to share their stories the government uses the apparatus of state to shut us up." ', 'UK', 'Adventure tale tops awards Young book fans have voted Fergus Crane, a story about a boy who is taken on an adventure by a flying horse, the winner of two Smarties Book Prizes. Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell\'s book came top in the category for six- to eight-year-olds and won the award chosen by after-school club members. Sally Grindley\'s Spilled Water, about a Chinese girl sold as a servant, was top in vote of readers aged nine to 11. Biscuit Bear by Mini Grey took the top award in the under-five category. Winners were voted for by about 6,000 children from a shortlist picked by an adult panel. The prize, which is celebrating its 20th year, is billed as "the UK\'s biggest children\'s book award". Fergus Crane includes text by Stewart and illustrations by Riddell, who also created The Edge Chronicles together. As well as the six to eights prize, it won the 4Children Special Award voted for by after-school club members. Julia Eccleshare, chair of the adult judging panel, said children\'s literature had "never looked stronger" in the prize\'s 20 years. "This award counts because the final choice of winners is made by children, who are the toughest critics of all," she said. "This year\'s young judges chose the winners from an exceptionally strong and varied shortlist which showcases the very best in children\'s books today." Previous winners have included JK Rowling, Jacqueline Wilson and Dick King-Smith. ', 'Canada', 'Arthur Hailey: King of the bestsellers Novelist Arthur Hailey, who has died at the age of 84, was known for his bestselling page-turners exploring the inner workings of various industries, from the hotels to high finance. Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, on 5 April 1920, Hailey was the only child of working class parents, They could not afford to keep him in school beyond the age of 14. He served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying fighter planes to the Middle East. It was an occupation that was later to feature in his authorial debut, the television screenplay Flight into Danger. Hailey emigrated to Canada in 1947, where he eventually became a citizen. He wanted to be a writer from an early age, but did not take it up professionally until his mid-thirties, when he was inspired to write his first screenplay while on a return flight to Toronto. "I fell to daydreaming. I visualised the pilots at the controls and wondered what would happen if they both got sick. Could I fly the airplane? I was a rusty wartime pilot who hadn\'t flown for nine years... " Hailey later recalled. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation bought Flight into Danger for $600 (£318) and it was shown on TV in April 1956. It was later memorably spoofed in the 1980 comedy Airplane!, starring Leslie Nielsen. Hailey worked as a screenwriter for a couple of years, before turning to novels. He went on to produce 11 best-selling books, which were published into 38 languages in 40 countries. Flight into Danger was adapted to become Hailey\'s first novel, Runaway Zero-Eight in 1958. The Final Diagnosis and In High Places followed, both achieving a popular following. But it was not until Hotel, in 1965, that Hollywood came calling. The hit novel took four years to write, and stayed on national best-seller lists for a full year. It was turned into a movie in 1967 and later adapted into a glossy soap in the 1980s, starring James Brolin. Airport (1968) arguably remains Hailey\'s best-loved work and prompted the disaster movie genre. The thriller follows events in the sky, and on the ground at a snow-logged airport, when a terrorist boards an airplane with a bomb. The book was adapted into a hit film in 1970, starring Burt Lancaster as the harassed aiport manager and Dean Martin as a womanising pilot, alongside Jean Seberg and Jacqueline Bisset. In a testament to the popularity of the fledgling disaster genre - three sequels followed. The writer was known for his painstaking research into the professions around which each novel was centred, drawing his characters "from real life" and taking up to three years to produce each book. "I have never been able to write quickly or easily. I am too self-critical for that. I am never satisfied," he once said. In 1969, he moved to Nassau in the Bahamas, with his wife Sheila. Wheels (1971), The Moneychangers (1975) and Overload (1979) followed. Despite a lukewarm response from critics, and few literary accolades, Hailey was at the height of his fame in the seventies and continued to attract the attention of Hollywood producers. Strong Medicine, Hailey\'s blockbuster focusing on the pharmaceutical industry, was turned into a film in 1986, starring Sam Neill, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and a panoply of former soap stars. The 1997 novel Detective proved to be Hailey\'s final book, when at the age of 77 he decided to retire. Hailey\'s health began to deteriorate in recent years, twice undergoing heart surgery. He suffered a stroke just two months ago. He died in his sleep on Wednesday, after dinner with his wife and two of his six children at his home in New Providence island. "He had a wonderful life. His greatest ambition was to see his name on a book and he certainly achieved that," said his wife, Sheila. ', 'UK', 'Public show for Reynolds portrait Sir Joshua Reynolds\' Portrait of Omai will get a public airing following fears it would stay hidden because of an export wrangle. The Tate Gallery unsuccessfully tried to buy the picture from its anonymous owner after a ban was issued preventing the painting from leaving the UK. The 18th Century painting has remained in storage but the owner has agreed to allow it to be part of an exhibition. The exhibition of Reynolds\' work will be shown at Tate Britain from May. Joshua Reynolds: The Creation of Celebrity will feature prints, caricatures, and sculpture by the 18th Century artist, who painted some of the most famous personalities of his day. Portrait of Omai fetched the second highest amount for a British painting when it was sold at auction for £10.3m in 2001. It was bought by a London dealer who sold it on to a collector. The unnamed collector wanted to take it out of the country, but was barred from doing so by the government because of its historical significance. In March 2004, the Tate managed to raise £12.5m funding to buy the portrait but the owner refused to sell and it has been held in storage since. The portrait is of a young man who was dubbed "the noble savage" when he arrived in London from Polynesia. He became a darling of London society and was invited to all the best parties by people who were fascinated by such an exotic character. Sir Joshua painted him after his arrival in 1774, and it became the artist\'s most famous work after it was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1776. ', 'UK', 'Fears raised over ballet future Fewer children in the UK are following in the dainty footsteps of dancers like Darcey Bussell, and carving out potential careers as ballet dancers. New research from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) has found fewer children over the age of 10 are attending ballet classes and taking exams in the discipline. The organisation blames the growing popularity of computer games and other changes in lifestyle. And there are fears that if the trend is not reversed, there could be fewer British ballet stars in the future. The RAD found that the number of youngsters taking their ballet exams drops by almost 70% after the age of 10 or 11. Dance teacher Eve Trew, who has taught ballet for over 48 years, told BBC News she had seen a "vast" change over the years. She blamed modern lifestyles for the fall in ballet attendance. "I think the children of many years ago did not have as many hobbies," she said. "The trouble now is that they are wide open to computers, Gameboys and everything else children have got. "As a result, there is less time being spent on ballet lessons." Hazel Gilbert, 23, an information manager from Newcastle, gave up ballet at the age of 10 and is typical of the problem. "It\'s not a very cool thing to do when you go to \'big\' school and I think you have to be very focused on ballet to want to carry on doing it," she said. "I used to love it, but after a certain age it becomes much more disciplined and I didn\'t want that. "I started getting into other things, like swimming and kickboxing, and ballet just wasn\'t something I wanted to do any more." Ms Trew, who runs a dance school in Gateshead, admitted it would be "very difficult" to reverse the trend and said many young ballet dancers were no longer willing to make the sacrifices to succeed. "You have to be very dedicated and you have to be very disciplined. "It is a career that you have got to really want to do because it is such hard work. "Children these days have not got the time to spend perfecting it... that is very sad." Currently, only two out of 16 principal dancers at the Royal Ballet - Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope - are British, compared to 16 of the 21 principals in 1985. But a spokesman for the English National Ballet told BBC News that although only two out of their 12 principal dancers were British, around a quarter of the company\'s dancers were from the UK. He said competition at open auditions in London was "fierce" between talented dancers from all over the world. The RAD have launched a new competition to try and reverse the decline in British ballet. Dame Antoinette Sibley, president of the RAD, launched the Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers competition earlier this week. Aimed at children aged 10 to 13, it is hoped the contest will help keep British ballet evolving. A spokeswoman for the RAD said: "It is our responsibility to re-ignite the passion and nurture young dancers for the long-term future of ballet. "We need to provide them with a framework and a goal to work towards, with constant support and coaching in an environment where they can work with their peers and possibly leading artists and choreographers. "Perhaps more importantly provide them with the opportunity to experience \'performance\' themselves. "What better way to reignite a passion for ballet than to let them experience the thrill of performance?" ', 'US', 'Paraguay novel wins US book prize A novel set in 19th century Paraguay has won the $10,000 (£5,390) fiction prize at the US National Book Awards. Lily Tuck\'s The News From Paraguay is a fictionalised tale about Paraguayan leader Francisco Solano Lopez and his Irish mistress. But the annual awards, which were presented in New York on Wednesday, were not without controversy. Children\'s author Judy Blume, who was given an honourary medal, used the ceremony to speak out over censorship. Sales of Blume\'s books have exceeded 75 million, but her work - which features frank narratives about families, religion and sexuality - is closely watched by the censors. Blume said: "The urge to ban is contagious. It spreads like wildfire from community to community. Please speak out. Censors hate publicity." Her medal marks the second year in a row the honourary prize went to someone as notable for popular success as literary greatness. Last year\'s honorary winner, Stephen King, accused the industry during the 2003 ceremony of snobbery against popular writers. But his argument that the award should help sell books instead of honouring excellence is not shared by everyone. This year\'s fiction panel overlooked high-profile works such as Philip Roth\'s The Plot Against America and instead chose five little-known books, all by New York-based women. One fiction judge, Stewart O\'Nan, carried around a note written on a napkin that said: "I would hope that our caring more for the quality of a work than its sales figures make us a friend of books, not an enemy." The National Book Awards non-fiction prize was awarded to Kevin Boyle\'s for Arc of Justice, which focuses on a black family\'s fight to live in a white Detroit neighbourhood in the 1920s. The award had created a lot of interest this year after the surprise inclusion of the of the 9-11 Commission Report looking into the events of the 11 September terrorist attacks on the US. Pete Hautman won the young people\'s literature prize for his novel Godless. The winner in the poetry category was Jean Valentine for Door in the Mountain: New and Collected Poems, 1965-2003. ', 'Canada', 'Lit Idol begins search for author The second Pop Idol-style search for literary talent has begun with the help of the brother of Simon Cowell. Writer Tony Cowell is among the judges who will hear aspiring writers read their work aloud. The winner gets a deal with literary agency Curtis Brown. "I\'m not going to be the Mr Nasty of books," said Cowell, 54, in reference to his brother\'s caustic remarks on TV shows Pop Idol and The X-Factor. The 2004 winner, Paul Cavanagh, went on to sign a deal with Harper Collins. This year, the competition is specifically looking for a crime writer. Writers must submit up to 10,000 words from the opening chapters of their novels and a synopsis. Professional readers will choose a shortlist of five following the competition closing date on 14 January. The final five will then have to read their work in front of judging panel. A public vote will also take place, which will account for 25% of the final decision. The winner will be announced at the London Book Fair on 14 March next year and could be screened on TV. "It\'s very, very hard to find an agent and extremely difficult, without an agent, to get a publisher to look at your work," said Cowell. "People do fall by the wayside and the more avenues we can provide for aspiring authors, the better," he added. Paul Cavanagh, a former university professor and health care consultant from Ontario in Canada, was one of 1,466 aspiring novelists to enter the first contest. He lifted the inaugural Lit Idol prize after reading aloud an excerpt of his work Northwest Passage. Three film studios are said to be interested in buying film rights for the book, even though it is not finished yet. ', 'US', 'Potter director signs Warner deal Harry Potter director Alfonso Cuaron has signed a three-year deal with Hollywood studio Warner Brothers, according to Variety trade magazine. The Mexican film-maker, who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, will produce mainstream movies and smaller Spanish-language films. "We had a wonderful experience with Alfonso on Harry Potter," Warner producer Jeff Robinov told Variety. Cuaron\'s other films include Mexican movie Y Tu Mama Tambien. The 2001 rites-of-passage drama about two teenage boys who embark on a relationship with an older woman, brought Cuaron international attention - and box office glory. It also won him and his brother Carlos, with whom he co-wrote the screenplay, an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay. Warner will distribute Cuaron\'s films in several languages outside the US. "This deal will give us the opportunity to collaborate with Alfonso on movies that make the most of his artistry and vision, and continue to offer him the mainstream worldwide audiences that our studio provides so successfully," said Mr Robinov. His first film for Warner Brothers was 1995\'s family fantasy movie A Little Princess. Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess tells the story of a young girl who is sent to live in a New York boarding school when her widowed father enlists for war. After the erotic nature of Y Tu Mama Tambien, Cuaron was a surprise choice to direct the third Harry Potter film but his dark interpretation was received well by the public and critics alike. ', 'US', "US critics laud comedy Sideways Road trip comedy Sideways has had more praise heaped on it by two US critics' associations, adding to honours it has already picked up. The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) named it winner in five categories including best film and best actor for Paul Giamatti. But the director award went to Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby. The Southeastern Film Critics also awarded Sideways its best film of the year accolade. Director Alexander Payne was named best director, and he also won best screenplay shared with Jim Taylor. The CFCA awarded Thomas Haden Church the best supporting actor prize and Virginia Madsen the best supporting actress award for their roles in the film. Sideways has already been voted best film by critics associations in New York and Los Angeles and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. British actress Imelda Staunton won the CFCA best actress for the gritty abortion drama Vera Drake, adding to a growing list of awards she has won for her performance in the Mike Leigh film. Scrubs star Zach Braff was named best new director for his debut Garden State. Michael Moore's controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 won the best documentary, while A Very Long Engagement won best foreign film. The Chicago critics have yet to name a date for when their awards ceremony will be held. ", 'US', 'Redford\'s vision of Sundance Despite sporting a corduroy cap pulled low over his face plus a pair of dark glasses, Robert Redford cuts an unmistakable figure through the star-struck crowds at Sundance. It\'s a rare downtown appearance for the man who started the annual festival in Park City, Utah back in the 1980s. Now in its twenty-first year, Sundance continues to grow. Some 45,000 people are estimated to have descended on this small ski town with nothing but movies on the mind. It\'s an opportunity to meet and make deals. Redford wanted Sundance to be a platform for independent film-makers, but the commercial success of many showcased films have led to criticism that the festival is becoming too mainstream. Smaller festivals like Slamdance and XDance, which take place during the same week in Park City, are competing for Sundance\'s limelight. But Redford is not worried. "The more the merrier," he says. "The point was to create opportunities for people who may not have them. "Once independent film had a place where the work could be seen, suddenly the merchants came. With them the celebrities came, then the paparazzi - and suddenly it began to take on a whole new tone," explains Redford. "People started to say we had gone mainstream and Hollywood, but actually Hollywood came to us because suddenly there was good business in independent film," he adds. International film-makers have always been celebrated here, but 2005 is the first year a dedicated World Dramatic and Documentary competition is being held. Redford wants the festival to encompass viewpoints he believes the American media fails to reflect, particularly how the US is perceived internationally. He has never hidden the fact that he is a Democrat. But he reserves particular disdain for the current Republican administration. "It\'s the ability to maintain the importance of dissent in a democratic system which right now is under threat with the attitude of this administration," he says. "I think many voices are being shut down or accused of being unpatriotic if they want to express another point of view. That\'s very unhealthy and very dangerous. "If we take that policy into the world, there will be the same victims and the same consequences." Sundance isn\'t just one big screening. There are discussion panels and Q&A sessions with directors tackling controversial topics like America\'s "culture wars" and the Iraq war. While Redford wishes the festival to be a forum for dissent, the profile of the audience is fairly monolithic. Educated, middle class and predominantly white Americans comes Sundance, with views from the same end of the political spectrum - anti-war and socially liberal. But Redford knows this and started the Sundance TV Channel in an effort to reach a wider audience. "When you look at the films here, what we are presenting is very much egalitarian. And it\'s about good films and good story-telling be it African America, Asian, women, gay, lesbian. "Sooner or later we will do away with those stereotypical labels and people will say \'it\'s just a film by so-and so\'." ', 'US', 'Hundreds vie for best film Oscar A total of 267 films are eligible for the best film Oscar but only five will be chosen to go forward as nominees. The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences has sent out the first ballot papers with the full list of films vying for recognition. Among those expected to receive nominations are The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Sideways. Academy members will now vote for their favourites before the final nominees are announced on 25 January. To be eligible for nomination a film must have been shown in a commercial theatre for seven consecutive days before the deadline of 31 December. Director Martin Scorsese\'s The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio went on general release on Christmas Day in the US, ensuring it just made the deadline. Studios have already begun lobbying voters, taking out full page adverts in trade publications such as Variety urging them to remember particular films when it comes to choosing what to back. Other movies tipped for possible success include Closer, starring Jude Law and Julia Roberts, Finding Neverland, with Johnny Depp as author JM Barry and Kinsey starring Liam Neeson as the famed sex scientist Alfred Kinsey. Meanwhile, design engineer Takuo Miyagishima will be awarded an Oscar at the Scientific and Technical Awards Dinner on 12 February 2005. Miyagishima is the 18th recipient of the Sawyer Award, which is "presented to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry." The main Oscar ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on 27 February. ', 'UK', 'Hanks greeted at wintry premiere Hollywood star Tom Hanks was in London\'s Leicester Square for the UK premiere of Polar Express. The West End landmark was turned into a festive landscape complete with snow and carol singers to celebrate the arrival of the animated film. "This is Leicester Square like you\'ve never seen it before," said Hanks, who plays five roles in the movie. Polar Express is based on a children\'s book which tells the story of a young boy\'s journey to meet Santa Claus. The 48-year-old actor crossed a three-metre high bridge built in the square, which he said was "almost impossible to get across". Hundreds of fans greeted the star, all wearing Santa hats, and mince pies were on offer. Hanks said that the new film has an "elegant message". "Christmas is a special time of the year and you get out of it what you put into it," added the two-time Academy Award winner. "I believe in the spirit of Christmas and I think that\'s embodied in Santa Claus," he said. Polar Express uses technology similar to that used in Lord of the Rings to bring Gollum to life. The "performance capture" technique enables Hanks to play a number of roles, including the eight-year-old boy who is at the centre of the story, and Father Christmas. It is directed by Robert Zemeckis, who has previously worked with Hanks on Forrest Gump and Castaway. ', 'US', 'Film row over Pirates \'cannibals\' Plans to portray Dominica\'s Carib Indians as cannibals in the sequel to hit film Pirates of the Caribbean have been criticised by the group\'s chief. Carib Chief Charles Williams said talks with Disney\'s producers revealed there was "a strong element of cannibalism in the script which cannot be removed". The Caribbean island\'s government said Disney planned to film in Dominica. The Caribs have long denied their ancestors practised cannibalism. Disney was unavailable for comment. "Our ancestors stood up against early European conquerors and because they stood up...we were labelled savages and cannibals up to today," said Mr Williams. "This cannot be perpetuated in movies." Shooting on the sequel is expected to begin in April, with hundreds of Dominicans applying to be extras in the movie. About 3,000 Caribs live on the island of Dominica, which has a population of 70,000. Many Caribs were killed by disease and war during colonisation up to the 1600s. Mr Williams said he had received support from indigenous groups around the world in his efforts to have cannibalism references removed from the film. But he admitted there were some members of the Carib council who did not support the campaign. He said some did not "understand our history, they are weak and are not committed to the cause of the Carib people". The first Pirates of the Caribbean film took $305m (£162m) at the box office in the US alone. The cast and crew are to work on two sequels back-to-back, with the first to be released in 2006. ', 'UK', "Stars gear up for Bafta ceremony Film stars from across the globe are preparing to walk the red carpet at this year's Bafta award ceremony. The 2005 Orange British Academy Film Awards are being held at The Odeon in London's Leicester Square. A host of Hollywood stars, including Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves and Richard Gere, are expected to attend Saturday's ceremony. Hosted by Stephen Fry, the glittering ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One at 2010 GMT. Other actors expected to add to the glamour of the biggest night in UK film are Gael Garcia Bernal, Imelda Staunton, Diane Kruger, Christian Slater, Anjelica Huston, Helen Mirren and former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan. Hollywood blockbuster The Aviator, starring DiCaprio, leads the field with 14 nominations, including best film. It is up against Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland, The Motorcycle Diaries and British film Vera Drake, which has 11 nominations. British hope Imelda Staunton is one of the favourites to land the best actress award for her gritty role as a backstreet abortionist in the small-budget film. Other nominees in the best actress category include Charlize Theron for Monster, Ziyi Zhang for House of Flying Daggers and UK star Kate Winslet, who has two nods for her roles in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Finding Neverland. DiCaprio faces competition from Bernal, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp in the best actor category. And British actor Clive Owen is hoping to repeat his Golden Globe success with a best supporting actor award for his role in Closer. His co-star Natalie Portman is up against Blanchett, Heather Craney, Julie Cristie and Meryl Streep in the best supporting actress category. Mike Leigh is up for the best director award for Vera Drake, alongside Martin Scorsese for The Aviator, Michael Mann for Collateral, Michel Gondry for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Marc Forster for Finding Neverland. ", 'US', 'Stars pay tribute to actor Davis Hollywood stars including Spike Lee, Burt Reynolds and Oscar nominee Alan Alda have paid tribute to actor Ossie Davis at a funeral in New York. Veteran star Ossie Davis, a well-known civil rights activist, died in Miami at the age of 87 on 4 February 2005. Friends and family, including actress Ruby Dee his wife of 56 years, gathered at the Riverside Church on Saturday. Also present at the service was former US president Bill Clinton and singer Harry Belafonte, who gave the eulogy. "He would have been a very good president of the United States," said Mr Clinton. "Like most of you here, he gave more to me than I gave to him." The 87-year-old was found dead last weekend in his hotel room in Florida, where he was making a film. Police said that he appeared to have died of natural causes. Davis made his acting debut in 1950 in No Way Out starring Sidney Poiter. He frequently collaborated with director Spike Lee, starring in seven Lee films including Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of activist Malcolm X, recalled the famous eulogy delivered by Davis at her father\'s funeral. "Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes," she said, quoting the man she knew as Uncle Ossie. "Ditto." "Ossie was my hero, and he still is," said Aviator star Alan Alda, a family friend for over forty years. "Ossie was a thing of beauty." "I want so badly someday to have his dignity - a little of it anyway," added Burt Reynolds, Davis\'s co-star in the 90s TV comedy Evening Shade. Before the midday funeral, scores of Harlem residents formed a queue outside the church to pay their respects to Davis. "It is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom, his humour, his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought," said Belafonte, himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with Davis for over 60 years. "But how fortunate we were to have him as long as we did." ', 'US', 'US actor Ossie Davis found dead US actor Ossie Davis has been found dead at the age of 87. Davis, who was married to actress Ruby Dee, was found dead on Friday in his hotel room in Miami Beach, Florida, where he was making a film. Davis, whose 65-year career included credits as a producer, director, actor and writer for stage and screen, was also a civil rights activist. Miami Beach police spokesman Bobby Hernandez said the cause of death appeared to be natural. Davis\'s body was discovered by his grandson and paramedics at the Shore Club hotel in Miami Beach, where the actor had been shooting the film Retirement. Mr Hernandez said: "After gaining entry, they found Mr Davis had passed away. "The cause of death appears to be natural. According to his grandson he was suffering from heart disease." Some of Davis\'s best known roles included The Joe Louis Story and Gone Are the Days - a film he adapted from his own play, Purlie Victorious. He also appeared in 7 Spike Lee movies, including School Daze, Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever. His film debut, in 1950, was in the film No Way Out, starring Sydney Poitier and Ruby Dee. Davis and Dee were married for more than 56 years and together received Kennedy Center honours in 2004 for their body of work. The Actors\' Equity Association issued a statement calling Davis "an icon in the American theatre" and he and Dee "American treasures". Davis was also a prominent figure in the civil rights movement and was a voice for racial equality. He was a featured speaker at the funerals of both Martin Luther King Jnr and Malcolm X. Besides Dee, Davis is survived by three children Nora, Hasna and Guy, a blues artist, and seven grandchildren. ', 'France', 'Jugnot \'tops French actor league\' Actor Gerard Jugnot - star of the Oscar-nominated film The Chorus - has beaten Gerard Depardieu to become France\'s best-paid actor of 2004. Jugnot made 5.45m Euros (£3.77m) last year, according to a table drawn up by France\'s Le Figaro newspaper. In The Chorus (Les Choristes), Jugnot plays an inspiring music teacher at a school for troubled boys in 1949. Despite starring in five films in 2004, Depardieu made 3.35m Euros (£2.31m) putting him third place in the chart. "His name [Depardieu] is no longer sufficient to guarantee the success of a film," said Le Figaro newspaper. The Chorus, which Jugnot also co-produced, has drawn an audience of nearly nine million people since its release last year. Godzilla star Jean Reno was France\'s second best-paid actor in 2004, earning 3.55m Euros (£2.45m) . His roles include a recent uncredited cameo in the Oscar-nominated Hotel Rwanda. The highest-ranking woman on Le Figaro\'s list was Audrey Tautou in 10th place, earning 885,000 Euros (£611,000). She starred in Jean-Pierre Jeunet\'s A Very Long Engagement (Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles) and is also lined up to co-star with Tom Hanks in Ron Howard\'s The Da Vinci Code. The Chorus is nominated for best foreign film at Sunday\'s Oscar ceremony. On Saturday, it will compete for the title of best film against fellow nominee A Very Long Engagement in France\'s Cesar film awards. ', 'Japan', "Howl helps boost Japan's cinemas Japan's box office received a 3.8% boost last year, with ticket sales worth 211bn yen (£1.08bn). The surge was led by animated movie Howl's Moving Castle, which took 20bn yen (£102m) to become the biggest film in Japan in 2004. It is expected to match the 30.7bn yen (£157m) record of Hayao Miyazaki's previous film Spirited Away. Japan Motion Picture Producers figures showed that 170 million cinema admissions were made in Japan in 2004. The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, was the biggest foreign movie hit in Japan last year, taking 13.8bn yen (£70.7m). It was followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Finding Nemo and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The second highest-grossing Japanese film was romantic drama Crying Out Love in the Centre of the World, followed by Be With You and Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation. Japanese films accounted for 37.5% of Japan's box office total last year, with foreign films taking the remaining 62.5%. This represented a 4.5% gain for the proportion of Japanese films in 2004 compared to 2003. The number of Japanese films released rose to 310 in 2004 from 287 the previous year. Sales of movies on DVD and video amounted to 497bn yen (£2.54bn) for the year. ", 'US', '\'Landmark movies\' of 2004 hailed US film professionals have declared Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ as two of the most significant cultural milestones of 2004. The American Film Institute (AFI) hailed Mel Gibson\'s biblical epic and Michael Moore\'s political documentary as inspiring national debate. It claimed both film-makers "tossed Hollywood convention out the window". The Institute also cited the death of actor Marlon Brando and the changing landscape of TV news in the US. In referring to Marlon Brando\'s death on 1 July at the age of 80, the 13-strong AFI jury concluded "the art of screen acting has two chapters - \'Before Brando\' and \'After Brando\'. It credited the screen legend\'s "raw hypnotic energy" and his ability to create characters like Stanley Kowalski and Terry Malloy "that will live forever in the annals of film history". The list also acknowledges key influences and trends in the world of film and broadcasting. Among current trends, it highlighted the final broadcasts of veteran newscasters Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters and the impending retirement of CBS news anchor Dan Rather. It its place, the AFI fears, is a news landscape where "newscasters are more personalities than journalists" and balance and integrity are increasingly ignored. The AFI also questioned "the long-term viability of evening news broadcasts", in the light of 24-hour news channels and the internet. The list also draws attention to the growing influence of US broadcasting regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) The institute concluded the threat of regulation, which went into freefall following Janet Jackson\'s \'wardrobe malfunction\' during a live Super Bowl performance in February, "had a profound effect on television". "Unsure of how the FCC will rule on an issue, the creative community has begun to self-censor their shows, a disturbing trend in a country founded on free expression," the AFI jury declared. To illustrate their point, the AFI cited ABC affiliates refusal to air Steven Spielberg\'s film Saving Private Ryan in an unedited form over fears of possible fines. ', 'US', 'De Niro film leads US box office Film star Robert De Niro has returned to the top of the North American box office with his film Hide and Seek. The thriller shot straight to the number one spot after taking $22m (£11.7m) at the box office. De Niro recently spent three weeks at the top with comedy Meet The Fockers, which was at number five this week. Oscar hopefuls The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Sideways all cashed in on their multiple nominations with stronger ticket sales. In Hide and Seek, De Niro plays a widower whose daughter has a creepy imaginary friend. Despite lukewarm reviews from critics, the film took more than the expected $18m (£9.5m). "The element of a real actor in a psychological thriller certainly elevated it," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. Clint Eastwood\'s Million Dollar Baby led the Oscar hopefuls with $11.8m (£6.3m), coming in at number three during its first weekend of wide release. The Aviator, a film biography of Howard Hughes that leads the Oscar field with 11 nominations, was at number six for the weekend with $7.5m (£4m). Oscar best-picture nominee Sideways entered the top ten for the first time in its 15th week of release. It came in seventh $6.3 (£3.35m). Last week\'s top film, Ice Cube\'s road-trip comedy Are We There Yet?, slipped to second place with $17m (£9m), while Coach Carter fell two places to number four, taking $8m (£4.25m) in its third week. Rounding out the top ten were In Good Company - starring Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson - Racing Stripes and Assault on Precinct 13. ', 'US', 'Willis sues over movie \'injury\' Actor Bruce Willis is suing Revolution Studios over an injury he said he suffered while making Tears of the Sun. Willis is seeking medical expenses after he said he was hit in the head by a firework during the filming of the 2002 movie, produced by the firm. The lawsuit said the star has endured mental and physical injuries as a result of the alleged incident. "We are not able to comment on pending litigation," Revolution Studios spokesman Sean Dudas said. In Tears of the Sun Willis plays a US military commander who disobeys orders to try and help save a doctor and patients trapped in the Nigerian jungle. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film was poorly received by critics and did not perform strongly at the box office. According to the lawsuit, the injury was suffered during the firing of explosions as part of a special effect. The explosions, known as squibs, were intended to "simulate the appearance of bullets striking the ground". The lawsuit said Willis has endured "extreme mental, physical and emotional pain and suffering." There were no specific details on the injuries. While Willis does not seek specific monetary damages, the lawsuit noted that the star "was required to and did employ physicians and other medical personnel". It stated he will incur additional future medical expenses. The lawsuit said Revolution Studios and special effects foreman Joe Pancake "had a duty to Willis to ensure that the squibs were inspected, set up, placed and detonated in a safe manner, and to employ technicians who were trained and competent in their use". ', 'US', 'Foxx and Swank win US awards Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank have won the Screen Actors Guild Awards for best male and female film actors, boosting their Oscars hopes this month. Foxx\'s portrayal of late soul-singer Ray Charles in Ray had already earned him a prestigious Golden Globe award. Swank triumphed for playing a gutsy female boxer in Million Dollar Baby. Modest wine country comedy Sideways knocked out favourites Million Dollar Baby and The Aviator by taking the top prize for best cast performance. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) represents US film and TV actors. Its winners often go on to win Oscars. In other nominations, Cate Blanchett triumphed as the best supporting actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. Veteran actor Morgan Freeman took the best supporting actor award for playing a prize-fighter turned gym manager in Million Dollar Baby. "Thank you for Ray Charles for just living so complex and so interesting, and making us all just come together," said Foxx, accepting his award in Los Angeles on Saturday. He also praised the film director: "Thank you for Taylor Hackford for taking a chance with an African-American film. Taylor, you\'re my director of the year." Swank, too, was full of praise for her director and co-star Clint Eastwood. "I bow down to you," Swank said to the 74-year-old Eastwood. "You are a talent beyond compare. If I\'m half the person you are and half the talent you are when I\'m 74, I will know that I\'ve accomplished something great." Both Foxx and Swank are now considered to be among the favourites to get Oscars - the Hollywood\'s ultimate prize. However, Swank has to overcome a strong challenge from Annette Bening, a nominee for the theatre farce Being Julia. Meanwhile, ballots for Oscars - the Hollywood\'s top honours - were mailed earlier this week to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The voting is due to end on 22 February - five days before the ceremony. ', 'US', 'Horror film heads US box office A low-budget horror film produced by Evil Dead director Sam Raimi has topped the North American box office. Boogeyman, which focuses on a man who returns to his childhood home to confront his traumatic past, took $19.5m (£14.9m) in three days. Last week\'s chart-topper, the Robert de Niro thriller Hide and Seek, fell to number four. Other new entries included The Wedding Date, a comedy starring Will and Grace\'s Debra Messing, at number two. The road-trip comedy Are We There Yet? and multiple Oscar nominee Million Dollar Baby completed the top five. Other Oscar contenders, including The Aviator and Sideways, continued to perform strongly at the box office. The Aviator has taken $75m (£40m) so far, while Sideways has taken $46.8m (£24.8m) in a more limited release. Boogeyman, which cost just $7m (£3.5m) to make, performed well even though it was not screened to critics before release - normally a sign that a film will get bad reviews or perform poorly at the box office. "I certainly believe it\'s a genre where people are going to be more moved by the marketing materials for the movie than by what the critics say," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony Pictures, which released the film in the US. Overall the weekend box office was strong despite the fact that it was American football\'s Super Bowl weekend - a time when cinema admissions generally fall. This year, the top 12 films grossed around $91m (£48.3m), compared to 2004\'s Super Bowl weekend when the total box office was $73.4m (£38.9m). ', 'India', 'Mumbai bombs movie postponed The release of a film about the Mumbai (Bombay) blasts in 1993 has been postponed following protests by those on trial for the bombings. Investigating the blasts which killed more than 250 people and wounded 1,000, the film Black Friday had been due to open across India on Friday. But 36 people accused in connection with the blasts said it should not be screened until the trial is over. Mumbai High Court postponed the film\'s launch until 3 February. Black Friday is based upon the novel of the same name written by journalist S Hussain Zaidi, which looks at the 15 explosions which rocked Mumbai on 12 March 1993. Director Anurag Kashyap said the film\'s release should not be delayed as the book has already been on sale for two years. "If you have not gone against the book, then how can you go against the movie?" Mr Kashyap\'s lawyer Mihir Desai said. This is the second time that those accused in connection with the blasts have sought legal intervention regarding the film. They previously asked that a line from the movie\'s poster, which claimed the film portrayed "the true story of the Bombay bomb blasts", be removed. Their lawyer, Majeed Memon, said: "We had argued that how can a film say it is telling the true story when the court itself is struggling to find the truth? "So we said they should remove the line from their promotional posters and they did give us an assurance that they would do so." The Mumbai bombings case is one of India\'s longest-running trials. A special court was set up to hear the case and regular hearings have taken place there for the last nine years, with more than six hundred witnesses questioned. ', 'France', 'Tautou film tops Cesar prize nods French film A Very Long Engagement has received 12 nominations for France\'s Cesar film awards, despite a recent ruling it was "not French enough". The World War I romantic drama starring Audrey Tautou, was recently ruled "too American" by a Paris court as it was partially backed by Warner Bros. But the Cesar organisers modified their rules to allow the film to compete. The film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, received best actress, picture and director nominations. Last November a court judged the film was too American to compete in French film festivals. Two associations of French producers challenged Jeunet\'s right to French government subsidies, because Warner Bros was a backer. The ruling meant the movie - which was filmed in France and used French actors and technicians - was not eligible to compete for French prizes. But Alain Terzian, president of Cesar organisers, the Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema, said the changes in eligibility rules, which allow films "of French expression", were made three months prior to the court decision. Other films in the best film category include Police drama 36, Quai Des Orfevres, Arnaud Desplechin\'s Kings And Queen, Abdellatif Kechiche\'s L\'Esquive and France\'s number one film at the 2004 box-office The Chorus. Best actors are Daniel Auteuil for 36, Mathieu Amalric for Kings And Queen, Gerard Jugnot for The Chorus, Philippe Torreton for L\'Equipier and Benoit Poelvoorde for Podium. Tautou will compete against Maggie Cheung , Emmanuelle Devos, Yolande Moreau and Karin Viard for best actress. Michael Moore\'s Fahrenheit 9/11, The Motorcycle Diaries, Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and 21 Grams are all vying in the best foreign film prize. The awards ceremony will be held on 26 February. This year, Will Smith, star of I, Robot, Independence Day and Men In Black, will be given an honorary Cesar, along with French singer/actor, Jacques Dutronc. ', 'Japan', "Animation charms Japan box office Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's latest film has set a new Japanese box office record, with 1.5bn yen ($14.3m) in two days, according to reports. Howl's Moving Castle is the follow-up to Miyazaki's Spirited Away, which won best animation at last year's Oscars. It is based on the children's book by English writer Diana Wynne Jones. It has registered the highest opening weekend takings of any Japanese film in the country, according to trade publication Screen Daily. The film is about an 18-year-old girl who is trapped in an old woman's body after being put under a spell by a witch. Its two-day takings represented 1.1 million cinema admissions, Screen Daily said. The film's distributor Toho expects 40 million people to see it in total - almost one third of the country's population - it added. The film won the Golden Osella for outstanding technical contribution at this year's Venice Film Festival. ", 'US', 'US box office set for record high Ticket sales at the US box office are predicted to break records this year, with figures expected to reach $9.4 billion, beating 2002\'s all-time high. Overall figures could be dampened by the lack of a Christmas hit like last year\'s Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings. Traditionally, ticket sales during the festive season account for 20% of the annual total. Although admissions have actually fallen this year, the predicted high is down to increasing ticket prices. According to Exhibitor Relations President Paul Dergarabedian, the average cost of a cinema ticket could be as high as $6.25 in 2004, compared to $5.80 in 2002. This year some of the biggest hits such as The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11 came from outside the major studios which are usually responsible for the key blockbusters. "Many of the films that did well (with audiences) are not necessarily the films that made a lot of money," said Mr Dergarabedian. He added that surprise hits had come from some of the more art-house offerings such as Napoleon Dynamite and critical hit Sideways. Sony Pictures, responsible for hits like Spiderman 2 and The Grudge, are expected to top domestic market share for the second time in three years, with $1 billion-plus in sales for the third consecutive year. Sony Pictures Entertainment vice chairman. Jeff Blake said: "We had a really diverse slate this year, and... certainly we pulled off one of the surprises with Grudge." Horror movie The Grudge cost Sony $10 million to make but brought in $110 million. It\'s the latest in a recent trend for Hollywood studios to back the upper and lower ends of the market, whilst ignoring the middle. Warner Inc are likely to end the year in second place on market share with around $1.25 billion, with Disney at number three. ', 'US', 'Foxx and Swank take actors awards Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank have won the Screen Actors Guild Awards for best male and female film actors, boosting their Oscars hopes this month. Foxx\'s portrayal of late soul-singer Ray Charles in Ray had already earned him a prestigious Golden Globe award. Swank triumphed for playing a gutsy female boxer in Million Dollar Baby. Modest wine country comedy Sideways knocked out favourites Million Dollar Baby and The Aviator by taking the top prize for best cast performance. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) represents US film and TV actors. Its winners often go on to win Oscars. In other nominations, Cate Blanchett triumphed as the best supporting actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. Veteran actor Morgan Freeman took the best supporting actor award for playing a prize-fighter turned gym manager in Million Dollar Baby. "Thank you for Ray Charles for just living so complex and so interesting, and making us all just come together," said Foxx, accepting his award in Los Angeles on Saturday. He also praised the film director: "Thank you for Taylor Hackford for taking a chance with an African-American film. Taylor, you\'re my director of the year." Swank, too, was full of praise for her director and co-star Clint Eastwood. "I bow down to you," Swank said to the 74-year-old Eastwood. "You are a talent beyond compare. If I\'m half the person you are and half the talent you are when I\'m 74, I will know that I\'ve accomplished something great." Both Foxx and Swank are now considered to be among the favourites to get Oscars - the Hollywood\'s ultimate prize. However, Swank has to overcome a strong challenge from Annette Bening, a nominee for the theatre farce Being Julia. Meanwhile, ballots for Oscars - the Hollywood\'s top honours - were mailed earlier this week to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The voting is due to end on 22 February - five days before the ceremony. ', 'UK', "Children vote Shrek 2 best film Young UK film fans voted animated Hollywood hit Shrek 2 best film at the children's Bafta awards on Sunday. More than 6,000 children voted in the only category chosen by fans. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, runner-up in the poll, was the choice of the Bafta experts who named it best feature film. BBC One Saturday morning show Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow won two awards - best entertainment and best presenters for Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood. Former Playschool presenter Floella Benjamin was awarded the Special Award for outstanding creative contribution to children's film and television. She first appeared on Playschool 25 years ago and was made an OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting. South American-themed cartoon Joko! Jakamoko! Toto! won the honour for pre-school animation and its writer Tony Collingwood for original writer. Debbie Isitt won the award for best adapted writer for her work with Jacqueline Wilson's The Illustrated Mum, which won the award for best schools drama. Schools' Factual (primary) - Thinking Skills: Think About It - Hiding Places Schools' Factual (secondary) - In Search of the Tartan Turban Pre-School Live Action - Balamory Animation - Brush Head Drama - Featherboy Factual - Serious Desert Interactive Bafta - King Arthur International category - 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter ", 'UK', 'UK debut for Kevin Spacey movie Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth attended the British premiere of new film, Beyond the Sea, in London\'s Leicester Square on Thursday. Spacey, 45, wrote, directed and starred in the film, inspired by the life of 1950s croooner Bobby Darin. "This is my tribute to someone I think was a remarkable talent," said Spacey, who, as Darin, sings all 18 songs on the film soundtrack. Bosworth, 21, plays Darin\'s wife - real life Hollywood actress Sandra Dee. "I knew absolutely nothing about Bobby Darin before this film, but now I\'m a huge fan," said Bosworth, who attended the premiere with British boyfriend Orlando Bloom. "There is darkness and tragedy in the story, and it was a dream for me to land this part." Actress Sandra Dee continues to live in Los Angeles as a virtual recluse, but has given her approval to the biopic. "She called me last week and said she loved it," said Spacey, who was joined at the premiere by members of the boy band Westlife. Spacey, a double Oscar-winner, has long been fascinated by the story of singer Bobby Darin. The voice behind Mack the Knife, Dream Lover and Beyond the Sea, fought childhood illness to become one the biggest stars of the 1950s, but died aged 37 from the heart condition that had troubled him all his life. "Bobby Darin was one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known, and yet, because he died young, he\'s been kind of forgotten," said Spacey at the premiere. "Making this film was the most fun I\'ve ever had in my entire life." The movie also stars British actors Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn, as Darin\'s mother. ', 'US', "Ray DVD beats box office takings Oscar-nominated film biopic Ray has surpassed its US box office takings with a combined tally of $80m (£43m) from DVD and video sales and rentals. Ray's success on DVD outstripped its $74m (£40m) US box office total, earning more than $40m (£22m) on the first day of the DVD's release alone. Ray has been nominated in six Oscar categories including best film and best actor for Jamie Foxx. The film recounts the life of blues singer Ray Charles, who died in 2004. In its first week on home entertainment release the film was the number one selling DVD, with the limited edition version coming in at number 11. Sony horror film The Grudge, starring Michelle Gellar, was the US' second best-selling DVD, with Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere's romantic comedy Shall We Dance? at number three. Foxx's critically acclaimed performance as Ray has already earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor, as well as a prestigious Golden Globe. Ray director Taylor Hackford, responsible for the classic 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, has also received an Oscar nomination in the best director category. The film's three other Oscar nominations are for costume, film editing and sound mixing. ", 'US', 'Indie film nominations announced Mike Leigh\'s award-winning abortion drama Vera Drake has scooped seven nominations at this year\'s British Independent Film Awards. But the Venice winner faces stiff competition from Shane Meadows\' critically acclaimed Dead Man\'s Shoes, which received eight nominations. Also in the running for a clutch of awards are My Summer of Love and the stalker drama Enduring Love. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 30 November. The winners of the awards will be chosen by a jury chaired by Cold Mountain director Anthony Minghella and including actresses Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham-Carter. The awards, which recognise independent film-making in Britain, were established seven years ago. "This year\'s nominees reflect the growing strength and diversity of British independent filmmaking," said BIFA founder and director Elliot Grove. Commenting on the diversity of the nominated films, he added: "Our selection committee had a harder time than ever narrowing down the field." Joining Vera Drake and Dead Man\'s Shoes in the running for best film are My Summer of Love, climbing documentary Touching the Void and zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead. Geoffrey Rush wins a best actor nomination for his role as Peter Sellers in the recent biopic The Life & Death of Peter Sellers. The Australian star faces competition from Daniel Craig (Enduring Love), Phil Davis (Vera Drake), Ian Hart (Blind Fight) and Dead Man\'s Shoes\' star Paddy Considine. Considine is also nominated for a best supporting actor award for My Summer of Love. A rare US nominee, Scarlett Johansson, is among this year\'s best actress contenders for her role in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Fellow nominees include Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Natalie Press (My Summer of Love), Anne Reid (The Mother) and Eva Birthistle (Ae Fond Kiss... ). Shane Meadows and Kevin McDonald, both former winners of the Douglas Hickox Award (for Best Directorial Debut) won best director nominations. Seasoned film-makers Roger Michell, Mike Leigh and Pavel Pavlikowsky challenge them to the award. Harry Potter author JK Rowling will receive a special award for her contribution to the industry. ', 'US', "DVD review: Spider-Man 2 It's a universal rule that a film can either be a superhero special effects extravaganza or it can be good. But Spider-Man 2 breaks that rule in two. It's not fantastically deep but you get quickly drawn into the tale of Spidey versus Doc Ock and more so into the fate of poor Peter Parker. Gigantic action set pieces seamlessly work with more brooding personal torment and it all looks stunning. A few effects look false but Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Alfred Molina make this compelling. The other universal rule is that DVDs of superhero films will have Making Of features only about the effects. This disc covers those special effects enough but as just one part of a detailed look at the film. Then there are commentaries, trailers and a blooper reel. Sometimes quality comes in bulk: this set contains no less than 34 John Wayne films ranging from the Westerns and war movies to The Quiet Man. Now is that a Christmas present or what? Give this to someone on 24 December and you won't see them again until early in the New Year. It's not truly a complete collection and leans more toward Wayne's earlier films: there's no True Grit, for instance, though there is Hellraisers. The films look well transferred to DVD, though none has extras. It was very daft but it knew it was and somehow this famous 1979 series became a cult favourite that's been long awaited on DVD. This set has the first season of Buck (Gil Gerard) and Wilma's (Erin Gray) tongue-in-cheek adventures and it's all as camp and gaudy as you remember. But it's also a disappointment. The US DVD has this and the more po-faced second season - and you can import it for just about the same price. The bigger omission, though, is that there are no extras. That's particularly disappointing because originally there were meant to be commentaries and stars Gerard and Gray had agreed to do them. ", 'US', 'US TV cuts nudity from BBC film A US TV network is editing BBC Films\' Dirty War to avoid showing the front of a nude woman being scrubbed down after a fictional chemical attack. It is not worth showing "non-essential" nude scenes when indecency complaints are "aggressively pursued" by US TV watchdogs, said PBS\' Jacoba Atlas. Dirty War - screened uncut on BBC One last September - depicts a dirty bomb attack on the City of London. It is also being screened uncut on US cable channel HBO on 24 January. PBS said it will use extra footage for its broadcast, showing the woman "from a more discreet angle" instead. The US Federal Communications Commission fined CBS $550,000 (£306,814) last autumn for singer Janet Jackson\'s "wardrobe malfunction", during which her breast was exposed during a dance routine with Justin Timberlake. Many US networks and broadcasters are now more nervous about airing nudity, violence or bad language. Ms Atlas said PBS could put itself financially at risk if it showed the uncut version of Dirty War, and it could also deter many of its 170 individual stations from airing "an important film". "You want to pick your battles," she said. She added that PBS, which is a private, non-profit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation\'s 349 public television stations, is bolder about screening non-fiction or historical programming. PBS is seen in virtually all US homes with TV, and describes itself as a "trusted community resource" serving nearly 100 million people each week. ', 'India', 'Church anger over Bollywood film Roman Catholic organisations in India have demanded the withdrawal of a film that depicts a priest having an affair with a girl half his age. Indian television channels are now refusing to run the promotional material for the film, Sins, ahead of its release on Friday. The director of the film, Vinod Pande, says the movie is not offensive and has refused to withdraw it. Catholics are planning a protest in Mumbai (Bombay) on Wednesday. The president of one of Mumbai\'s main Catholic organisations, Dolphy D\'Souza, says the portrayal of an ordained priest as a man of loose moral character has hurt the religious sentiments of India\'s Catholic community. He called the film "pornographic and sensational". Mr D\'Souza, who is also the vice-president of the Catholics\' national body, has accused the director of the film of portraying a priest in bad light for commercial gains. Catholics have urged Mr Pande to withdraw the film to show respect to the Christian community\'s hurt sentiments. "Religion needs to be a personal affair and should not be a subject for entertainment or for commercial use," Joseph Dias, general secretary of the Catholic Secular Forum, said in a statement. But Mr Pande said that if the critics were to see the film they would not protest against it and would not insist on its withdrawal. He says he has no plans to cancel the film ahead of its scheduled screening on Friday. "It\'s about forbidden love. There was no agenda whatsoever to hurt anyone," he said. The BBC\'s Zubair Ahmed in Mumbai says that the controversial film shows a priest in steamy scenes with a girl half his age. She apparently goes to him for help but he falls in love with her. It takes place in the picturesque southern Indian state of Kerala. The film has already been cleared by the Censor Board with an \'A\' (adults only) certificate. Mr D\'Souza says he is shocked at the Censor Board\'s decision to clear the film. Our correspondent says that India\'s TV channels have so far refused to be dragged into the controversy and have not screened the film\'s promotional material. Most of the Catholic community\'s anger has come after watching newspaper advertisements and hoardings of the film. Christians make up about two per cent of India\'s population of more than a billion people. ', 'UK', 'Bookmakers back Aviator for Oscar The Aviator has been tipped by UK bookmakers as the favourite to win the best film award at this year\'s Oscars. Ray star Jamie Foxx is clear favourite in the best actor category while Million Dollar Baby\'s Hilary Swank is tipped to win the best actress prize. Bookmakers predict Cate Blanchett will be named best supporting actress. William Hill and Ladbrokes have given The Aviator 4/9 and 8/13 odds of winning best film, with Million Dollar Baby in second place at 9/4. Bet Direct and Bet 365 also tip The Aviator, with the majority of bookmakers regarding Finding Neverland as the outsider. The Aviator is also widely tipped to win the best director prize for Martin Scorsese. British star Clive Owen is second favourite at William Hill to take the best supporting actor award, for his performance in Closer. The favourite in that category is Sideways star Thomas Hayden Church. Vera Drake star Imelda Staunton has 5/1 odds of winning the best actress Oscar at Bet 365 and William Hill, ahead of fellow UK star Kate Winslet who has odds of 25/1 at William Hill. Mike Leigh is the outsider in the best director category for Vera Drake, a position he holds jointly with Ray\'s Taylor Hackford at bookmakers VC Bet. This year\'s Academy Awards will be handed out in Hollywood on 27 February. X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne will present Sky television\'s live coverage of the event. Meanwhile, Clive Owen\'s best supporting actor nomination has led a bookmaker to shorten his odds of becoming the next James Bond. He has moved from 4/1 to 5/2 favourite to play 007, with Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor joint second favourite. "Clive Owen\'s nomination has sparked a betting frenzy from James Bond fans, who feel that his heightened global recognition will have done his chances of becoming the next Bond a world of good," said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams. ', 'Germany', 'Berlin cheers for anti-Nazi film A German movie about an anti-Nazi resistance heroine has drawn loud applause at Berlin Film Festival. Sophie Scholl - The Final Days portrays the final days of the member of the White Rose movement. Scholl, 21, was arrested and beheaded with her brother, Hans, in 1943 for distributing leaflets condemning the "abhorrent tyranny" of Adolf Hitler. Director Marc Rothemund said: "I have a feeling of responsibility to keep the legacy of the Scholls going." "We must somehow keep their ideas alive," he added. The film drew on transcripts of Gestapo interrogations and Scholl\'s trial preserved in the archive of communist East Germany\'s secret police. Their discovery was the inspiration behind the film for Rothemund, who worked closely with surviving relatives, including one of Scholl\'s sisters, to ensure historical accuracy on the film. Scholl and other members of the White Rose resistance group first started distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in the summer of 1942. They were arrested as they dropped leaflets at Munich University calling for a "day of reckoning" with Adolf Hitler\'s regime. The film focuses on the six days from Scholl\'s arrest to the intense trial which saw Scholl initially deny the charges and ended with a defiant appearance. It is one of three German films vying for a top prize at the Festival. A South African film version of Bizet\'s tragic opera Carmen shot in Cape Town in the Xhosa language has also premiered at the Berlin Festival. The film is entitled U-Carmen eKhayelitsha or Carmen in Khayelitsha after the township in which the story is set. It is performed by a 40-strong music and theatre troupe in their debut film performance. The film is the first South African feature in 25 years and only the second to be nominated for a Golden Bear Award. ', 'US', "Wine comedy wins critics' award Quirky comedy Sideways was named the best film of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The US movie also picked up four other accolades including best director for Alexander Payne and supporting actor for Thomas Haden Church. British actress Imelda Staunton has again been recognised for her role in Vera Drake, winning best actress, while Liam Neeson won best actor for Kinsey. The awards will be handed out on 13 January at a ceremony in Las Vegas. Sideways tells the story of two men who take a road trip through California's wine regions and also stars Paul Giamatti. Virginia Madsen was also named best supporting actress for her performance in the film. House of Flying Daggers, directed by Yimou Zhang, was named best foreign language film, while the animation award went to The Incredibles. Unusually, the runners-up in categories were also named with Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby just missing out on the best film award. The best director runner-up was Martin Scorsese for The Aviator. A career achievement award will be handed to veteran actor and comic Jerry Lewis at the ceremony next year. ", 'US', "Actor Foxx sees Globe nominations US actor Jamie Foxx has been given two nominations for Golden Globe awards, with Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman and Cate Blanchett also up for prizes. The stars were shortlisted on Monday for supporting roles, with the main nominations still to come. Foxx has starred in Collateral and Ray. Clive Owen, David Carradine and Natalie Portman are also up for awards. The Golden Globes, Hollywood's second most prominent awards, are the first major nominations to be announced. Last year, The Lord Of the Rings: The Return Of the King was named best drama movie while Lost In Translation won best musical or comedy. Sean Penn, Charlize Theron, Tim Robbins and Renee Zellweger all won acting awards - mirroring the eventual Oscars outcome. The Golden Globes ceremony will take place on 16 January, with the Oscars following on 27 February. ", 'UK', 'Aviator wins top Globes accolades The Aviator has been named best film at the Golden Globe Awards, with its star Leonardo DiCaprio named best actor. Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood took the best director prize for Million Dollar Baby while its star Hilary Swank was best actress. Quirky comedy Sideways was named best screenplay and best comedy. Ray star Jamie Foxx was best actor in a musical/comedy while Briton Clive Owen and Natalie Portman won prizes for best supporting roles in Closer. The Aviator, in which DiCaprio plays millionaire Howard Hughes, edged ahead of its rivals at the Beverly Hills ceremony by winning the best original score prize. This give it a total of three awards while Million Dollar Baby, Sideways and Closer took two Golden Globes each. Accepting his best dramatic actor prize, DiCaprio described director Martin Scorsese as "one of the greatest contributors to the world of cinema of all time". Annette Bening won best actress in a musical/comedy for Being Julia while Spanish movie The Sea Inside was named best foreign language film. Swank, who previously won the Golden Globe and Oscar for Boys Don\'t Cry, paid tribute to Million Dollar Baby director and co-star Clint Eastwood. "You guided us so brilliantly, while you also, in my humble opinion, gave the performance of your career," she said. Foxx was nominated for three awards but was beaten to the best supporting actor title by Owen and the best actor in a TV movie prize by Geoffrey Rush in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. A BBC co-production, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers was also named best TV movie. Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart won the best original song award for Old Habits Die Hard from movie re-make Alfie, while Ian McShane was named best actor in a TV drama for his lead role in Deadwood. Other UK hopes Kate Winslet and Imelda Staunton went home empty-handed despite lead actress nominations for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Vera Drake respectively. Winning a Golden Globe is said to improve a film or performer\'s chance of subsequently winning an Academy Award. Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes split awards by genre - one prize for dramas and the other for musicals and comedies. The Globes also honour the best in television, with suburban series Desperate Housewives named best TV comedy show. Actress Teri Hatcher beat fellow Desperate Housewives stars Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman to the best comedy actress prize. Hatcher thanked the show\'s cast, crew and "a network who gave me a second chance at a career when I couldn\'t have been a bigger \'has been\'". Cosmetic surgery series Nip/Tuck beat The Sopranos and Deadwood to the best television drama title. Arrested Development star Jason Bateman was named best TV actor in a musical or comedy series. The Golden Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, comprising film reporters based in Los Angeles and working for overseas outlets. Robin Williams, a five-time Globe winner for such films as The Fisher King and Good Morning, Vietnam, received the Cecil B DeMille award for career achievement. He dedicated his prize to Superman actor Christopher Reeve, who died last year. ', 'US', 'Surprise win for anti-Bush film Michael Moore\'s anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 has won best film at the US People\'s Choice Awards, voted for by the US public. Mel Gibson\'s The Passion of the Christ won best drama, despite both films being snubbed so far at US film awards in the run-up to February\'s Oscars. Julia Roberts won her 10th consecutive crown as favourite female movie star. Johnny Depp was favourite male movie star and Renee Zellweger was favourite leading lady at Sunday\'s awards in LA. Film sequel Shrek 2 took three prizes - voted top animated movie, top film comedy and top sequel. In television categories, Desperate Housewives was named top new drama and Joey, starring former Friends actor Matt LeBlanc, was best new comedy. Long-running shows Will and Grace and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation were named best TV comedy and TV drama respectively. Nominees for the People\'s Choice Awards were picked by a 6,000-strong Entertainment Weekly magazine panel, and winners were subsequently chosen by 21 million online voters. Fahrenheit 9/11 director Michael Moore dedicated his trophy to soldiers in Iraq. His film was highly critical of President George W Bush and the US-led invasion of Iraq, and Moore was an outspoken Bush critic in the 2004 presidential campaign inwhich Democratic challenger John Kerry lost. "This country is still all of ours, not right or left or Democrat or Republican," Moore told the audience at the ceremony in Pasadena, California. Moore said it was "an historic occasion" that the 31-year-old awards ceremony would name a documentary its best film. Unlike many other film-makers, Passion of the Christ director Mel Gibson has vowed not to campaign for an Oscar for his movie. "To me, really, this is the ultimate goal because one doesn\'t make work for the elite," Gibson said backstage at the event. "To me, the people have spoken." ', 'UK', 'Controversial film tops festival A controversial film starring Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon as a convicted paedophile won top honours at the London Film Festival on Thursday. The Woodsman won the Satyajit Ray Award, named after the Indian director. The low-budget film, directed by Nicole Kassell, is about a convicted child molester trying to rebuild his life after 12 years in jail. Judges said the film tackled the contentious subject with "great insight and sensitivity". Previous films to take the prize include the Oscar-winning Boys Don\'t Cry, which was about the true life story of murdered transsexual Brandon Teena. British writer-director Amma Asante won the UK Film Talent Award this year for her debut feature A Way Of Life. Set in South Wales, the film is about a teenage single mother who becomes embroiled in a tense stand-off with a Turkish neighbour. Also on Thursday night, the Fipresci International Critics Awards went to Aaltra, a Belgian film about the handicapped; and the Sutherland Trophy, which was won by Jonathan Caouette for his film Tarnation. The festival closed with a screening of the film I Heart Huckabees, starring Jude Law and Dustin Hoffman and directed by Three Kings film-maker David O Russell. The festival this year also included the first European screening of the new Pixar animation The Incredibles, and the British film Bullet Boy, starring So Solid Crew rapper Asher D. ', 'Japan', 'Day-Lewis set for Berlin honour Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is to be presented with an award for his career in film at the Berlin Film Festival. The 47-year-old, whose credits include his Oscar-winning performance in My Left Foot, will be presented with the Berlinale Camera award on 15 February. The honour, awarded since 1986, honours figures in cinema that the festival feels "particularly indebted to". Man to Man, a historical epic starring Kristin Scott Thomas, opens the German festival on 10 February. A candid documentary about the life and career of singer George Michael, A Different Story will also be screened at the 10-day event. \' Day-Lewis has competed four times at the Berlin Film Festival, with films In The Name Of The Father (1994), The Crucible (1997), The Boxer (1998) and Martin Scorsese\'s Gangs Of New York (2003). The festival praises him for his "sensational start" with roles in My Beautiful Launderette and costume classic A Room With A View, and a "great number of celebrated roles" in subsequent productions. Japan\'s oldest film studio will also be honoured along with Day-Lewis. Shochiku film studios, which was founded 110 years ago, will become the first cinematic institution to receive the Berlinale Camera award. Famous Japanese directors including Akira Hurosawa have had films produced at the studio. ', 'US', 'Media seek Jackson \'juror\' notes Reporters covering singer Michael Jackson\'s trial in California have asked to see questionnaires completed by potential jurors. Lawyers for news organisations said it was "really vital" for the responses of 250 potential jurors to be made public "to serve as a check on the process". Santa Barbara County Superior Court is due to consider the request on Monday. Mr Jackson denies child molestation. It is estimated his trial will cost Santa Barbara county up to $4m (£2.13m). Meanwhile Michael Jackson\'s mother has said she is "100% certain" her son did not commit the child abuse charges he faces. The court is currently selecting 12 jurors and eight stand-by jurors for the trial, a process delayed until at least Thursday after a member of the star\'s legal team was hit by family illness. Defence lawyers argued against the bid by Associated Press and other news organisations to have potential jurors\' responses made public. "The release of the completed jury questionnaires does not serve any purpose other than to add to the sensationalist coverage of this case," a motion by Mr Jackson\'s lawyers stated. The estimated total costs of the trial, expected to last five months, range from $2.5m (£1.33m) to $4m (£2.13m) of local taxpayers\' money. Those estimates do not include costs to the city of Santa Maria, the Superior Court or for the investigation and prosecution of the case. The cost of security and other needs around the courthouse has been estimated at $40,000 (£21,000) per day, said Jason Stilwell, a special projects manager at the county administrator\'s office. Mr Jackson, 46, denies plying a boy with alcohol and molesting him. His mother Katherine Jackson told US TV network Fox News on Sunday that her pop star son told her he was innocent. "I believe that for one reason - I know his character," she said. "He loves children. You don\'t molest anything that you love." Describing Mr Jackson as "a good person", the mother-of-nine said she feared he would not be given a fair trial. "I can\'t sleep thinking about what these wicked people might try to do to him," she said. ', 'UK', 'Elvis set to top UK singles chart Rock \'n\' roll legend Elvis is set to top the UK singles chart on Sunday, 27 years after his death. The re-release of hit song Jailhouse Rock was out-selling X Factor winner Steve Brockstein\'s cover of Against All Odds by 2,000 copies on Tuesday. If the record does make the top spot, it will be Elvis\' 19th UK number one. The last time he topped the charts was with the remix of the little-known song A Little Less Conversation, which was number one in June 2002. If Jailhouse Rock does reach number one on Sunday, it will be the 999th in the history of the UK pop charts. The song first topped the charts in 1958. Chart analysts say Elvis could score the 1000th number one as well. His record One Night will be released the following week, followed the week after by A Fool Such As I, as part of his record company SonyBMG\'s new Elvis campaign. It has called it "the most ambitious singles release campaign in the history of the UK record industry". ', 'US', 'Wal-Mart is sued over rude lyrics The parents of a 13-year-old girl are suing US supermarket giant Wal-Mart over a CD by rock group Evanescence that contains swear words. The lawsuit, filed in Washington County, alleges Wal-Mart deceived customers by not putting warning labels on the cover. Trevin Skeens alleges Wal-Mart knew of the offending word because it had censored it on its music sales website. Wal-Mart said it was investigating the claims but had no plans to pull the CD. Wal-Mart has a policy of not stocking CDs which carry parental advisory labels. Mr Skeens said he bought the Anywhere But Home CD for his daughter and was shocked to hear the swearing when it was played in their car. "I don\'t want any other families to get this, expecting it to be clean. It needs to be removed from the shelves to prevent other children from hearing it," said Mr Skeens of Brownsville. The lawsuit seeks to force Wal-Mart to censor the music or remove it from its stores in Maryland. It also seeks damages of up to $74,500 (£38,660) for every customer who bought the CD at Maryland Wal-Marts, and also naming record label Wind-Up Records and distributor BMG Entertainment in the legal action. "While Wal-Mart sets high standards, it would not be possible to eliminate every image, word or topic that an individual might find objectionable," Wal-Mart spokesman Guy Whitcomb told the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown. ', 'US', 'Rapper Snoop Dogg sued for \'rape\' US rapper Snoop Dogg has been sued for $25m (£13m) by a make-up artist who claimed he and his entourage drugged and raped her two years ago. The woman said she was assaulted after a recording of the Jimmy Kimmel Live TV show on the ABC network in 2003. The rapper\'s spokesman said the allegations were "untrue" and the woman was "misusing the legal system as a means of extracting financial gain". ABC said the claims had "no merit". The star has not been charged by police. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Friday, says the woman\'s champagne was spiked and she was then assaulted. The rapper\'s spokesperson said: "Snoop will have the opportunity to prove in a court of law that [the alleged victim] is opportunistic and deceitful. "We are confident that in this case, [the alleged victim\'s] claims against Snoop Dogg will be rejected." The lawsuit names Snoop Dogg - real name Calvin Broadus - plus three associates, The Walt Disney Company and its parent company ABC Inc. The woman waited two years to sue because she was trying to negotiate a settlement with the media companies, her lawyer, Perry Wander, said. Disney and ABC "failed to provide a safe working environment for my client," he said. The legal action comes after the rap star sued a woman who claimed they tried to blackmail him to keep quiet about an alleged assault. The 32-year-old rapper has enjoyed six US top 10 albums since bursting onto the music scene with hit songs like What\'s My Name? and Gin and Juice in 1993. ', 'UK', 'Dance music not dead says Fatboy DJ Norman Cook - aka Fatboy Slim - has said that dance music is not dead, but has admitted it is currently going through a "fallow patch". The commercial failure of the latest albums by Britain\'s two biggest dance acts - Fatboy Slim\'s Palookaville and The Prodigy\'s Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned - has been coupled with the closure of many "superclubs," and the folding of three dance music magazines. Last month the Brit Awards announced they would no longer be awarding a Best Dance Act prize, with the Brits committee announcing that "dance music is no longer where it\'s happening in music." These developments lead some to suggest that dance was finished as a popular music genre. Cook acknowledged that much change in the dance world in the four years since his last album, Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars, but he stressed this did not mean the dance scene was permanently over. "Every week when I was making the album, I was reading articles about the demise of dance music - and obviously that affects you somewhat," he told BBC World Service\'s The Ticket programme. "I personally don\'t believe it\'s either dead or going to die, but it\'s going through a bit of a fallow patch. "So I think, consciously or subconsciously, reading every week that dance music was dead I would think \'right, scrub that track then\'." Although his album sales in the UK are down - Palookaville stayed in the UK top 75 for just three weeks - Cook has achieved recent global success with his beach parties. And event on Brighton sea front in 2002 attracted 250,000, people, while a later one in Rio achieved a crowd of 360,000. The DVD of the Rio set was the biggest seller of that year. "With a crowd that big, if the weather\'s nice, the atmosphere before I even go is so good that about halfway through the first record I think \'I\'ve got them\'," Cook said. "I\'m always really really nervous before the big ones - they had to give me Valium before Rio, because two hours before I was literally just pacing the floor. "For some reason, especially now I\'ve got a reputation for it, the atmosphere and the joie de vivre that\'s already going on means all I have to do is play \'up\' records." He promised more such parties in more locations around the world - despite problems after the Brighton event, which ended in chaos with many revellers finding themselves stranded as transport ground to a halt. One man also died of a heart attack, and a woman fell to her death during the free party. "We\'re having to widen our horizons from just beaches, because there\'s landlocked countries that want to get involved," Cook said. "We\'re doing Rio at the carnival, at the Maracana, and Sao Paolo - our new gig is famous football stadiums." The DJ admitted, however, that his massive worldwide success had a downside, with intense media interest in his personal life. In particular, he said he had struggled to cope with tabloid intrusion during the temporary break-up of his marriage to Radio One presenter Zoe Ball, after she was linked with DJ Dan Peppe. "The tabloid thing has been difficult at times," Cook said. "Especially the me-and-Zoe-Gate - it\'s quite scary." He said that he had been "determined" that what had happened with Ball did not affect the album. "At first I was doing deliberately jolly tunes so that people wouldn\'t think I was depressed," he explained. "Then I thought, \'that\'s not right\'." And he highlighted a bizarre coincidence - that one song written before they split had turned out to have a great deal more meaning than intended. "I said to Zoe, \'I did this track called My Masochistic Baby Went And Left Me, do you mind if it\'s on the album?\'" he recalled. "She said, \'yeah, it\'s hilarious, because your masochistic baby did leave you\'." Cook also added that he had some ways of coping with the intense paparazzi pressure, which accumulates at the end of the private road he lives on - where Paul McCartney is a neighbour. "It\'s almost like prisoners rattling the bars with their mugs," Cook explained. "If there\'s a pap at the end of the road, everyone knocks on each other\'s doors - Paul comes round, and we warn him, because we don\'t know who they\'re after." ', 'US', 'Snow Patrol feted at Irish awards Snow Patrol were the big winners in Ireland\'s top music honours, the Meteor Awards, picking up accolades for best Irish band and album on Thursday. The Belfast-born, Glasgow-based band collected the prizes at the ceremony at Dublin\'s Point Theatre. Westlife won the award for best Irish pop act, voted for by the public, beating former member Brian McFadden. Franz Ferdinand picked up best international band and album while Paddy Casey collected best Irish male. Singer-songwriter Casey beat Brian McFadden and Damien Rice. Juliette Turner was named best Irish female. In the international categories, Morrissey beat Eminem, Usher and Robbie Williams to best male while PJ Harvey pipped Kylie Minogue, Joss Stone, Anastacia and Natasha Bedingfield to the female crown. The 8,000 fans at the ceremony were treated to performances from US rapper Snoop Dogg, Brian McFadden with Delta Goodrem and The Thrills featuring Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood. Snow Patrol\'s success came after a year in which they made a chart breakthrough with their third album Final Straw. "I think a lot of bands should go through a wee bit of a kicking before the make a success," singer Gary Lightbody and drummer Jonny Quinn said. "It has been good for us, but also hard for us over the past six years." Snow Patrol will support U2 on their European tour later this year - but U2 were not nominated for best Irish band and album. ', 'UK', "Brits return Keane to number one Brits success has helped return Keane's award-winning album Hopes and Fears back to the top of the UK album chart. The debut album, which took the best British album title at the Brits on Tuesday, moved up seven places from number eight to number one. Also capitalising on Brits success were the Scissor Sisters whose eponymous album moved three places to number two. U2's latest single Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own took the top spot in the singles chart, ahead of Elvis. The track, from their current album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, pushed Eminem's Like Toy Soldiers from number one to number three. Elvis' Wooden Heart, which entered the chart at number two, is the sixth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of Presley's birth. There are currently six re-released Elvis' tracks occupying spots in the top 40 singles chart including Are You Lonesome Tonight at number 20, It's Now or Never at number 27 and Jailhouse Rock at number 37. Soldier, by Destiny's Child, Ti and Lil Wayne, debuted at number four, while Almost Here, the duet from former Westlife star Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem, fell from number three to number five. There was more follow up to Brits success for Franz Ferdinand won best rock act and best British group last week. Their self-titled album moved from 13 to number four. Last week's number one album Tourist, by Athlete, fell to number three. ", 'US', 'Franz man seeks government help Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has called for more government help for musicians, while taking part in an Edinburgh Lectures discussion. "For any cultural output to thrive there needs to be some kind of state input to that as well," he said. But Kapranos warned against musicians being too closely linked with MPs, at the University of Edinburgh event. "I think the role of musicians is to question politicians rather than to go to bed with them," he said. Kapranos joined the prestigious lecture series to discuss Scotland\'s role in making 21st Century music. "There are elements of our musical output which require sustenance because they aren\'t self-sufficient," he said. "But so-called commercial music would benefit from investment as well." He warned musicians against being allied to a particular party, however. "I don\'t know if having tea with politicians is always a good idea." Kapranos and his Glasgow four-piece band have been nominated for five prizes at next week\'s Brit Awards, including best group and best album. Their self-titled debut album won last year\'s Mercury Music Prize and spawned three top 20 singles. He told the 300-strong audience at the University\'s Reid Hall that musicians should listen to a wide range of music and should not be restricted by stereotypes. "We say \'I like this\'. Because I listen to Nirvana and Korn I am a troubled individual, I\'m riddled with angst because I listen to Chopin and Debussy, I listen to Kylie Minogue and Scissor Sisters because I\'m upbeat and I like to party, I listen to Wagner because I like the smell of napalm in the morning." Kapranos said there was a general "hostility" towards classical music, adding: "There is very little done to break that hostility other than Classic FM." He concluded: "We define ourselves as a nation by the way we encourage our creativity." Fellow speaker and classical composer James MacMillan agreed: "We need to rediscover our ability to listen." Previous speakers at the Edinburgh Lectures series have included former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and author Professor Stephen Hawking. Kapranos described his appearance on Wednesday as "more daunting by a long way" than their upcoming Brits performance. "I don\'t really care about the Brits," he said. "It\'s going to be great to go down but I have actually had to exercise part of my brain tonight." I think the government should do more to help up-and-coming artists be discovered by scrapping the entertainment licences for live venues. Also they should do more to help independent record labels have a louder voice within an industry dominated by commercialised major labels. Rather than expecting the government - i.e. the taxpayer - to fork out, why don\'t some of the megastars put something back in? Some of Britain\'s wealthiest people are musicians who have raked it in from albums, concerts etc. There are far more important demands on government funds. If they can fund football, why not fund music? Areas of the arts are funded by government and lottery grants, so why not music? We already have the opera receiving huge grants and it would clearly be beneficial for diversity in music to have the same opportunities in other areas of the music. The only problem would be how to judge what merits state cash. The government has enough problems funding schools and health services. If Alex Kapranos genuinely thinks a multi-billion pound industry should also have government funding then his own education was seriously lacking and more money should be put into that. As a Scot living in England, I appreciate the value of Scottish music and culture being a success, so I can see no problem with it! Franz Ferdinand, Travis and Snow Patrol are just recent examples of the success Scottish music can have in the world, so we should do what we Scots are good at and support our own goods! I think the issue is more fundamental: should the government be spending money on subsidising a multi-million pound industry when health and education are in such a sorry state? The answer is most definitely no. Those people who are lucky enough to pursue their passion to get their pay cheque shouldn\'t be looking for government subsidies. I know that if I was lucky enough to be able to pursue my dream of show jumping I would want to finance myself until I was in a position to pursue corporate sponsorship. Yes the government should fund music - it brings joy to the masses. There are already thousands of state-funded musicians out there sitting around, twiddling their thumbs on the "new deal". Getting the government even more involved would only waste money that could be put to better use. As long as the Government was funding real talent it would be a great move. I would hate to see more Pop Idol-type funding of music though, as it would only serve to reinforce the stereotypes that Alex talked about. Only if the proposals make financial sense. Franz Ferdinand must be paying serious amounts of tax on their record sales - if they\'d had a government grant to get started they\'d have more than paid it back by now, so the Treasury would be making far more than it paid out. However, the government has better things to spend its money on than to give charity to everyone who decides they\'re a musician. The government shouldn\'t "fund" music - it should "invest" in music and those investments should be treated like any other investment. I think the government needs to provide facilities and for young groups and bands to form and practise. The equipment is not cheap and can be well beyond the means of many people. However, I do feel this should be the extent of their role, to provide the conditions for the talent to flourish and let it go from there. I do agree that the government should help to fund music but there is also a responsibility held by record companies! They generally always opt for the tried and tested and tend not to want to break any moulds or risk losing any money which ultimately, the directors are in the business for! If labels were more willing to put money forward towards smaller breakthrough acts then the government wouldn\'t have to fork out a great deal. Yeah, why not? Music should be government funded, particularly the work of modern composers and veteran bands/artists and stuff. Pop music pretty much rules the earth, so more attention should go to the other fraternities I agree with funding the arts to make it more accessible to the public but I am not convinced that pop music requires financial support from the taxpayer. There is a great deal of money generated through pop music - perhaps a tax on pop could be ploughed into the public performance of other forms of music for everyone to enjoy. Perhaps we could financially penalise really bad Pop Idol-style music - that is, the music industry sector without any artistic merit or originality whatsoever and that which is specifically designed to line the pockets of music producers. Call it a tax on music "pollution", if you like. Though I really like Franz Ferdinand, I have to disagree with Mr Kapranos. Once government gets their hand into the private sector, it will destroy the creative and possibly controversial avenues the artist pursues. Many years ago, this was the case with the US NEA, when the government started to question what was considered art for the money they were allotting. The solution Mr Kapranos should pursue would be privately-funded organizations, like Save the Music in the US. ', 'US', 'Sir Paul rocks Super Bowl crowds Sir Paul McCartney wowed fans with a live mini-concert at American football\'s Super Bowl - and avoided any Janet Jackson-style controversies. The 62-year-old sang Hey Jude and other Beatles songs in a 12-minute set at half-time during the game in Florida. Last year, Jackson exposed a breast during a dance routine, causing outrage among millions of TV viewers and landing the CBS TV network a fine. Sir Paul, however, did nothing more racy than remove his jacket as he sang. Organisers were widely considered to be playing it safe this year by booking 62-year-old Sir Paul for his second Super Bowl show. Three years ago, he was invited to perform at the first Super Bowl after the September 11 attacks and performed his specially-written song Freedom. This time, he started off the show, at the Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, with the Beatles numbers Drive My Car and Get Back. He then performed a mellow version of Live And Let Die, the James Bond theme he recorded with the band Wings. Finally, he closed the show with a rousing version of Hey Jude. The former Beatle resisted any temptation to refer to Janet Jackson\'s headline-grabbing performance last year, instead keeping banter between songs to a minimum in order to squeeze as much music as he could into his slot. The singer removed his black jacket halfway through the show - but any fans hoping for a second "Nipple-gate" were to be disappointed as he kept his red sweatshirt on underneath. Earlier, the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys had provided the night\'s other high-profile entertainment by performing in a pre-game show. Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie was dressed in a tight orange top and purple hotpants, but nothing in her performance was likely to upset TV watchdogs. After the controversy last year - which saw CBS fined a record $550,000 (£292,000) by federal regulators - Super Bowl organisers had turned to producer Don Mischer to oversee this year\'s half-time show. His previous production credits included Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. The Super Bowl is watched by an audience of 144.4 million in the US, with many of the people watching are said to tune in specifically to see the entertainment put on around the event. Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan and Phil Collins are among the stars who have previously graced the Super Bowl stage. ', 'US', 'Vibe awards back despite violence The US Vibe awards will be held again next year despite a stabbing which happened during the ceremony. Vibe magazine president Kenard Gibbs said the attack earlier this month in Santa Monica was "sickening". He said not holding the awards would be counter to the work the magazine has done to promote hip hop music. Rapper Young Buck has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man who hit Dr Dre as he was about to receive a lifetime achievement award. The rapper, whose real name is David Darnell Brown, is due in court on 20 December after being arrested on one charge of attempted murder and a second charge of assault with a deadly weapon. The performer is one of the members of 50 Cent\'s G-Unit group, which is signed to Dr Dre\'s record label. The man who was stabbed, Jimmy James Johnson, suffered a collapsed lung and is in a stable condition at a Los Angeles hospital. Mr Johnson allegedly approached Dr Dre, who was seated at a table in front of the stage, and appeared to ask for an autograph before punching him. During the ensuing scuffle - which involved many of the 1,000-strong crowd - Mr Johnson was stabbed as he was being dragged away by security staff, ', 'UK', 'Queen recruit singer for new tour The remaining members of rock band Queen are to go on tour next year with former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers taking Freddie Mercury\'s place. Guitarist Brian May has said he expects to be on the road with Rodgers and drummer Roger Taylor from April. May said: "Suddenly the Queen Phoenix is rising again from the ashes and will take precedence over... our lives." Queen have played with many different singers since Mercury\'s death in 1991 but have reportedly not toured. May performed with Rodgers at a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar in London in September. "We were both so amazed at the chemistry that was going on in [Free hit] All Right Now, that suddenly it seems blindingly obvious that there was \'something happening here,\'" May wrote on his website. They teamed up again for a concert to mark their induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and were joined by Taylor. "The show went so incredibly well from our point of view, and we got so many rave reactions from out there, we decided almost then and there that we would look at a tour together," May wrote. Queen went to number one in 2000 with a version of We Will Rock You sung by boy band 5ive and they have also played with Robbie Williams, Will Young and Bob Geldof. Queen bassist John Deacon has currently retired from the stage. Rodgers was singer with early 1970s rockers Free, who had a global hit with All Right Now, before forming Bad Company, a successful "supergroup" with members of King Crimson and Mott the Hoople. He has also been in The Firm with Led Zeppelin\'s Jimmy Page and The Law with The Small Faces and The Who drummer Kenny Jones. ', 'US', 'Rock band U2 break ticket record U2 have smashed Irish box office records with ticket sales for their Dublin concerts, after more than 150,000 were sold within 50 minutes. Tickets for the two concerts at the city\'s Croke Park stadium were released at 8am on Friday morning. "Nothing like it has ever been seen in Ireland before," said Justin Green, spokesman for organisers MCD Promoters. "We could have sold a million tickets." The Dublin dates on June 24 and 25 form part of the worldwide Vertigo tour. The tour begins in San Diego on 28 March and will cover 13 US cities. The band will also play 24 European gigs, finishing in Lisbon in August. Mr Green said that ticket outlets had been "bombarded" by U2 fans. "Unfortunately there\'s thousands and thousands of disappointed fans all over the country which is disappointing, but there\'s only two dates confirmed," he said. Many fans camped on the streets of the Irish capital for three days to ensure they were first in line at Ticketmaster in St Stephen\'s Green Shopping Centre, where the tickets went on sale on Friday. However the majority of tickets, priced at between 59.50 and 80 euro each, were sold online. Earlier this week, Bono announced that the band would play two shows at the venue, which holds almost 80,000 people, due to the phenomenal demand for tickets. ', 'US', 'Sir Paul rocks Super Bowl crowds Sir Paul McCartney wowed fans with a live mini-concert at American football\'s Super Bowl - and avoided any Janet Jackson-style controversies. The 62-year-old sang Hey Jude and other Beatles songs in a 12-minute set at half-time during the game in Florida. Last year, Jackson exposed a breast during a dance routine, causing outrage among millions of TV viewers and landing the CBS TV network a fine. Sir Paul, however, did nothing more racy than remove his jacket as he sang. Organisers were widely considered to be playing it safe this year by booking 62-year-old Sir Paul for his second Super Bowl show. Three years ago, he was invited to perform at the first Super Bowl after the September 11 attacks and performed his specially-written song Freedom. This time, he started off the show, at the Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, with the Beatles numbers Drive My Car and Get Back. He then performed a mellow version of Live And Let Die, the James Bond theme he recorded with the band Wings. Finally, he closed the show with a rousing version of Hey Jude. The former Beatle resisted any temptation to refer to Janet Jackson\'s headline-grabbing performance last year, instead keeping banter between songs to a minimum in order to squeeze as much music as he could into his slot. The singer removed his black jacket halfway through the show - but any fans hoping for a second "Nipple-gate" were to be disappointed as he kept his red sweatshirt on underneath. Earlier, the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys had provided the night\'s other high-profile entertainment by performing in a pre-game show. Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie was dressed in a tight orange top and purple hotpants, but nothing in her performance was likely to upset TV watchdogs. After the controversy last year - which saw CBS fined a record $550,000 (£292,000) by federal regulators - Super Bowl organisers had turned to producer Don Mischer to oversee this year\'s half-time show. His previous production credits included Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. The Super Bowl is watched by an audience of 144.4 million in the US, with many of the people watching are said to tune in specifically to see the entertainment put on around the event. Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan and Phil Collins are among the stars who have previously graced the Super Bowl stage. ', 'US', 'Beastie Boys win sampling battle US rappers Beastie Boys have won their long-running battle over the use of a sample in their song Pass the Mic. The punk-rappers used three notes of music from flautist James Newton\'s Choir in their track from 1992. Although the group had paid a licence fee for the sample, Mr Newton said his copyright had been infringed. But the US Court of Appeal upheld its original decision that the group did not have to pay an additional fee to license the underlying composition. The Beastie Boys - Michael Diamond, Adam Horowitz, and Adam Yauch - are considered to be one of early pioneers of sampling music. Sampling, now a standard practice among musicians, involves taking a segment of one track and using it in a different song. A three-judge panel of the court held in 2003 that the band had abided by copyright protections by paying a licence fee for a sample of Mr Newton\'s recording. That finding upheld a lower-court dismissal of the case in favour of the Beastie Boys. "We hold that Beastie Boys\' use of a brief segment of that composition, consisting of three notes separated by a half-step over a background C note, is not sufficient to sustain a claim for infringement of Newton\'s copyright," Chief Judge Mary Schroeder wrote in her opinion. Mr Newton is a critically acclaimed jazz and classical flutist, composer, performer, and university professor. Mr Newton and the Beastie Boys were not available for comment. ', 'UK', 'Pupils to get anti-piracy lessons Lessons on music piracy and copyright issues are to be taught to secondary school pupils in the UK. The lessons, aimed at 11 to 14-year-olds, will introduce them to copyright - including the issues of downloading from the internet and the illegal copying of CDs - and its role in protecting creativity. Music piracy, including illegally swapping music online, costs the UK music industry millions every year and has been blamed for a decline in world-wide CD sales. British Music Rights (BMR) - which was formed to represent the interests of songwriters and composers - worked with education experts to put together a learning pack. Songwriter Guy Chambers, who has worked with stars including Robbie Williams, has thrown his support behind the scheme. He said as well as educating children about music piracy, it would also protect young people planning a career in the music industry from "unscrupulous" individuals. At a debate in London to launch the scheme, Chambers said: "I think it is important that young people receive practical and engaging learning in schools. "These lessons will give them an insight into how the creative industries work which will help them in possible future careers." The education pack, which has already been requested by more than 1,600 secondary schools, is aimed at giving children an understanding of copyright in relation to the music industry. It will also teach children about the importance of royalties and raises awareness of different careers in the music industry, particularly in the digital age. Henri Yoxall, general manager of British Music Rights, told BBC News schools had been crying out for a resource to help them educate pupils about the issues. The scheme - which is an extension of BMR\'s Respect the Value of Music campaign - is also being backed by singer-songwriters Feargal Sharkey, Lucie Silvas and Grammy Award-winning composer David Arnold. Silvas said: "I think it is so important that students gain an understanding of how the music industry works when they are at a young age. "I wish I had been given an opportunity like this when I was at school." Emma Pike, director general of British Music Rights, said: "We believe that copyright is an essential part of teaching music in schools. It is vital that the creatives of the future know how to turn their ideas into value. "Copyright education has always been important... creatives are facing more challenges and more opportunities from technological change. "Technology is allowing people to create music and distribute their music to the public in a whole host of new ways." ', 'US', 'Beatles suits sell for $110,000 Four suits worn by the Beatles on their Please Please Me album cover have sold for $110,00 (£59,000) at a US auction. But some of Elvis Presley\'s earliest recordings - including takes of All Shook Up - failed to sell at the Bonhams and Butterfields two-day sale. A private collection of six tape recordings of Presley valued at between $30,000 (£16,000) and $50,000 (£27,000) did not meet their reserve price. A signed Presley photograph managed to fetch $2,115 (£1,140). Auction spokesman Erik Simon said the Presley tapes were withdrawn because "they did not meet the minimum price set by the owners". He said the family of sound engineer Thorne Nogar did not want to divulge the price they had set or the offers they had received. The RCA tapes date from September 1956 to September 1957. The "pre-masters" include a take of Jailhouse Rock, religious songs, material for his first Christmas album, and banter between Presley, members of his band and Mr Nogar. "We\'ve had them for a lot of years, and I think the people should enjoy them. And frankly, we could use the money," Mr Nogar\'s son Stephen, 57, said before the auction. Mr Nogar, who died in 1994 aged 72, always used to make two tapes of sessions as a back-up in case RCA producers wanted to make late changes to songs. "He called them his \'ass-saver\' tapes," his son said. The quality is said to be noticeably crisper than that of a new vinyl record. Because the family does not own the copyright to the music, the tapes could only be sold for "personal enjoyment" and cannot be copied for commercial gain. The auction made a total of $1.1m (£600,000). ', 'US', 'Disputed Nirvana box set on sale A box set featuring 68 unreleased Nirvana tracks has gone on sale in the US, after years of legal wrangles. With the Lights Out was intended to be released in 2001, to mark the 10th anniversary of the album Nevermind. It was blocked by Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who did not want unreleased song You Know You\'re Right on the box set. The dispute between Love and surviving band members Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl was settled in 2002. Work began on the box set in 1998, but legal battles put the project on hold. The legal fight centred on a studio recording of the unreleased track You Know You\'re Right, regarded by fans as one of the unreleased gems of Nirvana. The set, released on Tuesday, features three CDs and a DVD of rare performance and rehearsal footage. The DVD also includes the first performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit, the track that launched Nirvana on to the international stage in 1991. "The band wasn\'t always pretty, or always in tune. This is not Nirvana unplugged. It\'s Nirvana unedited," said Cobain biographer Charles Cross. The band\'s development ended tragically when songwriter Kurt Cobain committed suicide in April 1994. ', 'UK', 'Queen recruit singer for new tour The remaining members of rock band Queen are to go on tour next year with former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers taking Freddie Mercury\'s place. Guitarist Brian May has said he expects to be on the road with Rodgers and drummer Roger Taylor from April. May said: "Suddenly the Queen Phoenix is rising again from the ashes and will take precedence over... our lives." Queen have played with many different singers since Mercury\'s death in 1991 but have reportedly not toured. May performed with Rodgers at a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar in London in September. "We were both so amazed at the chemistry that was going on in [Free hit] All Right Now, that suddenly it seems blindingly obvious that there was \'something happening here,\'" May wrote on his website. They teamed up again for a concert to mark their induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and were joined by Taylor. "The show went so incredibly well from our point of view, and we got so many rave reactions from out there, we decided almost then and there that we would look at a tour together," May wrote. Queen went to number one in 2000 with a version of We Will Rock You sung by boy band 5ive and they have also played with Robbie Williams, Will Young and Bob Geldof. Queen bassist John Deacon has currently retired from the stage. Rodgers was singer with early 1970s rockers Free, who had a global hit with All Right Now, before forming Bad Company, a successful "supergroup" with members of King Crimson and Mott the Hoople. He has also been in The Firm with Led Zeppelin\'s Jimmy Page and The Law with The Small Faces and The Who drummer Kenny Jones. ', 'US', 'Prince crowned \'top music earner\' Prince earned more than any other pop star in 2004, beating artists such Madonna and Elton John in US magazine Rolling Stone\'s annual list. The singer banked $56.5m (£30.4m) from concerts, album and publishing sales with his Musicology tour and album. He kept Madonna in second place, as she earned $54.9m (£29.5m) while embarking on her global Re-Invention Tour. Veterans Simon and Garfunkel were in 10th place, their comeback tour helping them earn $24.9m (£13.4m) last year. "Prince returned to centre stage after a decade in the commercial wilderness," the magazine reported. The singer\'s 2004 tour took $90.3m (£48.5m) in ticket sales and he sold 1.9 million copies of his latest album Musicology. Although she grossed more than Prince last year, Madonna remained in second place because of the "monumental" production costs of her tour. Heavy metal band Metallica\'s Madly in Anger with the World tour helped push their 2004 earnings up to $43.1m (£23.1m). They were ahead of Sir Elton John, who took fourth place and almost $42.7m (£23m) from performances including a debut on the Las Vegas Strip. Other seasoned performers in the list included Rod Stewart, whose sold-out shows and third volume of The Great American Songbook covers album helped net him £35m (£19m). The highest-ranking rap act in the list was 50 Cent, who at number 19 took $24m (£13m) to the bank. ', 'US', "Parker's saxophone heads auction A saxophone belonging to legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker is expected to fetch up to $1m (£535,000) at an auction of jazz memorabilia next month. The sale, at Guernsey's Auction House in New York, will feature instruments from other musicians including John Coltrane and Benny Goodman. Other items will include an evening gown belonging to Ella Fitzgerald. Organisers said the auction was the first in the US to be devoted to items belonging to jazz musicians. Other items that will be auctioned include unreleased tape recordings of music by Parker as well as handwritten sheet music by jazz composers John Coltrane and Theolonius Monk. Among the instruments in the sale will be a trumpet which belonged to Dizzy Gillespie, which is expected to fetch around $500,000 (£267,000), as well as JJ Johnson's trombone and a vibraphone which beloned to Lionel Hampton. Works of art by musicians including Miles Davis and Bruni Sablan will also be featured. The proceeds from the auction, which will take place on 20 February, will go towards several organisations including the John Coltrane Foundation, a foundation set up in memory of Benny Goodman, and the Red Cross. ", 'US', 'TV station refuses adoption show A TV station in the US has refused to show a controversial new series where adopted children try and pick their birth father - and win a cash prize. The WRAZ-TV Fox affiliate in North Carolina was the only one of 182 stations to refuse Monday\'s show. Who\'s Your Daddy promises $100,000 (£52,000) to the contestant if she correctly identifies her father. It was met with protests by the National Council for Adoption, which said it "exploits" sensitive emotions. "It exploits the sensitive emotions of adoption," said Thomas Atwood, president of the National Council for Adoption. "It trivialises them. Adoption is a very personal, meaningful experience and it should not be commercialised like this." On the pre-taped programme, the contestant is presented with eight men who may or may not be her natural father. If she picks the correct man from the line-up, the contestant wins the jackpot prize of US$100,000 (£52,590). However, if she picks the wrong man, then the impostor takes the money. Fox producers defended the show, saying it was a "positive experience". They have made six specials, though only one episode has so far been broadcast. "The special was thoroughly vetted by our standards and practices department to ensure that it was appropriate for broadcast," said a Fox spokesman. "However, any network affiliate that feels the programming may be inappropriate for their individual market has the right to pre-empt the schedule." WRAZ-TV instead chose to air an independently-produced film, I Have Roots and Branches... Personal Reflections on Adoption, a documentary about families with adopted children. "We just don\'t think adoption is a game show," said Tommy Schenck, WRAZ-TV\'s general manager, though he said his decision had not been influenced by public protests. ', 'US', 'A-listers flock to Gervais sitcom Hollywood actors Samuel L Jackson and Ben Stiller have signed up for Ricky Gervais\' new sitcom, the comedian has told BBC News. He said they had both seen the scripts and had agreed to appear in an episode each of the sitcom Extras. They join British stars Jude Law and Kate Winslet who have been booked for guest roles. The comic and actor said he had drawn up an A-list of stars he wanted and all had agreed to be in it. "We wanted actors who had iconic status but that we could also deconstruct," Gervais told BBC News. "It\'s not about the zeitgeist. We wanted people who would still be around in 20 years, not just the winner of Big Brother to take part." Gervais admitted he was cautious about revealing who would be taking part until they had all signed on the dotted line. But he has met with Stiller and Jackson and they enjoyed the scripts enough to commit to it. "I didn\'t want to start revealing names until it was all sorted because people just mention people who haven\'t even been asked. "I have been linked with ridiculous stories recently such as I\'m going to be in a remake of 10 taking Dudley Moore\'s part. I haven\'t been approached and I wouldn\'t take it anyway." He said Stiller and Jackson would be playing "twisted" versions of themselves in Extras and that the jokes about them "would sail pretty close to the bone". Gervais and his writing partner Stephen Merchant are currently refining the scripts for the six-part series, in which Gervais plays a struggling actor who bitches about the stars. Meanwhile, Gervais is gearing up to promote his cartoon book Flanimals which is released in the US in March, around the same time as NBC begin showing the US version of The Office. The film rights to Flanimals have already been snapped up but Gervais is keen for the project to be taken slowly. "A film will happen over the next three years but I don\'t want it to be a $50m movie straight away because it is not well enough known and it wouldn\'t be another Spider-Man or Batman. I would like to do something small on TV with it first." ', 'US', 'Campaigners attack MTV \'sleaze\' MTV has been criticised for "incessant sleaze" by television indecency campaigners in the US. The Parents Television Council (PTC), which monitors violence and sex on TV, said the cable music channel offered the "cheapest form" of programming. The group is at the forefront of a vociferous campaign to clean up American television. But a spokeswoman for MTV said it was "unfair and inaccurate" to single out MTV for criticism. The PTC monitored MTV\'s output for 171 hours from 20 March to 27 March 2004, during the channel\'s Spring Break coverage. In its report - MTV Smut Peddlers: Targeting Kids with Sex, Drugs and Alcohol - the PTC said it witnessed 3,056 flashes of nudity or sexual situations and 2,881 verbal references to sex. Brent Bozell, PTC president and conservative activist said: "MTV is blatantly selling raunchy sex to kids. "Compared to broadcast television programmes aimed at adults, MTV\'s programming contains substantially more sex, foul language and violence - and MTV\'s shows are aimed at children as young as 12. "There\'s no question that TV influences the attitudes and perceptions of young viewers, and MTV is deliberately marketing its raunch to millions of innocent children." The watchdog decided to look at MTV\'s programmes after Janet Jackson\'s infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at last year\'s Super Bowl. The breast-baring incident generated 500,000 complaints and CBS - which is owned by the same parent company as MTV - was quick to apologise. MTV spokeswoman Jeannie Kedas said the network follows the same standards as broadcasters and reflects the culture and what its viewers are interested in. "It\'s unfair and inaccurate to paint MTV with that brush of irresponsibility," she said. "We think it\'s underestimating young people\'s intellect and level of sophistication." Ms Kedas also highlighted the fact MTV won an award in 2004 for the Fight for Your Rights series that focused on issues such as sexual health and tolerance. ', 'US', 'US actor \'found with gun residue\' Actor Robert Blake had gunshot residue on his hands and clothes the night his wife was shot dead, a court has heard. But it may not have come from the shot that killed Bonny Lee Bakley in 2001, Mr Blake\'s murder trial was told by criminalist Steven Dowell. Mr Dowell told a Los Angeles court the residue may have come from Mr Blake\'s revolver, his gun collection, his presence at the crime scene or police. The 71-year-old former star of US TV drama Baretta has denied murder. Mr Blake said he found Ms Bakley, 44, dead in a car after they left a restaurant. He said he briefly returned to the restaurant to collect a gun he had left behind and discovered her body when he returned. The gun he collected was not the murder weapon. It could also have been picked up if he touched or leant on the car when he found the body, or from a police box in which his clothes were later stored. The box had come from an area where officers went after being on the firing range. But Mr Dowell also said the residue would have been present if Mr Blake fired a gun that night. Witnesses have already told the trial Mr Blake "stood out as being quite nervous and agitated" at the restaurant before the murder. The actor, who won an Emmy for playing a maverick detective in the 1970s TV cop drama Baretta, could face life in prison if convicted. ', 'US', 'EastEnders \'is set for US remake\' Plans to create a US soap based on the BBC\'s EastEnders have reportedly been drawn up by the Fox TV network. EastEnders\' head writer Tony Jordan and music mogul Simon Fuller are involved in the project, according to reports in the Hollywood Reporter trade newspaper. It said scripts have been commissioned for a series about a community of working class people in of Chicago. The original EastEnders was pulled from BBC America last year after it proved a failure in the ratings. US versions of other British hits have proved less successful across the Atlantic. BBC comedy Coupling was remade with a US cast, but lost its primetime slot on the NBC network due to disappointing ratings. At home, EastEnders has been facing its own ratings battle, recently losing out to rival ITV soap Emmer dale. Primetime soaps on US television have made a recent comeback, following the success of ABC serial Desperate Housewives. The series takes a "darkly comedic" look at the goings-on of a group of characters living in the suburbs. ', 'US', 'US \'to raise TV indecency fines\' US politicians are proposing a tough new law aimed at cracking down on indecency and bad language on US TV. Fines of up to $500,000 (£266,582) could be imposed each time broadcasters transmit nudity or profanities. The proposal, unveiled in the House of Representatives, also seeks to revoke a broadcaster\'s licence after three violations have been committed. The exposure of Janet Jackson\'s breast at last year\'s Superbowl landed CBS with a $550,000 (£293,264) fine. Entertainers could also be liable for fines under the proposed legisation from both US politcians and officials from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A Republican senator from Kansas, Sam Brownbeck, is set to call for a maximum $3 million (£1.6 million) fine for repeated violations. The current maximum fine stands at $32,500 (£17,320) - 20 of the stations in the CBS network were each penalised these lesser amounts for the Jackson incident. Republican politician Fred Upton, who chairs the committee responsible for broadcasting, said current fines are "more of a cost of doing business rather than a deterrent". Last year\'s Janet Jackson \'wardrobe malfunction\' encouraged the FCC to impose tougher rules, but the US Congress adjourned last year without agreeing on a new level of fines. New figures have to be decided before new legislation can be put before President Bush. Certain broadcasters, like Fox, claim the material they carry does not violate indecency laws and is protected under the right to free speech. ', 'UK', 'UK TV channel rapped for CSI ad TV channel Five has been criticised for sending "offensive" and "threatening" advertising material to viewers for a new show about murder scene scientists. Five mailed thousands of fake dossiers including photos of murder victims and an e-mail suggesting the recipient was being stalked by a serial killer. Following complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority contacted Five to cease promotion of crime show CSI:NY. Five admitted it had sent out 55,000 promotion packs but had now stopped. The promotion material was sent in brown envelope of the type used by investigators in the series, a spin-off from the highly successful CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series, which also runs on Five. The pack also features pictures of forensic evidence from a crime scene and a wanted poster, which did have a CSI:NY logo printed in large at the bottom. Five said it had received 100 complaints but that it had been surprised at the reaction because it was "obvious this material is promoting a drama". A Five spokesman said: "In light of the efforts we have made to make the nature of the contents so transparent we are surprised a very small minority of recipients have mistaken it as anything else. "Everyone who was sent this promotion has expressed an interest in receiving details about this particular genre of programming on various websites. "We have also received emails and calls from recipients praising the originality and imagination of the campaign." ', 'US', 'Alicia Keys to open US Super Bowl R&B star Alicia Keys is to open February\'s Super Bowl singing a song only previously performed there by Ray Charles and Vicki Carr. Keys, who will sing America the Beautiful, will be accompanied by 150 students from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Charles, who died last year, attended the school as a child in 1937. Keys said she was "very excited", describing Charles as "an artist I admire, miss and respect". "I know that this is going to be a very touching and memorable moment," she said. It will be her first performance at the Super Bowl, which will be watched by millions in the US on 6 February. Sir Paul McCartney will provide the half-time entertainment in the slot filled by Janet Jackson last year. Organisers have promised there will be no repeat of her nipple-baring incident that sparked thousands of complaints on US TV\'s most-watched broadcast. A National Football League spokesman said they were "comfortable" this show would be acceptable to a mass audience. The game and show were watched by 144 million people in the US in 2003. Twenty CBS-owned TV stations were fined $550,000 (£300,000) by the country\'s TV regulatory agency after more than 542,000 complaints were made about Janet Jackson\'s "wardrobe malfunction". Sir Paul said: "There\'s nothing bigger than being asked to perform at the Super Bowl. "We\'re looking forward to rocking the millions at home and in the stadium." ', 'US', "'Comeback' show for Friends star Friends actress Lisa Kudrow is to play the lead role in a new series about a one-time sitcom star, according to the Hollywood reporter. Thirteen episodes of Comeback have been commissioned by cable channel HBO, home of hits such as Sex And The City. Kudrow, who played Phoebe in Friends, co-wrote the pilot episode and will also act as executive producer. HBO has been looking for its next big comedy hit since Sex And The City drew to a close in the US in February. Comeback is the first 30-minute comedy series that the channel has picked up since the Sex And The City drew to the end of its six-year-run. Friends ended its 10-year run on the NBC network in May, and attentions have turned to which projects its six individual stars would pursue. Matt LeBlanc is starring in a Friends spin-off sitcom, charting Joey's fortunes in Los Angeles as he pursues his acting career. Jennifer Aniston, who was Rachel in the long-running show, has enjoyed a series of successful film appearances, with further projects in the pipeline. Courteney Cox Arquette (Monica) has been working on a drama project along with husband David Arquette for HBO, called The Rise And Fall Of Taylor Kennedy. Matthew Perry, who played Chandler, has appeared on the West End stage, and has a film, The Beginning Of Wisdom, currently in production. And David Schwimmer (Ross) directed during his time on Friends, and has also worked on Joey. ", 'US', 'Hillbillies singer Scoggins dies Country and Western musician Jerry Scoggins has died in Los Angeles at the age of 93, his family has said. Scoggins was best remembered for singing the theme tune to popular US TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. The Texan-born singer approached the producers of the programme with theme tune The Ballad of Jed Clampett for the pilot which was screened in 1962. The show, which told the story of a poor man striking oil and moving to Beverly Hills, ran until 1971. Scoggins\' daugher Jane Kelly Misel said that her father never tired of the song and would sing it at least once a day. "He\'d sing it at birthdays and anniversaries and variety shows. He never stopped performing it," she said. When a film version of The Beverly Hillbillies was made in 1993, Scoggins came out of retirement to perform the theme tune. Scoggins sang the lyrics while bluegrass stars Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played guitar and banjo. ', 'US', 'Branson show flops on US screens Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson\'s US TV show, The Rebel Billionaire, is proving a flop in the ratings. The programme suffered poor viewing figures on its debut on the Fox network three weeks ago, and has lost one in five of its viewers since then. The show is seen as Fox\'s answer to The Apprentice featuring tycoon Donald Trump, a ratings hit for rivals NBC. Sir Richard\'s show sees a group of young entrepreneurs compete to become the president of his business empire. The Rebel Billionaire has averaged five million viewers and is 91st in the rankings of all prime-time shows. The Apprentice, which has already completed its first season, is still managing to pull in 16 million viewers, while its prime-time ranking is number four. But Fox has said it plans to stick with Branson\'s show throughout its 12-episode run. "It\'s going to remain on the air," said the network\'s spokesman Scott Grogin. "Creatively we\'re extremely pleased with the show and hope the audience will find it," he added. Contestants on Sir Richard\'s show are confronted with business tasks to solve, similar to The Apprentice. They are also subjected to stunts like walking a plank suspended in mid-air. The Rebel Billionaire has marketed itself as a less materialistic version of The Apprentice, with Sir Richard shown jumping out of a taxi, while Trump is seen in a limousine. ', 'US', "Housewives lift Channel 4 ratings The debut of US television hit Desperate Housewives has helped lift Channel 4's January audience share by 12% compared to last year. Other successes such as Celebrity Big Brother and The Simpsons have enabled the broadcaster to surpass BBC Two for the first month since last July. BBC Two's share of the audience fell from 11.2% to 9.6% last month in comparison with January 2004. Celebrity Big Brother attracted fewer viewers than its 2002 series. Comedy drama Desperate Housewives managed to pull in five million viewers at one point during its run to date, attracting a quarter of the television audience. The two main television channels, BBC1 and ITV1, have both seen their monthly audience share decline in a year on year comparison for January, while Five's proportion remained the same at a slender 6.3%. Digital multi-channel TV is continuing to be the strongest area of growth, with the BBC reporting Freeview box ownership of five million, including one million sales in the last portion of 2004. Its share of the audience soared by 20% in January 2005 compared with last year, and currently stands at an average of 28.6%. ", 'US', 'Top stars join US tsunami TV show Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and Hugh Grant have been added to the line-up for a two-hour US TV special to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami. Andy Garcia, Lucy Liu, Natalie Portman and Jay Leno are also among the new names for Saturday\'s Tsunami Aid. They will join A-list singers Madonna, Sir Elton John, Nelly and Usher plus actors Kevin Spacey, Halle Berry and George Clooney on the NBC broadcast. Viewers will be urged to phone in to make donations throughout the night. Norah Jones, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Maroon 5, Mary J Blige and Eric Clapton will give musical performances on the show described as "A Concert of Hope". Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore and Tim Robbins are among the other movie superstars due to put in an appearance. George Clooney recently reacted angrily to a TV host\'s suggestion that not all funds raised would go towards tsunami relief. Fox TV\'s Bill O\'Reilly said he would be "watching to see if the money gets to the tsunami victims" and warned the celebrities taking part "had better be involved all the way down the line". But Clooney accused O\'Reilly of creating a fuss for his own personal gain, saying viewers may now be "afraid that their money will do no good". He urged O\'Reilly to co-present the TV special, adding in a letter: "We\'re not playing games here, we\'re trying to save lives. It\'s as simple as this - you\'re either with this joint effort or against it." Organisers say all funds will go to the American Red Cross. The commercial-free benefit show will also be aired by a string of cable broadcasters and Clear Channel\'s radio stations across the US. In addition, performances will be available to buy on the internet as downloads from Sony\'s Connect music store. A similar TV benefit carried by all four primary US TV networks after the 11 September terror attacks raised more than $150m (£80m). - The Bangkok International Film Festival got under way on Thursday in the Thai capital in the shadow of the country\'s 5,300 deaths from the tsunami. The red carpet gala opening night was ditched in favour of a more subdued first night. Six different films were shown at six cinemas, with all money from ticket sales going to charity. ', 'US', 'Star Trek fans fight to save show Star Trek fans have taken out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times in an attempt to persuade TV executives not to scrap Star Trek: Enterprise. Made by the UPN TV network, the latest spin-off from the hit sci-fi show is due to end in May after four series. But fans around the world have pitched in to pay for the advert, which had the headline "Save Star Trek". They are also asking the Sci-Fi Channel to pick it up from UPN and will stage a rally in Los Angeles on 25 February. The advert described the Star Trek franchise as a "cultural icon". Enterprise stars former Quantum Leap actor Scott Bakula as Captain Archer and is set before the original 1960s Star Trek series. "Captain Archer and the crew of the NX-01 need your help to continue their journeys!" the advert said. It also included a cut-out coupon for fans to send to UPN\'s parent companies Paramount and Viacom plus the Sci-Fi Channel. It also urged supporters to join the rally outside the Paramount studios. Fan website Trek United is hoping to raise $32m (£17m) from donations by the end of March to pay for a fifth series. More than $23,000 (£12,000) has been pledged so far, according to the site. The 98th and final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise will air in the US on 13 May. The fourth series has averaged 2.9 million viewers per episode - half the amount it got in its first series. Star Trek: Enterprise began in 2001 following other Star Trek spin-off series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. ', 'US', 'Oscar host Rock to keep it clean Oscar host Chris Rock said he will steer clear of bad language when he fronts the awards on 27 February. The comedian, who recently got into trouble for poking fun at the ceremony, is renowned for his heavy use of expletives during his stand-up routine. The live ceremony will be broadcast with a transmission delay on US network ABC to ensure swear words are removed. "I\'ve been on TV and been funny not cursing," he said during an interview for CBS network\'s 60 Minutes show. "As far as content is concerned, I will talk about the movies. I\'m not really worried about it. I\'m sure ABC might be more worried about it than me," he added. The 40-year-old comedian caused a furore when he said in an interview with US magazine Entertainment Weekly recently that he hardly ever watched the Oscars and labelled awards ceremonies "idiotic". The show\'s producers defended Rock and confirmed that he would still be presenting the Oscar ceremony, saying his comments were "humorous digs". Meanwhile, the Academy has announced that Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman will present an award at the ceremony. Portman, who has been nominated for a best supporting actress gong for her role in Mike Nichols\' Closer, joins a growing list of stars set to bestow an award at the ceremony including Dustin Hoffman, Drew Barrymore, Renee Zellweger and British-born actress Kate Winslet. ', 'UK', 'Springer criticises Opera musical Talk show host Jerry Springer, whose programme inspired the controversial opera shown by the BBC, has said he would not have written it himself. The BBC received 47,000 complaints before the musical was broadcast, and protesters demonstrated outside BBC buildings across the UK. Springer helped launch the West End show and attended the opening night. "I wouldn\'t have written it. I don\'t believe in making fun of other religions," he said. The TV host said he understood how people could have thought the musical had gone too far. "You know, on our TV show if people use inappropriate language we bleep it out, if there\'s nudity we cover it up, so that viewers at home don\'t get to see any of this," he said. Asked whether he thought the BBC should have screened the controversial musical he said: "I don\'t know if they should have had it on television but, good Lord, if you don\'t like what\'s on television, that\'s why God gave us remote controls. "My show is about dysfunctional people and I defy anyone to watch the show and suggest to me the people on it aren\'t to some degree dysfunctional." "If I did a show about the war in Iraq, it wouldn\'t make me a warmonger, I would just be doing my job to report on the war. "In the case of my show, it\'s my job to report on the dysfunctions that take place in society." The British-born presenter is in London to speak at a fundraising dinner for the United Jewish Israel Appeal. The dinner, on Tuesday, is expected to be attended by more than 800 guests. ', 'US', 'CSI shows give \'unrealistic view\' People have unrealistic expectations of forensic science thanks to the success of the CSI TV shows, real experts say. Evidence submitted to forensic labs has shot up as a result of the programmes, at a time when many have large backlogs, science investigators claim. Lawyers also fear the effect because jurors have a distorted view of how forensic evidence is used. The issue was discussed at a major science conference in Washington DC. Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) and its spin-offs, CSI: Miami and CSI: New York, have proven exceptionally popular with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Each episode, a team of forensic investigators goes about solving a crime through the ingenious appliance of science - and the extensive resources at their disposal. "The CSI effect is basically the perception of the near-infallibility of forensic science in response to the TV show," said Max Houck, who runs a forensic science graduate course at West Virginia University, US. "This TV show comes on and everyone starts watching it - including the cops and prosecutors - and submissions to forensic laboratories go through the roof," he told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The American forensics expert said there were roughly 200,000-300,000 backlogged DNA samples in US labs. Yet these constituted just 10% of the total test backlog, said Dr Houck. Forensic pathologist Dr Patricia McFeeley said she had started to see the show\'s influence in dealing with the families of victims. "What I find is that families now are more dissatisfied with the investigation than was previously the case," she explained. "For example, on television, the toxicology results are available almost instantaneously. But when people find out that it can take several months, they can find that very difficult." Dr McFeeley added that the accuracy with which forensic investigators can determine time of death was far lower than most people\'s perceptions. The show\'s influence can follow forensic investigators all the way into the courtroom, making lawyers jittery. "Prosecutors fear the CSI effect with juries because, for example, they wonder: \'why wasn\'t everything tested?\' Well, in fact, not everything needs to be tested," Dr Houck explained. "Defence attorneys also worry about the CSI effect because they think that jurors come in and have this view of science as a juggernaut; this objective method that\'s always accurate." However, he admitted the show had had positive as well as negative effects on the field. "My university course started with four graduates in 1999; we\'re now the largest major on campus - with 400 students," he said. Dr Houck added that there was an urgent need for better funding of forensic science at the university level: "There\'s more money spent in this country on holistic medicine than there is on forensic science research." ', 'UK', 'Ethnic producers \'face barriers\' Minority ethnic led (Mel) production companies face barriers in succeeding in the film and television industries, research has suggested. The study, commissioned by Pact and the UK Film Council, included interviews with industry experts and individuals. They indicated that career progression and a lack of role models are among the main problems within such companies. The research indicated that about 10% of independent production companies in the UK are minority ethnic led. A minority ethnic led company is defined as one in which the majority of decision-making power rests with an individual or individuals from a minority ethnic group. The report also explored the problems faced by such companies when attempting to compete within the film and TV industries. It said they are often smaller than other companies and lack the resources, so are often squeezed out of the market by bigger firms. The research recommended that minority ethnic led companies could benefit from such positive actions as career training and business advice, plus improved communication within the film and TV sectors. "The UK has a rich and diverse culture and it is essential that it is reflected on film and television," said Arts minister Estelle Morris of the findings. "I welcome this report which I hope will lead to more doors being opened and all businesses in our film and television industries being given the same opportunities." ', 'US', 'US TV special for tsunami relief A US television network will screen a celebrity TV special to benefit the tsunami relief effort in South Asia. NBC will encourage viewer donations during an hour-long show featuring musical performances on 15 January. Actress Sandra Bullock has donated $1m (£525,000) to The American Red Cross and actor Leonardo DiCaprio pledged a "sizable" aid contribution to Unicef. Meanwhile 70 Hong Kong music and movie stars re-recorded We Are the World in Mandarin and Cantonese to raise funds. The song will not be released as a single, but will be played regularly during a Chinese telethon on Friday in aid of victims of the Boxing Day disaster. Around 140,000 people were killed and five million left homeless or without food and water after an earthquake below the Indian Ocean sent waves crashing into coastal communities in 11 countries. The United Nations warned that the number killed in the disaster could rise sharply, with aid yet to reach some remote areas. Performers have yet to be confirmed for NBC\'s aid relief benefit later this month. It follows a two-hour telethon carried by all four major US television networks 10 days after the 11 September terror attacks in 2001. America: A Tribute to Heroes raised more than $150m (£79m) to help victims of the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. ', 'US', 'Gervais writing Simpsons episode The Office\'s Ricky Gervais is writing an episode of hit US cartoon The Simpsons, following an invitation from its creator Matt Groening. Gervais has already begun writing the script but is keeping its subject matter a closely guarded secret. He will also write a part for himself in the episode. "I\'ve got the rough idea but this is the most intimidating project of my career. The Simpsons is the greatest TV show of all time," he said. Groening recently heaped praise on The Office, saying: "Everybody on The Simpsons is a fan of The Office - it\'s one of the best shows on TV in the last decade." Gervais has already said he would not guest star in the show as his Office character David, having left him behind for good in the Christmas specials. The Office became a surprise US success when it was screened on cable channel BBC America. The first series won two Golden Globes in 2004 for best comedy and best TV actor for Gervais. In winning it beat the likes of Sex and the City and Will and Grace. An American version was produced, but so far only a pilot has been broadcast - to much criticism that it failed to live up to the original. At the British Comedy Awards on Wednesday, Gervais was handed a special achievement award for writing. But The Office missed out in the best comedy show category to Little Britain. Matt Groening was also at the awards to collect the award for best international comedy for The Simpsons. ', 'US', '£1.8m indecency fine for Viacom Media giant Viacom has paid out $3.5m (£1.8m) to end investigations into indecency in its US radio and TV shows. The settlement to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ends a long-running saga dating back to 2001. The FCC was looking into 50 shows, including those by "shock jock" Howard Stern and two New York DJs. Stern recently announced he was leaving Viacom while the two DJs were sacked after their show featured a couple purporting to have sex in a church. After the church incident two years ago Viacom agreed to install audio delay equipment at its radio stations that broadcast live programming. It also agreed to train its broadcasters and employees about indecency laws. The agreement cancels investigations into about 50 radio and television shows, said Richard Diamond, FCC deputy secretary of communications. The shows were broadcast by Viacom-owned stations across the United States. Viacom has five days to pay the $3.5m fine, according to the agreement. The payment is not related to the FCC\'s $550,000 (£293,000) fine levied against Viacom after the exposure of singer Janet Jackson\'s breast during the CBS Super Bowl halftime show in January. Viacom is contesting that fine. It is not the first time that Viacom has paid out over indecency charges. Infinity Broadcasting, which is owned by Viacom, paid cumulative fines totalling $1.7m (£907,000) in 1995 to settle FCC violations by Stern. ', 'UK', 'BBC \'should allow more scrutiny\' MPs have urged the BBC to give watchdogs more freedom to scrutinise how £2bn in licence fee money is spent. The Public Accounts Committee called for the National Audit Office to be given a "free hand" to investigate how the BBC offers value for money. Although six areas are to be opened up to scrutiny the audit office should have more power to choose what it investigated, the MPs said. The call was made in a report into the BBC\'s Freeview digital service. "Our aim is not to rewrite the storyline of EastEnders but simply to ensure that the BBC is as accountable to parliament as any other organisation spending public money," said the committee chairman, MP Edward Leigh. "The BBC\'s spending is not subject to the full independent scrutiny, and accountability to parliament. "Parliament requires television owners to pay a licence fee and expects the comptroller and auditor general, on behalf of parliament, to be able to scrutinise how that money, over £2 billion a year, is used." A BBC spokeswoman said: "We share the committee\'s interest in ensuring the public money we receive is spent well. Though in its infancy, we think the arrangements with the NAO are working well and should be given time to mature." The report said the Freeview digital service has had an "impressive" take up since its launch but the BBC must still dispel confusion about the service. The committee found the BBC had succeeded in ensuring subscription-free access to digital channels following the collapse of ITV Digital in 2002. But the fact that one in four homes could not access Freeview remained a problem. The report said that while gaps in the coverage were largely due to landscape issues, there was need for detailed explanations on the Freeview website and on promotional literature as to why it was not available in specific areas. The government has proposed switch off of the analogue television signal, with 2012 the most recently proposed date. The BBC launched Freeview in 2002 as an alternative to satellite subscription services such as Sky, to allow its digital channels such as BBC Three and News 24 to be seen. There have been an estimated five million Freeview set-top boxes sold since the launch and prices have fallen considerably. The corporation plans to spend up to £138m on Freeview before 2014 to ensure people can receive the service throughout the UK, and are aware of it. ', 'US', 'No charges against TV\'s Cosby US comedian Bill Cosby will not face charges stemming from an allegation of sexual misconduct. Authorities in Philadelphia said they found insufficient evidence to support the woman\'s allegations regarding an alleged incident in January 2004. The woman reported the allegations to Canadian authorities last month. Cosby\'s lawyer, Walter M Phillips Jr, said the comedian was pleased with the decision. "He looks forward to moving on with his life," he said. District Attorney Bruce L Castor Jr, who was in charge of the case, said that detectives could find no instance "where anyone complained to law enforcement of conduct which would constitute a criminal offence. He also said that the fact the woman waited a year before coming forward, and she had had further contact with Cosby during that time, were also factors in his decision. The unidentified woman\'s lawyer, Dolores M Troiani, said her client was likely to sue the comedian. "I think that\'s the only avenue open to her. She felt, as we did, that it\'s a very strong case and she was telling the truth." She also said that the woman supplied further evidence to prosecutors that she believed strengthened her allegations. Cosby emerged as one of the first black comics to have mainstream success in the US. He was a successful stand-up before hosting the children\'s show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and starring in The Cosby Show, one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1980s. ', 'US', 'Wife Swap makers sue US \'copycat\' The British producers of US Wife Swap are taking legal action against a show they claim is "a blatant and wholescale copycat" of their programme. RDF Media, which makes the show for US network ABC, has filed a damages claim for $18 million (£9.25 million) against Fox\'s Trading Spouses. ABC bought the rights to the British show, which was first aired in 2003 and became a hit on Channel 4. The US network is not part of the claim, but has supported RDF\'s action. "We respect our producing partners\' right to protect their intellectual property in whatever manner they deem most appropriate," said ABC in a statement. A spokesman for Fox said it had not seen the details of the legal action and could not comment. Their show was first screened in June, and was criticised in the press for its similarities to Wife Swap. ABC originally planned to call their programme Trading Moms, but changed it to avoid confusion with the Fox version. Earlier this year, the NBC network claimed that Fox\'s boxing show The Next Great Champ had been hurriedly produced to ensure its programme was the first to be screened. NBC alleged that boxing regulations had been violated, but failed in their attempt to have the show pulled. The Fox show proved a ratings flop, while NBC\'s The Contender is due to begin in February. ', 'Europe', 'Show over for MTV\'s The Osbournes Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has said his family will not make any more episodes of reality TV show The Osbournes. "At the end of it I didn\'t like having cameras around the house all the time," the Black Sabbath singer told reporters at the MTV Europe Awards in Rome. His wife Sharon, who also appears in the popular MTV show based on the Osbournes\' family life, agreed. "Now everybody\'s doing reality shows. He\'s done it, he\'s been there, he\'s got to do something else," she said. Ozzy Osbourne said he had had enough of the work involved in making the series. "When you watch a 25-minute episode, I\'ve been filming all day," he said. Sharon Osbourne is currently appearing as a judge and mentor in ITV1 talent show The X-Factor alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh. Earlier this year she topped a poll of the most important people in rock, for her part in guiding the career of husband Ozzy and her family. She was the driving force behind The Osbournes, which ran for three series, earning the family a reported $85m (£46m). The renewed popularity for Ozzy has seen sales of his merchandise hit the $50m (£27.2m) mark, a record for a heavy metal artist. Sales of T-shirts, accessories and action figures have rocketed since The Osbournes hit screens. At its peak, The Osbournes had a regular audience of eight million, with America\'s TV Guide magazine describing the series as "a cross between The Simpsons and This Is Spinal Tap". Osbourne himself was at a loss to explain its popularity: "I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week." ', 'France', 'TV show unites Angolan families Angolan families who are attempting to track each other down, after being separated by nearly 30 years of war, are succeeding thanks to a hugely popular TV show. Meeting Point has become one of TV Angola\'s most watched programmes, and has reunited hundreds of families. It runs daily, not only on the television but also on the radio. Every Friday, hundreds of people gather in Luanda\'s Independence Square to record a message in front of the TV cameras, in the hope that a lost relative will see it. Many relatives have been reunited on air. "At the beginning there was an absolute explosion - huge, huge crowds," Sergio Gera, the programme\'s chief co-ordinator, told BBC World Service\'s Assignment programme. "Now things are a little calmer, there are slightly less people - but, after two and a half years of broadcasting, there are still a lot of people going." The media in the southern African country, twice the size of France, has been gripped by the quest of so many people to find their relatives. Hundreds of thousands of people died in Angola\'s 30-year civil war, which finally ended in 2002, and tens of thousands of people are still missing. Many have not heard anything for 10 or more years - in all, 90% of Angolan families have lost someone. The idea of recording in Independence Square was modelled on a square in the Argentine capital Buenos Aries, where mothers go to talk about the dead and the missing, and to exchange news. One woman, Victoria Lapete, found her sister - the only remaining member of her family - in Independence Square live on Meeting Point. She had not seen her sibling for 28 years. "When we saw each other, we threw ourselves into each other\'s arms," she told Assignment. "We started to cry. I felt very, very happy, because I\'d spent so long without any family. Suddenly I had a sister again." However, Angola is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and the number of people with access to either a television or radio is comparatively few. This means that elsewhere in the country, the task of reuniting families lies primarily with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In the city of Wambo, the ICRC runs the Gazetta - a 200-page, tabloid-size book which contains 13,000 names of missing or displaced. Their task is made much harder by the huge number of landmines dotted around the country. "It\'s very difficult - there are many displaced," stated Joaquim Sahundi, head of tracing in Wambo. "As they try to go back [home], others are trying to relocate their relatives. Many people are getting injured because of that - in the villages, in the bush, there has been no clearance of mines. "When people are crossing these areas, they step on mines." The ICRC also uses the media where it can, running four daily broadcasts of their lists of the missing on Radio Angola. Meanwhile, there remain massive challenges to Angolan families even once they are reunited. "The programme of family reunification is extremely important, but for these families to remain reunified, there has to be social integration, job access, education, healthcare," said Rafael Marques of the pro-democracy George Soros Foundation for Southern Africa. "Essentially the government is waiting for the international community to pay for the reconstruction - that\'s why it has been persistently calling for a donor\'s conference. That is just a way of detaching itself from its political responsibilities." ', 'US', "Housewives lift Channel 4 ratings The debut of US television hit Desperate Housewives has helped lift Channel 4's January audience share by 12% compared to last year. Other successes such as Celebrity Big Brother and The Simpsons have enabled the broadcaster to surpass BBC2 for the first month since last July. However the channel's share of the audience fell from 11.2% to 9.6% last month in comparison with January 2004. Celebrity Big Brother attracted less viewers than its 2002 series. Comedy drama Desperate Housewives managed to pull in five million viewers at one point during its run to date, attracting a quarter of the television audience. The two main television channels, BBC1 and ITV1, have both seen their monthly audience share decline in a year on year comparison for January, while Five's proportion remained the same at a slender 6.3%. Digital multi-channel TV is continuing to be the strongest area of growth, with the BBC reporting Freeview box ownership of five million, including one million sales in the last portion of 2004. Its share of the audience soared by 20% in January 2005 compared with last year, and currently stands at an average of 28.6%. ", 'US', 'Stern dropped from radio stations Controversial DJ Howard Stern has been dropped from four US radio stations because he keeps promoting his move to a network broadcasting on satellite. Cidatel Broadcasting said Stern had transformed his show into a "continuous infomercial promoting Sirius, his new satellite radio employer". Stern will join the Sirius subscription service, which is not governed by US regulators, next year. Citadel pulled Stern\'s show from stations in New York and Pennsylvania. Stern had been holiday for two weeks but his show did not return to the four stations as expected on 3 January. Citadel said it did not yet know whether it would return to its network. Stern announced in October that he was leaving conventional radio, where his syndicated show goes out across the US, for the relatively restriction-free satellite service. The DJ\'s broadcasts are well known for landing in trouble with regulators for obscene and sexually explicit rantings. Stern was dropped by six stations owned by media giant Clear Channel in 2004 after it had to pay the Federal Communications Commission $1.75m (£950,000), over breaches indecency laws. Media giant Viacom has also reportedly agreed to the FCC\'s demands that if Stern is issued with another indecency violation then his show must be pulled from all of its stations. Viacom has also been hit with record fines of $3.5m (£1.8m) over Stern and two other New York DJs. But Stern continues to be one of the most popular talk show hosts, particularly in the 25-54 age category. ', 'US', 'US TV host Clark suffers stroke Veteran US television host Dick Clark is in hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a mild stroke. The 75-year-old presented long-running show American Bandstand from 1956-87 and has since hosted game shows and produced award ceremonies. Clark is scheduled to welcome in the New Year on the ABC network, a job he has done for 33 years. The presenter said that he is "hopeful" of getting better in time to lead the festivities in New York\'s Times Square. Clark\'s publicist Paul Shefrin said the television host was "recovering" and there was no cause for alarm. Clark, who produces the Golden Globe and American Music Awards, disclosed last year that he was suffering from diabetes. His popular music show American Bandstand was first broadcast in 1952, and attracted an audience of 20 million people after it was picked up by ABC in 1957. The long-running weekly series, which featured guests including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Aretha Frankin, came to an end in 1989. Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 for his contribution to the music industry. He has also been responsible for television series such as TV Bloopers, Celebrity Boxing and drama American Dreams. Clark is also expected to act as executive producer for the upcoming Golden Globe Awards ceremony, which is taking place on 16 January. ', 'US', 'School tribute for TV host Carson More than 1,000 people turned out on Sunday to pay tribute to late US TV presenter Johnny Carson in the Nebraska town where he grew up. Carson, who hosted the Tonight Show for 30 years, died on 23 January from respiratory disease emphysema. He lived in Norfolk, Nebraska from the age of eight until he joined the Navy, but returned regularly and donated $5m (£2.7m) to local causes. Old school friends were among the crowd at the school\'s Johnny Carson Theater. Carson, who was one of the best-loved TV personalities in the US, asked not to have a public memorial in Los Angeles, where he lived in later life. He began his showbusiness career in Norfolk, performing magic under the name The Great Carsoni from the age of 14. His donations included $600,000 to Norfolk High School in the 1980s to build a new performing arts centre. When Carson died, President Bush led the public tributes, saying the presenter "had a profound influence on American life and entertainment". ', 'US', "Farrell due to make US TV debut Actor Colin Farrell is to make his debut on US television in medical sitcom Scrubs, according to Hollywood newspaper Daily Variety. The film star, who recently played the title role in historical blockbuster Alexander, will make a cameo appearance as an unruly Irishman. The episode featuring the 28-year-old will be screened on 25 January. Farrell's appearance is said to be a result of his friendship with Zach Braff, who stars in the programme. It will be the actor's first appearance on the small screen since he appeared in BBC series Ballykissangel in 1999. The gentle Sunday night drama came to an end in 2001. He has since become one of Hollywood's fastest-rising stars, with a string roles in major league films such as Minority Report, Phone Booth and Daredevil. Farrell is pencilled in to play the role of Crockett in a film version of 1980s police drama Miami Vice. Scrubs, which appears on the NBC network in the US and has been shown on Channel 4 on British television, is an off-beat comedy about a group of hospital doctors. Other film stars to have appeared in Scrubs include Heather Graham, while Friends actor Matthew Perry has guest-starred and directed an episode of the show. Its leading star, Zach Braff, has recently been seen on the big screen in Garden State, which he also directed. ", 'US', 'Fox \'too reliant on reality TV\' The head of US TV network Fox has admitted the broadcaster had relied too heavily on reality TV shows such as the poor-rating Who\'s Your Daddy. Chief executive Gail Berman said "in the case of this fall we drifted to too much on the unscripted side". The series Who\'s Your Daddy, where a young woman tries to pick her natural father for a cash prize caused outrage from adoption groups and rated badly. Last season, Fox\'s prime-time audience fell by 600,000 to 5.9 million. Ms Berman said: "I think the audience expects loud things from Fox. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don\'t." Who\'s Your Daddy, the first episode of which was shown on 3 January, pulled in a disappointing audience of 6.3 million, according to the Nielsen ratings system. Five other episodes of the show had also been filmed will be dropped from Fox\'s schedules, Ms Berman said. She was predicting a drop in ratings even for some of the network\'s established reality shows, such as American Idol, which is due to start its fourth series this week. Fox had unveiled a new strategy last year promising to launch new shows every season, including the traditionally quiet summer season. Though that had met with a poor reception, Ms Berman said "there\'s no question that the audience, in our mind, is ready, willing and able to accept new programming in the summer". Fox has changed this plan, launching new shows in May instead of June. One of the new shows will be the animated series American Dad, made by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy. That series, after becoming a hit on DVD, is also set to return with new episodes. ', 'US', 'Joy Division story to become film The life of late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis is to be made into a film, it has been announced. The Manchester-based production is called Touching From A Distance, after a book by Curtis\'s widow Deborah which forms the basis for the film. Music mogul Tony Wilson, who headed the record company Joy Division were signed to, will be co-executive producer. The musician committed suicide in 1980 aged 23, shortly before the band were due to go on tour in the US. Mr Wilson, who has remained friends with Curtis\'s widow and daughter Natalie, who he says asked for his involvement to make the film "official". "People have different ideas as to why Ian committed suicide, so maybe the film will reflect those different views," he told the BBC News website. Plans for a separate Joy Division film had been announced at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, but the project did not get off the ground as it failed to get the backing of Curtis\'s family. Mr Wilson, who was also involved with Joy Division\'s sucessor band New Order, as well as the Happy Mondays, said he would "rather not" appear in the film. He made a cameo appearance in 24 Hour Party People, in which his leading role was played by Steve Coogan. "I\'m not an actor and I did a lousy job playing my part in 24 Hour Party People," said the Factory Records founder, who has been associated with the Manchester music scene since the 1970s. "Film people have a tendency to mess up when they touch music, but I hope this one works. "This is much more than the music - they want to do the real story of Ian," he said. The film is to be directed by Dutch-born Anton Corbijn, who has made music movies for Depeche Mode and U2. It will be produced by a US production company, while the widow of Ian Curtis will also be an executive producer. ', 'UK', "Aaliyah claim dismissed by court Late R&B star Aaliyah's record company has failed in an attempt to sue the video producer who booked the ill-fated flight on which she died in 2001. A New York appeals court has told Blackground Records that only the singer's parents had the right to launch a claim for wrongful death. The 22-year-old singer's family came to an undisclosed settlement over a negligence claim in 2003. Aaliyah had completed a music video when the plane crashed in the Bahamas. She and eight others were killed on the plane, which crashed as if left for Florida. Blackground Records' lawyer Frank Penski said he had yet to examine the decision and did not know whether they would pursue the case. An investigation into the crash revealed the twin-engined Cessna was overloaded by 700 pounds (320kg). A post-mortem carried out on the remains of the pilot showed there was cocaine and alcohol in his body. Aaliyah was a rising star in music and film before she was killed. She was honoured with a string of posthumous awards and her single More Than A Woman went to number one in the UK. ", 'UK', 'Three DJs replace Peel radio show The late John Peel\'s BBC Radio 1 show is to be succeeded in February by three shows hosted by three DJs focusing on diverse, non-commercial music. Huw Stephens, Ras Kwame and Rob Da Bank will each host the mid-week, late-night timeslot, showcasing UK talent. Radio 1 said the show would not try to replace Peel, but would rise to the "challenge" of "keeping his legacy alive" with unpredictable music. Peel died after suffering a heart attack in Peru in October. Radio 1 said the three DJs had been chosen for their "in-depth musical knowledge across a variety of musical genres". Rob Da Bank has been hosting The John Peel Show since the DJ\'s death. He is also one of the hosts of The Blue Room, an early morning weekend show that plays a mix of old and new electronic and dance music. Huw Stephens is currently one half of the Radio 1 Thursday night show Bethan and Huw in Wales, which explores new music, especially up and coming acts breaking through in Wales. And Ras Kwame is the host of 100% Homegrown on Radio 1\'s digital station 1Xtra. His show is dedicated to showcasing the best of UK black music and broadcasts live sessions, often giving new artists their first chance to perform on live national radio. All of the three DJs will continue to host their current shows on Radio 1. "It is widely accepted that John Peel can never be replaced," said the radio station. It added that One Music would support both signed and unsigned talent, and said: "It will seek out those making music for music\'s sake rather than for commercial success. "Above all it will provide support to emerging genres of music and styles that have not yet and may never reach the mainstream." One Music is not new to Radio 1 as it already exists as a website, offering advice on aspects of the music industry, such as recording a demo and signing a record contract. Radio 1\'s controller, Andy Parfitt, said: "We believe that by having a series of DJs hosting a selection of shows under the One Music title, we will ensure that his legacy lives on." Stephens said he grew up "listening to John" and that it was a "massive honour" to continue Peel\'s work championing new music. The show will be broadcast from 1 February on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2300 GMT - 0100 GMT. ', 'US', 'Connick Jr to lead Broadway show Singer and actor Harry Connick Jr is to star in a Broadway revival of 1950s hit musical The Pajama Game. He will play the supervisor of a US pyjama factory who has a romance with a union activist during labour unrest. Jeffrey Richards, the show\'s co-producer, said Connick was "an actor of enormous charisma and skill, a wonderful singer and a bona fide star". He has recently starred in hit US comedy Will and Grace as the husband of Grace, played by Debra Messing. The musical will open in November, said Mr Richards, who added that no other casting had been announced yet. The original book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell will be revised by playwright Peter Ackerman, who co-wrote the screenplay for the movie Ice Age. It has a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, and Adler is writing two new songs for the score, which includes numbers including Hey There, Small Talk and Steam Heat. Connick appeared with his band on Broadway in 1990, and he wrote the score for a musical based on Emile Zola\'s novel Therese Raquin, called Thou Shalt Not. It had a three-month run on Broadway in 2001. ', 'UK', "Elvis regains top chart position Elvis Presley has scored his 19th number one single in the UK charts with the re-release of Jailhouse Rock, 27 years after his death. Elvis knocked X Factor winner Steve Brookstein down into second place after three weeks in the charts. In at number three was Iron Maiden for the Number Of The Beast and Erasure entered the chart at four with Breathe. Elvis's number one is the 999th in chart history and comes the day after what would have been his 70th birthday. Fans around the world held tribute events for the singer on Saturday, ranging from concerts to memorabilia exhibitions. Meanwhile, a poll carried out by royalty payments group the Performing Right Society found that The Wonder of You is the Elvis song most performed by live bands and tribute acts. Record company SonyBMG are releasing Elvis's 18 number one singles at the rate of one a week in Britain, complete with original artwork and a collector's box. Hit single One Night will follow next week - with the chance of becoming the 1,000th number one as interest surrounding Elvis's birthday grows. Elsewhere in the singles charts, the Scissor Sisters went straight in at number five with Filthy/Gorgeous. Band Aid 20 slipped to six after seven weeks in the chart with Do They Know It's Christmas. The other two new entries are Dana Rayne with Object of My Desire at seven and Kasabian who are at number eight with Cut Off. Making up the top 10 are Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, down three places to number nine, and Out of Touch by Uniting Nations, also down three places to 10. In the album charts, the Scissor Sisters went to number one with their self-titled release, knocking Green Day's American Idiot to third place. The Killers' album Hot Fuss moved up three to number two. ", 'UK', 'Fightstar take to the stage Charlie Simpson took his new band Fightstar to the stage on Friday night, just hours after officially announcing his departure from pop band Busted. He was greeted by a sell-out crowd at the University of Warwick. Confirmation of Busted\'s long-rumoured split had come earlier in the day, when Simpson held a press conference in London with bandmates Matt Willis and James Bourne. All three band members stressed that the break up was amicable, although Bourne admitted he was "devastated" to hear of Simpson\'s departure. "This has been a really difficult decision," 19-year-old Simpson revealed, "I hope the fans will understand." While Simpson declared he would look back with pride on Busted\'s enormous success, his focus turned immediately to Fightstar, with Friday\'s press conference coinciding with the start of the band\'s 13-date tour of the UK. Fuelled by this news, all 1,400 tickets to see Charlie\'s first post-Busted live appearance - at the University of Warwick\'s Student Union - sold out rapidly. Mike Eccleshall, the venue\'s Promotions Coordinator, said: "Tickets had been selling strongly over the past few days, but sales went mad after the news broke. We had completely sold out by 4pm." With queues outside the venue long and expectations high, the pressure was on Fightstar to impress. Although many dedicated fans travelled to the gig from around the country, they faced a tough crowd made up chiefly of students, the average age of the audience far exceeding that of any Busted concert. Gone were the screaming girls to which Simpson had become accustomed. Support act Brigade, fronted by Simpson\'s brother, played a short set first and were met with general approval. When Fightstar eventually took to the stage around 11pm, however, a riotous cheer easily drowned out any hecklers lurking in the crowd. Unfortunately, the band were initially hindered by technical teething problems as Simpson\'s guitar amplifier failed to work. As sound technicians rushed to fix it, other band members did their best to improvise. When they eventually got under way, Fightstar\'s blend of emotionally charged rock was warmly received. Far heavier and less commercial than Busted\'s chart-topping pop-punk, the band will undoubtedly appeal to a more mature fan-base. Warwick student Helen Clutterbuck admitted: "I came to check out Fightstar because of all the controversy. "I\'ve never heard them before, but I\'m pretty impressed." Less impressed were fellow students Ryan Crabbe and Gordon Rennie, who observed, "With Fightstar, Charlie has clearly progressed from Busted\'s sound, but they\'re still not very inspiring." Fightstar played for around 45 minutes, showcasing material from their forthcoming EP called They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, due for release in February. ', 'UK', 'TOTP turns to Elvis impersonator Top of the Pops has turned to the star of Elvis Presley musical Jailhouse Rock after the late rock legend scooped the UK\'s 1,000th number one single. Mario Kombou, who plays the Presley role on stage, will sing One Night on Friday\'s BBC One show as producers are unable to use Presley video footage. It is his second number one in a row. The show used Presley photos last week. Presley will feature in the charts for several more months as all 18 of his original UK chart-toppers are reissued. A Top of the Pops spokesperson said: "It\'s a very special number one as it\'s the UK\'s 1,000th. "We wanted to pay tribute to Elvis in the best way we knew how, so we thought getting a professional would be the best way for Top of the Pops to do that." Kombou is likely to appear on the show again next week as the next Presley re-release, A Fool Such As I, is on course to give him his third number one in three weeks. Kombou plays Vince Everett in Jailhouse Rock - the same role Presley played in the 1957 film of the same name. ', 'UK', 'Mogul Wilson backing UK rap band Tony Wilson, the music mogul who established the influential Factory Records in the 1980s, is to launch a new label - convinced he has discovered his "third major band". Factory were the label of both Joy Division - who became New Order after singer Ian Curtis committed suicide - and the Happy Mondays. Now Wilson believes rap act Raw T - signed to his F4 label, the fourth incarnation of Factory - will "complete the hat-trick". "Suddenly, when Raw T came into my life, I realised they are my third major band," he told BBC World Service\'s The Music Biz programme. The group are set to release their first single on 21 February, and follow it up with an album, Realise And Witness, in March. Wilson has twice tried to resurrect Factory - which lasted for 14 years before folding - but conceded these efforts had been "despondent and dismal experiences". But it has not put him off. "Of all the things I do in my life the most exciting thing I\'ve ever done, and the thing I have most loved, is being part of a record company," he added. "The idea of working with brilliant young musicians, and being close to the centre of popular culture, is just the biggest thrill in my life." Wilson explained how his son persuaded him to go and see Raw T, but he had initially been reluctant saying he "detested" young British people rapping. "It\'s always inauthentic, it\'s always crass, it never really works for me," he said. "I went to see this group, Raw T - which stands for Realise And Witness Talent - and like everyone else in the room that night, we were utterly blown away." Wilson believes Raw T could be "to F4 as Joy Division were to Factory records". The story of Factory records - which also owned the legendary Hacienda club in Manchester - was told in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People, in which Wilson was played by Steve Coogan. Wilson stressed that the independent music scene remained "as important" as it had been during the 1980s, when labels such as Factory and Rough Trade proliferated. He pointed out that Franz Ferdinand and The White Stripes - "perhaps the two most important bands since the millennium" - were signed to indies. "I think that is a reflection of how useful and how powerful the indie philosophy is, and how bands prefer it," he added. "They can make more money that way - it\'s a more generous relationship, and also it\'s a more understanding relationship. "I think independents are in a wonderful position at this moment in time." ', 'UK', 'Singer Sizzla jailed for swearing Reggae star Sizzla, whose UK tour was cancelled after protests at his "anti-gay" lyrics, has been jailed in Jamaica for swearing on stage. The singer must serve 15 days in prison after he consistently swore during a concert in St Thomas, Jamaica, in January despite warnings by police. He was charged under a law which prohibits indecent dress or expression. Sizzla\'s five-date UK tour was cancelled last November after protests by gay rights campaigners. Sizzla, whose real name is Miguel Collins, has released 25 albums since 1995 and is credited with taking dancehall music back to its reggae origins. Many Jamaican entertainers have appeared before the courts for use of profanity in recent years but they usually receive a verbal warning, a suspended sentence or community service. Sizzla\'s UK tour was cancelled after Scotland Yard\'s Racial and Violent Crime taskforce announced it was examining lyrics by eight reggae artists. It would not confirm that Sizzla was among them. One of his most controversial songs, Pump Up, contains the Jamaican patois lyrics "fire fi di man dem weh go ride man behind", translated by gay rights group OutRage! as "burn the men who have sex with men". ', 'China', 'Spears seeks aborted tour payment Singer Britney Spears is suing eight insurance companies that have refused to reimburse her for cancelling her 2004 world tour. The pop star cancelled her Onyx Hotel tour last June after suffering a knee injury during a video shoot. She is now seeking to be reimbursed for the tour\'s £5m ($9.3m) costs in a claim filed at New York State Supreme Court. Seven London-based companies and an eighth Paris firm have been given up to 30 days to respond to the complaint. The 22-year-old star initially missed a number of shows on the 82-date tour after injuring her knee during a show in Illinois last March. But she was rushed to hospital and needed surgery after a later incident while filming a video for her song Outrageous, leading her to cancel the rest of the tour, including dates in China. "She obviously took a wrong step and blew out her knee," a Jive spokeswoman said at the time. "It was an old dance injury." The legal submission described Spears as "one of the most recognised performers in her industry". The Onyx Hotel tour was cited as "a highly crafted production which included the well-known music and dancing of Spears, supported by elaborate costumes, complex choreography as well as cutting-edge video production, lighting and other effects". In September Spears married Kevin Federline, who had been a dancer on the aborted tour. ', 'UK', 'Deal to ban \'homophobic\' reggae The reggae industry is to refuse to release or stage concerts featuring homophobic songs under a global deal struck with gay rights groups. A damaging campaign against stars such as Beenie Man and Sizzla has been waged over lyrics that allegedly call for gay people to be killed or assaulted. The campaign, which led to gigs being scrapped and a UK police investigation, will now be dropped under the truce. Brett Lock of gay group OutRage! said they were "wiping the slate clean". The protests had been led by the Stop Murder Music coalition, an umbrella group including OutRage!, the Black Gay Men\'s Advisory Group and Jamaican movement J-Flag. That coalition has reached a verbal agreement with major dancehall reggae record labels and concert promoters covering eight of the scene\'s biggest stars. But the artists themselves were not involved in the negotiations and have not directly signed up. Instead, the record companies have pledged not to release or re-release any offensive songs - many of which date back a number of years. And it is believed promoters will make stars agree not to perform such tunes on stage. "The reggae industry will work with the artists while still maintaining their freedom of speech and artistic freedom," according to media and PR strategist Glen Yearwood, who is representing the reggae industry. The industry would halt any attempt by an artist to perform or release a song inciting violence against any group or gender, he said. "We\'ll advise them this is not the way forward in a civilised society." The Stop Murder Music campaign saw protesters picket gigs, resulted in Sizzla\'s UK tour being cancelled in November, forced Mobo award organisers to drop artists from nominations and saw Beenie Man dropped from an MTV show in August. Police have also been investigating whether lyrics incite the assault and murder of gay people. The campaign was a blow to the reggae industry, Mr Yearwood admitted. "If you can\'t have major stars touring, then you don\'t sell many albums," he said. But the artists - Beenie Man, Sizzla, Elephant Man, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, TOK, Capleton and Vybz Kartel - will not have to apologise for past songs or comments. OutRage!\'s Mr Lock said: "The main players in the dancehall reggae industry will attempt to regulate the industry themselves to ensure that there aren\'t any violently homophobic or gay-bashing lyrics in the future. "As a gesture of good faith, the Stop Murder Music coalition has agreed to suspend our aggressive campaigning against murder music. "So we shall not be picketing concerts or calling for prosecutions to give the industry the space to regulate and reform itself." Record companies VP and Greensleeves, distributor Jet Star and concert promoters including Jammins and Apollo Entertainment are all on board. ', 'US', 'Prince crowned \'top music earner\' Prince earned more than any other pop star in 2004, beating artists such Madonna and Elton John in US magazine Rolling Stone\'s annual list. The singer banked $56.5m (£30.4m) from concerts, album and publishing sales with his Musicology tour and album. He kept Madonna in second place, as she earned $54.9m (£29.5m) while embarking on her global Re-Invention Tour. Veterans Simon and Garfunkel were in 10th place, their comeback tour helping them earn $24.9m (£13.4m) last year. "Prince returned to centre stage after a decade in the commercial wilderness," the magazine reported. The singer\'s 2004 tour took $90.3m (£48.5m) in ticket sales and he sold 1.9 million copies of his latest album Musicology. Although she grossed more than Prince last year, Madonna remained in second place because of the "monumental" production costs of her tour. Heavy metal band Metallica\'s Madly in Anger with the World tour helped push their 2004 earnings up to $43.1m (£23.1m). They were ahead of Sir Elton John, who took fourth place and almost $42.7m (£23m) from performances including a debut on the Las Vegas Strip. Other seasoned performers in the list included Rod Stewart, whose sold-out shows and third volume of The Great American Songbook covers album helped net him £35m (£19m). The highest-ranking rap act in the list was 50 Cent, who at number 19 took $24m (£13m) to the bank. ', 'UK', 'Singer Christina Aguilera to wed Pop star Christina Aguilera is to marry music executive Jordan Bratman, the singer\'s agent has confirmed. Bratman, 26, proposed to Grammy-winning singer Aguilera, 23, on holiday at an undisclosed location. The pair have been together for more than two years. "No wedding plans have been set yet," said Aguilera\'s agent Meghan Prophet. Aguilera burst onto the pop scene in 1999, winning a best new artist Grammy in 2000. Her hits include What a Girl Wants, Dirrty and Beautiful. Bratman presented his fiancee with a diamond ring designed by jeweller Stephen Webster on Friday, said Ms Prophet. New York-born Aguilera reached number one in the UK with her debut hit Genie in a Bottle in October 1999. Her early success was cemented by two further Grammys in subsequent years. In 2002, Aguilera won best pop collaboration for the hit track Lady Marmalade with Lil\' Kim, Maya and Pink, and last year she picked up the award for best female pop vocal performance for Beautiful. Her most recent single, Car Wash, featuring Missy Elliott, reached number four in the UK charts last November. ', 'UK', "Brits return Keane to number one Brits success has helped return Keane's award-winning album Hopes and Fears back to the top of the UK album chart. The debut album, which took the best British album title at the Brits on Tuesday, moved up seven places from number eight to number one. Also capitalising on Brits success were the Scissor Sisters whose eponymous album moved three places to number two. U2's latest single Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own took the top spot in the singles chart, ahead of Elvis. The track, from their current album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, pushed Eminem's Like Toy Soldiers from number one to number three. Elvis' Wooden Heart, which entered the chart at number two, is the sixth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of Presley's birth. There are currently six re-released Elvis' tracks occupying spots in the top 40 singles chart including Are You Lonesome Tonight at number 20, It's Now or Never at number 27 and Jailhouse Rock at number 37. Soldier, by Destiny's Child, Ti and Lil Wayne, debuted at number four, while Almost Here, the duet from former Westlife star Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem, fell from number three to number five. There was more follow up to Brits success for Franz Ferdinand won best rock act and best British group last week. Their self-titled album moved from 13 to number four. Last week's number one album Tourist, by Athlete, fell to number three. ", 'US', 'Grammys honour soul star Charles The memory of soul legend Ray Charles dominated the music world\'s leading music ceremony on Sunday as he was given eight posthumous Grammy Awards. Charles, who died in 2004, got honours including record and album of the year, while Alicia Keys and actor Jamie Foxx performed a musical tribute to him. R&B star Keys won four awards herself at the Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles. U2, Usher, Norah Jones and Kanye West got three each. West led the race going into the ceremony with 10 nominations. Charles\' last album, Genius Loves Company, a collection of duets that has sold more than two million copies, was named album of the year and best pop vocal album. His song Here We Go Again with Norah Jones won record of the year and best pop vocal collaboration, while Heaven Help Us All with Gladys Knight picked up best gospel performance. Jones said: "I\'m glad he\'s getting recognised, because of who he is and how much I love him." Actor Jamie Foxx - who is nominated for an Oscar for playing Charles in the hit movie Ray - dedicated a rendition of Georgia on My Mind to "old friends". Keys, looking to replicate her Grammys success of 2002, when she won five, picked up best R&B song for You Don\'t Know My Name and best R&B album for The Diary of Alicia Keys. She also shared the award for best R&B vocal performance by a duo or group with Usher for My Boo. Usher\'s other victories were for best contemporary R&B album for Confessions and best rap/sung collaboration for Yeah!, featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. Kanye West dominated the rap categories, winning best rap song for Jesus Walks and best rap album for The College Dropout. But in one of the night\'s biggest shocks, he lost out in the battle to be named best new artist to pop rock act Maroon 5. Vertigo by rock giants U2 won three trophies - best rock song, best short video and best rock vocal performance by a duo or group. One of the other main awards, song of the year, went to US singer-songwriter John Mayer for Daughters. Mayer also won best male pop vocal performance. Britney Spears picked up her first ever Grammy for her song Toxic, which was named best dance recording. Rod Stewart also won the first Grammy of his career, getting the best traditional pop album award for Stardust... The Great American Songbook: Volume III. In 2003, Stewart said he was "astounded" he had never won a Grammy - but "they tend not to give it to the British unless you\'re Sting". There were few other high-profile British victors this year. Annie Lennox, metal group Motorhead and dance act Basement Jaxx all took home trophies. But Elvis Costello, who had four nominations, and Joss Stone and Franz Ferdinand, who were both up for three awards, got nothing. Beach Boys veteran Brian Wilson was another first-time winner - for best rock instrumental performance. "It represents triumph and achievement in music that I feel that I deserved, and I\'m really glad I won," he said. A live recording of composer John Adams\' 11 September tribute, On the Transmigration of Souls, performed by the New York Philharmonic, won three classical prizes. And former US President Bill Clinton picked up the second Grammy of his career, winning the spoken word award for the audio version of his autobiography My Life. ', 'Germany', 'German music in a \'zombie\' state The German music business - the third largest in the world - is "in the state of a zombie" because it has failed to respond to the challenge posed by downloading and piracy, a leading industry figure has said. Tim Renner, the head of Universal Music Germany until last year, told BBC World Service\'s The Music Biz programme that the country\'s music industry was now struggling to survive. Renner warned that unless the industry accepted "new realties" - such as downloading - its decline could become irreversible. "The problem the music industry has got is that they aren\'t willing to accept that the classic way of doing business is over and out," he stated. "So the music industry in its current form over here is pretty much in the state of a zombie." The music market in Germany peaked in 1997, with sales of 2.6bn euros (£1.8bn). Since 2000, sales have plummeted to just 1.6bn euros (£1.1bn) in 2003. In the space of one year - between 2002 and 2003 - CD album sales fell by 13.8%. But a study by the Society for Consumer Research found that at the same time, more than twice as many recordable CDs had music recorded on them than CD albums were sold. Mr Renner pointed out that, because profit comes mainly from the longevity of a good-selling record, this was particularly damaging. "You need time," he added. However, Peter Zombic, the managing director of the International Federation of Phonographic Industry in Germany, said he did not feel the situation was as "dramatic" as Mr Renner believed. "It\'s quite true that we have severe problems in Germany - but that\'s true in other parts of the world and in most developed markets too," he argued. "We have a severe problem with piracy, especially internet piracy, and we also have a severe problem of private copying. "I don\'t agree that the music industry lost control over the music market - in fact, especially in regard to Germany talent, the market is quite successful." He did, however, admit that copyright owners have "partly lost control of their copyright", due to piracy and copying. But he refuted suggestions that the industry had been too slow to respond to digital downloading. "We were the first to implement a download service - back in 1997," he argued. "At that time it was not successful, because of the advent of piracy - it was the Napster time, when P2P services became popular. "It still is quite difficult for the music industry to compete with a price that is zero as far as the illegal product is concerned." Mr Zombic also called for a change to the perception in Germany that private copying of music is not a problem. German law does allow people to make copies of CDs for their family and close friends, without fear of breaking copyright. Mr Zombic said that this legal framework was a "huge problem". "There is a widespread attitude that private copying is a hobby, it\'s nice, it\'s fun," he added. "We try to make clear it\'s not nice and it\'s not fun - it\'s endangering the creativity in our country." ', 'UK', 'TV presenter Deeley drops CD:UK Cat Deeley has resigned as host of ITV1\'s Saturday morning children\'s music show CD:UK after six years. The 28-year-old host who also presents Stars In Their Eyes said she wanted to concentrate on new television projects. "I\'ve had a great few years, met some really incredible people and been given some wonderful opportunities," the presenter said. Deeley will host her last show on 5 March and guest presenters will stand in until a replacement is found. The long-running presenter said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CD:UK team and all the viewers that have watched, supported the show and let me gate crash their Saturday morning. "Whilst obviously I am really sad to say goodbye, I\'m immensely excited about the future." Deeley formerly co-hosted SM:tv, the children\'s show which airs before CD:UK on a Saturday morning, alongside hit presenters Ant and Dec. She won a Children\'s Bafta award for best presenter in December 2001 and also fronted BBC One\'s Fame Academy series. ', 'UK', "The Producers scoops stage awards The Producers has beaten Mary Poppins in the battle of the blockbuster West End musicals at the Olivier Awards. The Producers won three prizes at the UK's most prestigious annual theatre awards, while Mary Poppins won two. Mel Brooks' hit show triumphed in the battle for best new musical, where it was up against Mary Poppins and Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White. Alan Bennett's The History Boys was the big winner in the straight theatre categories, picking up three trophies. But all eyes were on the musical prizes after The Producers, Mary Poppins and The Woman in White all had high-profile openings in the last six months. The Producers' Nathan Lane, a last-minute replacement for Richard Dreyfuss, beat his former co-star Lee Evans to win best musical actor. Lane has already left the production. A smash hit on Broadway before moving to London, the show also won best musical performance in a supporting role for Conleth Hill, who plays director Roger DeBris. Mary Poppins' awards came for best choreography and best musical actress for its star Laura Michelle Kelly. It led the nominations going into Sunday's ceremony at London's Hilton hotel, up for nine awards. Both shows are stage adaptations of 1960s films. The History Boys, set in a grammar school in the early 1980s and partly based on Bennett's experiences as a teacher, was named best new play. It also won best actor for Richard Griffiths, who beat his Harry Potter film co-star Michael Gambon, nominated for Endgame, as well as Jonathan Pryce and Ben Whishaw. The play also won National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner best director and Bennett got a special award for outstanding contribution to British theatre. Dame Judi Dench, who starred in All's Well That Ends Well at the Gielgud, lost out in the best supporting role category to Amanda Harris, who played Emilia in Othello for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Olivier Awards have been handed out by the Society of London since 1976. - Best lighting design - His Dark Materials designed by Paule Constable at the Olivier - Best sound design - The Woman in White designed by Mick Potter at the Palace - Best new opera - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Royal Opera House - Outstanding achievement in opera - Thomas Ades and the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of The Tempest - Best costume design - All's Well That Ends Well designed by Deirdre Clancy at the Gielgud - Best Revival - Hamlet by William Shakespeare at The Old Vic - Best set design - His Dark Materials designed by Giles Cadle at the Olivier - Outstanding musical production - Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse - Best supporting role in a musical - Conleth Hill for The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - Best theatre choreographer - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward - Best actor - Richard Griffiths for The History Boys at the Lyttelton - Outstanding achievement or performance in an affiliate theatre - Andrew Scott for A Girl in A Car With A Man at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court - Best new dance production - Rambert Dance Company's Swamp at Sadler's Wells - Outstanding achievement in dance - San Francisco Ballet for their season at Sadler's Wells - Best performance in a supporting role - Amanda Harris for Othello at Trafalgar Studios - Best actress - Clare Higgins for Hecuba at the Donmar Warehouse - Best musical actor - Nathan Lane for The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - Best musical actress - Laura Michelle Kelly for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward - Best director - Nicholas Hytner for The History Boys at the Lyttelton - Best new play - The History Boys by Alan Bennett at the Lyttelton - Best new musical - The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - Special award - Alan Bennett for his outstanding contribution to British theatre ", 'US', 'Rapper films music video in jail A US rapper awaiting trial for murder has filmed part of a music video in jail, angering a sheriff who says he was tricked into letting TV crews in. C-Murder, a former member of rap group Tru, was filmed in his orange prison suit for the video for his Y\'all Heard of Me single in a New Orleans jail. He is awaiting a second trial after an original conviction was thrown out. "I\'m not pleased," Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee said. "He will not make another video in my jail." Footage for the video was filmed by two crews who had permission to interview C-Murder - one from Court TV and one from a local cable show. But Mr Lee said he did not know the rapper had filmed the video and made an album behind bars, and said he was fooled into letting the cameras in. The rapper\'s lawyer Ron Rakosky said: "The bottom line is, we didn\'t do anything wrong." Mr Rakosky said it was better than C-Murder, real name Corey Miller, "just sitting there, wasting away". "Here\'s a guy in jail, making constructive use of his time instead of withering away," he said. "He\'s lost more than three years of his life, locked up for a crime he did not commit." But local group Victims and Citizens Against Crime said he should not be working behind bars. "He is a suspect in a murder case. I don\'t think he should be allowed these privileges, especially earning money, until his name is totally cleared," the group\'s president Beverly Siemssen said. In 2003, C-Murder was found guilty of killing a 16-year-old in a nightclub, but that decision was thrown out last April. He is now facing a second trial on a charge of second-degree murder. With two brothers in the group Tru, he had two US top 10 albums in the late 1990s before going solo, when he scored another three top 10 albums. ', 'US', 'Rap feud in 50 Cent\'s G-Unit crew US rap star 50 Cent has said he has thrown protege The Game out of his G-Unit gang in a feud that has apparently involved two shootings. In a radio interview on Monday, 50 Cent said the newcomer was disloyal in conflicts with other rappers. A man was shot in the thigh outside New York\'s Hot 97 studios while 50 Cent was on air. More shots were fired outside his management offices two hours later. 50 Cent appeared on The Game\'s debut album, which was number one in the US. 50 Cent, whose second album is about to be released after his debut made him one of hip-hop\'s biggest stars, has been involved in recent rivalries with fellow artists including Fat Joe, Nas and Jadakiss. He has claimed credit for the success of The Game, who has become the hottest new star on the rap scene. Both were drug dealers and were shot before turning to music. In an interview with Hot 97 on Saturday, The Game described some of 50 Cent\'s rivals as "my friends" and said he would not turn on them. "Nas is one of my friends, and Jada\'s really a homie," he said. "50\'s beef is 50\'s beef and I really don\'t know where all this stems from." When 50 Cent appeared on the same station two days later, he said The Game was no longer a member of G-Unit. "Every record he\'s selling is based on me being on his record with him," he said. When the shooting took place outside the studio, the interview was ended and the rapper was escorted out of the building by security personnel. An unidentified 24-year-old Los Angeles man is stable with a gunshot wound to the upper thigh. Police say The Game\'s associates may have heard the interview and gone to the studio, where they confronted 50 Cent\'s entourage. Officers are also investigating a later shooting in which eight bullets were fired into the door of 50 Cent\'s management company, Violator. No arrests have been made in relation to either incident. 50 Cent\'s second album, The Massacre, is released on Thursday, five weeks after The Game\'s debut, Documentary, went to number one. Elliott Wilson, editor-in-chief of hip-hop magazine XXL, said the feud would boost publicity for 50 Cent\'s release. "It helps him obviously in terms of exposure. You can\'t ask for better promotion," he said. But he added: "I think he\'s making more and more enemies. "You definitely feel like is he doing too much of a Tupac spiral, like me against the world. You bring more people wanting to see you fail." Tupac Shakur was shot dead in 1996. ', 'UK', 'Prodigy join V Festival line-up Essex act Prodigy are to headline the second stage at this year\'s V Festival, joining main stage headliners Scissor Sisters and Franz Ferdinand. The event, which is in its 10th year, will be held at two venues - Hylands Park in Essex and Weston Park in Staffordshire on 20 and 21 August. Meanwhile, rock veterans New Order have joined the T in the Park line-up alongside Athlete and Green Day. The Manchester band will play on 9 July at Scotland\'s biggest festival. It will be their debut performance at the music event which is held over the weekend of 9 and 10 July in Balado near Kinross. Other bands at the sold-out festival include Queens of the Stone Age, The Killers, Keane, The Streets and Foo Fighters. A month later at the V Festival, Prodigy will play at Weston Park on Saturday 20 August and Hylands Park on Sunday 21 August and the Chemical Brothers vice versa. It will be the Chemical Brothers\' only UK festival performance of the year. V festival director Bob Angus said: "With the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers now confirmed to headline the second stage, we are headed for a really stellar line-up. "We pride ourselves on putting on an unbeatable live music experience and V Festival 2005 will not disappoint." Tickets for the V festival go on sale on Friday 11 March. ', 'UK', 'DJ double act revamp chart show DJ duo JK and Joel are taking over BBC Radio 1\'s flagship chart show on Sunday, adding showbiz news, celebrity interviews and between-song banter. They hope to boost ratings for the long-running show, which has been overtaken in popularity by independent radio\'s Hit 40 UK rundown. "Radio 1\'s chart show is an institution and remains the station\'s single most popular show," says JK, also known as Jason King. "For years people have been tuning in at four o\'clock with their tape recorders ready to record their favourite tunes. Not that I ever did that. "But things have moved on a lot now so it was time for a change." That change involved ejecting previous host Wes Butters and relocating King and DJ partner Joel Ross from their weekend afternoon Radio 1 slot. The pair have worked together for a decade - meeting on Viking Radio in Hull before moving to Manchester station Key 103 and winning two Sony Radio awards. They also presented gadget series Playboyz and car show Motor Maniacs for cable TV channel Granada Men and Motors, and Pure Soap on BBC Three. On the revamped chart show their cheeky, laddish banter will punctuate star interviews and competitions, film and DVD charts plus a look at future single releases, in addition to the singles chart itself. "The chart rundown is no longer the only point of the programme," says Ross. "The show used to be the only way to discover who was in the Top 40. Now you can just click on the internet to find that out, so the show has plenty of extra items too." The show\'s reduced reliance upon the Top 40 also reflects the fact that music fans are now more likely to download songs in digital format rather than buy them on compact disc, vinyl or cassette. "I personally buy downloads rather than CD singles," says 27-year-old Ross. "Even my grandma can download songs now. JK is still struggling with the technology, though." "But it\'s premature for people to say that the singles chart is dead," Ross adds. "While sales of singles on traditional formats are down, interest in songs has been revived by download sales, which will be incorporated into our main chart rundown from April. "Music fans still want to know what is the most popular song of the week." Ross will be plumping for chart success from rapper Verbalicious and the Stereophonics on Sunday, while King is more of an R&B and dance music fan. "So listeners will get the advantage of both our music tastes," says King, 30, who describes outgoing host Butters as "an extremely professional and competent broadcaster". "The advantage Joel and I have is that we\'re a double act, with a rapport between us that makes the show much more interactive," King says. "Wes has a great broadcasting career ahead of him. And if not, I could always use a cleaner," he jokes. Ross says the pair have done their best to ignore the weight of expectation placed upon the revamped show. "Other people can worry about that, we are going to continue doing what we do well," he says. "At the end of the day this is a radio show that is meant to be entertaining. Nobody died." ', 'Australia', "Goodrem wins top female MTV prize Pop singer Delta Goodrem has scooped one of the top individual prizes at the first Australian MTV Music Awards. The 21-year-old singer won the award for best female artist, with Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll taking the title of best male at the ceremony. Goodrem, known in both Britain and Australia for her role as Nina Tucker in TV soap Neighbours, also performed a duet with boyfriend Brian McFadden. Other winners included Green Day, voted best group, and the Black Eyed Peas. Goodrem, Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas took home two awards each. As well as best female, Goodrem also took home the Pepsi Viewers Choice Award, whilst Green Day bagged the prize for best rock video for American Idiot. The Black Eyed Peas won awards for best R 'n' B video and sexiest video, both for Hey Mama. Local singer and songwriter Missy Higgins took the title of breakthrough artist of the year, with Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian taking the honours for best pop video. The VH1 First Music Award went to Cher honouring her achievements within the music industry. The ceremony was held at the Luna Park fairground in Sydney Harbour and was hosted by the Osbourne family. Artists including Carmen Electra, Missy Higgins, Kelly Osbourne, Green Day, Ja Rule and Natalie Imbruglia gave live performances at the event. ", 'UK', 'Singer Ian Brown \'in gig arrest\' Former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown was arrested after a fight during a concert in San Francisco on Tuesday, his spokesman has said. A fan jumped on stage and attacked the singer, who then became involved in a fracas with a security guard, Fiction Records spokesman Paul Smernicki said. He said Brown was arrested at his hotel after the show at the Great American Music Hall but released without charge. San Francisco police said they could find no record of his arrest. Mr Smernicki said he had been told a fan "rugby-tackled" the singer during the gig, which resulted in "pushing and shoving". Brown then got into a brawl with another man who tried to restrain him - without realising he was a security guard, Mr Smernicki added. The star went off for 15 minutes before returning to finish his set. Police took witness statements and apprehended Brown at his hotel, Mr Smernicki said. But he was released without charge and "as far as we\'re aware, that\'s the end of it", Mr Smernicki added. A spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department said he may have been detained but they could find no record of the incident. Brown, 42, was lead singer with The Stone Roses, one of the most seminal bands in British rock, until they split in 1996. He has since forged a successful solo career, scoring nine UK top 30 singles since 1998. In 1998, he was sentenced to four months in jail for using threatening behaviour towards an aeroplane captain and stewardess. ', 'US', 'Spider-Man creator wins profits Spider-Man creator Stan Lee is to get a multi-million dollar windfall after winning a court battle with comic book company Marvel. A judge has upheld Lee\'s demand for 10% of Marvel\'s profits from the hugely successful Spider-Man films. Spider-Man and its sequel made $1.6bn (£857m) at box offices worldwide. Of the cut now due to Lee, 82, who created Spider-Man in 1962, his lawyer said: "It could be tens of millions of dollars, that\'s no exaggeration." US District Court Judge Robert W Sweet ruled Lee should get a tenth of profits generated since November 1998 by Marvel TV and movie productions involving the company\'s characters. Lee took legal action in 2002, saying Marvel shut him out of "jackpot" profits from the first blockbuster film. He said the company - where he worked for more than 60 years - had gone back on agreement to give him the 10%. As well as Spider-Man, Lee co-created the Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Daredevil and Fantastic Four characters. He said: "I am gratified by the judge\'s decision although, since I am deeply fond of Marvel and the people there, I sincerely regret that the situation had to come to this." The ruling also means he is entitled to a slice of profits from DVD sales and certain merchandise. Marvel said it would appeal and did not expect the decision to impact on financial forecasts for 2004 and beyond. The New York court did not rule on Lee\'s claims to a share of profits from some Spider-Man and Hulk movie merchandise, which will be decided at a future trial, Marvel said. ', 'Australia', "Actress Roberts takes spider role Actress Julia Roberts will play the part of a spider in a new film version of children's classic Charlotte's Web. She will voice Charlotte, who teams up with a girl to save their friend Wilbur the pig, in the story by EB White. The film - a mix of live action and animation - will be Roberts' first project since the birth of her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, two months ago. Oprah Winfrey will voice a goose, John Cleese will voice a sheep and Steve Buscemi a rat in the 2006 film. Ten-year-old Dakota Fanning will play Fern, the girl at the centre of the story, in the film to be directed by 13 Going on 30 film-maker Gary Winick. Filming is due to begin in Melbourne, Australia, later this month. Charlotte's Web has sold 45 million copies since it was published in 1952. An animated version was made in 1973 but this will be the first live action film. The actor who will voice Wilbur the pig has yet to be revealed. ", 'UK', 'BBC denies Blackadder TV comeback The BBC has said there are no plans in the pipeline for a new series of hit comedy Blackadder, which ended in 1989. Tony Robinson, who played the servant Baldrick, told ITV1\'s This Morning the show\'s star, Rowan Atkinson, was "more keen than he has been in the past". Robinson added he would "love" to do another series, each of which was set in a different era, ranging from the 15th century to World War I. But the BBC said on Thursday there were no plans for a comeback. In the final series all the main characters were killed off charging towards German lines after being ordered out of their trench. The poignant finale was later voted the best farewell episode of a TV series. A host of other UK actors, including Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson, also appeared in the show. Blackadder returned for a one-off special filmed to celebrate the arrival of the millennium in 1999. It was shown at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich before being screened on BSkyB. ', 'US', "Smith loses US box office crown New comedy Diary of a Mad Black Woman has ended Will Smith's reign at the top of the North American box office. Based on a play by Tyler Perry, who also stars as a gun-toting grandmother, the film took $22.7m (£11.8m) in its first three days of release. After topping the chart for two consecutive weeks, Smith's romantic comedy Hitch dropped to second place with takings of $21m (£10.9m). Keanu Reeves' supernatural thriller Constantine dropped a place to three. Based on the Hellblazer comics, the film took $11.8m (£6.1m) on its second week of release. Two new entries came next in the chart, with Wes Craven's horror movie Cursed, about a werewolf loose in Los Angeles, in fourth position with $9.5m (£4.9m). Action comedy Man of the House, starring Tommy Lee Jones as a Texas ranger assigned to protect a cheerleader squad, came in at fifth with $9m (£4.6m). Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby - recipient of four Academy Awards, including best picture - continued to perform well in sixth place with takings of $7.2m (£3.74m). Martin Scorsese's Hollywood biopic The Aviator - which won five Oscars, all in minor categories - held on in ninth place. The low-budget feature Diary of a Mad Black Woman stars Kimberly Elise as a woman thrown out on the streets by her philandering husband. With the help of her grandmother Madea (one of three roles played by Perry), she plots revenge. Perry, 34, is one of America's best-known black playwrights but is a newcomer to film. Once made homeless after investing his own money in unsuccessful productions of his work, he now lives in the mansion in which Diary of a Mad Black Woman was filmed. ", 'UK', 'Hoffman hits out over modern film Hollywood legend Dustin Hoffman has hit out at the quality of current films and theatre productions. The star of Rain Man and Tootsie said the film culture was "in the craphouse" at a press conference on Tuesday. The 67-year-old also said he stopped working a few years ago because he lost his "spark" for acting. Hoffman is in the UK to publicise his new comedy, Meet the Fockers, which also stars Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Ben Stiller. He said: "You go to the cinema and you realise you\'re watching the third act. There is no first or second act. "There is this massive film-making where you spend this incredible amount of money and play right to the demographic. "You can tell how much money the film is going to make by how it does on the first weekend. "The whole culture is in the craphouse. It\'s not just true in the movies, it\'s also true in the theatre. "Broadway, and now London is the same, special effects are in great demand. It\'s not a good time culturally." Hoffman also said he stopped working a few years ago and moved into directing and writing. He said: "I just lost that spark I always had. "A couple of years ago I didn\'t like the parts I was getting. "Studios weren\'t interested in the kind of films that people of my generation wanted to see. "I thought I would stop and just try writing and directing. I wasn\'t aware of the depression that set in." Recently, Hoffmann has returned to film, with roles in I Heart Huckabees, Finding Neverland and now Meet the Fockers, which is the sequel to Meet the Parents. Meet The Fockers opens in the UK on Friday. ', 'US', 'Johnny Depp: The acting outlaw Johnny Depp, whose latest role was Peter Pan creator JM Barrie in Finding Neverland, is celebrated as one of Hollywood\'s most maverick talents. Depp has become an unlikely major star, given his preference for taking dark and idiosyncratic roles instead of surefire box office hits. He has had a long-running working relationship with the equally unconventional director Tim Burton. Depp was born in Kentucky in 1963 and at first wanted to be a rock star, playing in a number of bands and supporting acts such as Iggy Pop and The B-52s in Florida. On a visit to Los Angeles, his former wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. In 1984 he started his film career playing a doomed teenager in horror film Nightmare On Elm Street. Two years later he played a soldier in Oliver Stone\'s Vietnam epic Platoon. But it was TV that first made Depp a star. He played undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the US series 21 Jump Street for three years from 1987. In 1990 he began his partnership with Burton in the dark fairy tale Edward Scissorhands, about a young man with blades for hands. He won plaudits in 1993 for the downbeat film What\'s Eating Gilbert Grape, where he played a sensitive youth looking after an overweight mother and a retarded younger brother, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Another role under Burton, Ed Wood, starred Depp as the crazed cult film-maker Wood, in 1994. He played a much more serious, sensitive role in his next major film, Donnie Brasco, where he portrayed an undercover cop infiltrating a mafia ring. In 1997 he directed his only film to date - The Brave, the story of an Indian man offered money to appear in a snuff film. Two years later he played Hunter S Thompson in Terry Gilliam\'s ambitious but poorly-received big screen adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He worked again with Tim Burton in the 1999 horror film Sleepy Hollow, and appeared opposite Dame Judi Dench and Juliette Binoche in Chocolat. His performance in Pirates of the Caribbean, which earned him Golden Globe and Bafta nominations, had many critics thinking he based it upon the mannerisms of his friend, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. His latest role in Finding Neverland explored JM Barrie\'s relationship with Sylvia (Kate Winslet) and her children. Depp\'s charismatic performance drew an audience of adults and children alike into Barrie\'s vivid imagination, and he was called the "fifth child of the group" by the film\'s director Marc Forster. He has two children of his own with French singer Vanessa Paradis, having previously been in a long-term relationship with British model Kate Moss. The theme of children\'s literature in Depp\'s career - and his long association with Tim Burton - are set to continue in his next role, playing Willy Wonka in a remake of Roald Dahl\'s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. British TV comedy fans might also remember Depp\'s guest role in the final episode of BBC sketch programme The Fast Show, cited as his favourite show. It was another surprise move in Depp\'s varied and intriguing career. ', 'US', 'Patti Smith to host arts festival Rock star Patti Smith has been made artistic director of this year\'s Meltdown festival, to be held at London\'s South Bank Centre in June. The punk pioneer follows Morrissey, David Bowie and Nick Cave in directing 15 days of concerts and events. Smith has yet to decide the line-up for Meltdown, which begins on 11 June. "I want to touch on all aspects of our culture, perhaps with readings from Genet, and I have an idea for Jeremy Irons to read Proust," she said. The 58-year-old US singer of Because the Night told The Observer newspaper that the festival would be her response to these "material, exploitative and greedy times". "It is important we explore the new, but we should also salute the best art there is, aesthetically and spiritually," she said. Last year\'s Meltdown festival, directed by the ex-Smiths star Morrissey, included appearances by singer Jane Birkin, Nancy Sinatra and playwright Alan Bennett. He also persuaded punk band The New York Dolls to reform for a reunion show. ', 'US', 'Music mogul Fuller sells company Pop Idol supremo Simon Fuller has sold his 19 Entertainment company to an US entrepreneur in a $156m (£81.5m) deal. Robert Sillerman\'s Sports Entertainment Enterprises, which is to be renamed CFX, recently also bought an 85% share in the estate of Elvis Presley. Mr Fuller has been appointed to the CFX board and will plan and implement the company\'s creative strategy. The 19 firm handles a roster of music artists, TV shows and PR strategies for stars including the Beckhams. The deal sees Mr Fuller receive £64.5m in cash and about 1.9 million shares in Sports Entertainment. There will also be a further £19.2m in either cash or stocks by the end of the financial year in June. Mr Fuller has signed a long-term agreement with the company which will see him continue to expand and develop entertainment brands. He said: "This is a hugely exciting new partnership for myself and 19 Entertainment. "CKX will provide 19 with a powerful platform for global growth and allow us to fully take advantage of all the amazing opportunities that lie ahead. I cannot wait to get started." Mr Fuller was the creative drive behind Pop Idol and its US offspring American Idol. 19 Management runs the careers of many of its successful contestants including Will Young, Gareth Gates and Kelly Clarkson. The company was set up 15 years ago by Mr Fuller, taking the name from his first successful single - 19 by Paul Hardcastle. Fuller was the driving force behind the Spice Girls phenomenon, using canny marketing and catchy pop songs to secure their place as the most lucrative girl group in history. He then put together S Club 7, who had their own TV show as well as a music career. Mr Sillerman\'s deal to buy the Presley estate sees him control the operation of Graceland, as well as money from the late star\'s music and films. Presley\'s daughter Lisa Marie retains possession of Graceland and many of her father\'s "personal effects". ', 'UK', 'Pixies take on Reading and Leeds Pixies, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden will headline this summer\'s Leeds and Reading festivals. The trio of rock heavyweights will top the bill for the three-day events at Bramham Park, near Wetherby, and at Richfield Avenue, Reading. They are the Pixies\' and Iron Maiden\'s only UK festival gigs, while Foo Fighters are also at T In The Park. The Killers, Razorlight and Queens of the Stone Age are also playing the twin festivals, to be held on 26-28 August. Other acts in this year\'s line-up include The Charlatans, Marilyn Manson and Kings of Leon. Pete Doherty\'s band Babyshamblers will appear on the NME/Radio One stage along with Kasabian, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Bloc Party. Organiser Mean Fiddler said more acts were still to be confirmed for the summer event. "We are all very excited to be going back to Reading and intend to have a fantastic time," said Iron Maiden\'s Bruce Dickinson. "We\'re sure fans will too." It will the first time the veteran British metal band have played Reading in 23 years. At Leeds, Iron Maiden will headline the first day of the festival on the Friday, Pixies will follow on Saturday and the Foo Fighters will close the event on Sunday. The Pixies will headline the first day of Reading, while Foo Fighters will play on Sunday and Iron Maiden will close the event. Weekend tickets are now on sale priced at £125 each. ', 'UK', 'Vera Drake leads UK Oscar hopes Mike Leigh\'s film Vera Drake will lead British hopes at this year\'s Academy Awards after getting three nominations. Imelda Staunton was nominated for best actress for her role in the abortion drama, while Leigh received nods for best director and original screenplay. Kate Winslet was also nominated in the best actress category for her role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And Clive Owen and Sophie Okonedo both got nominated for supporting roles in Closer and Hotel Rwanda respectively. Owen has already been made bookmakers\' favourite for best supporting actor for the role in Closer that has already clinched him a Golden Globe award. And it is the first nomination for actress Okonedo, chosen for her performance in Hotel Rwanda, about the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It is also a debut nomination for Staunton, 49, who told BBC News 24 she had not thought the film would appeal to Academy voters. "It was an extraordinary time making the film and I can\'t believe what has happened this morning," she said. "I hope it just shows Mike up to be the extraordinary filmmaker he is. "We are also dealing with a very difficult subject matter and it is amazing to have it accepted in this way." Leigh, who had previously received three Oscar nominations for Secrets and Lies and Topsy Turvy, told BBC News 24 the latest success was "amazing". He said: "We hoped that Imelda Staunton would get a nomination but I never expected to get director and screenplay. It\'s just absolutely wonderful. "I think people are aware that it\'s about life - and I hope it is the warmth and compassion that really talks to people." Winslet said she was "ecstatic" about the fourth nomination of her career. "Being nominated means so much to me. To be nominated for a film that was released a while ago, I feel so honoured and overwhelmed," she said. John Woodward, chief executive of the UK Film Council, said it was "extremely heartening" to see British filmmaking talent recognised on the global stage. "Britain has a hugely talented industry and these nominations show why National Lottery investment in film pays major dividends for our culture and economy." Among a total of 24 British nominees, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Charles Hart are up for best original song for Learn To Be Lonely, from The Phantom of the Opera movie. Cinematographer John Mathieson, who was nominated for Gladiator in 2001, is also up for The Phantom of the Opera. And Finding Neverland has garnered two more nominations for Brits. Gemma Jackson, who has also worked on Bridget Jones\'s Diary and Iris, is up for art direction while costume designer Alexandra Byrne, whose previous films have included Captain Corelli\'s Mandolin and Elizabeth, is in the running. The UK has two contenders in the best live action short film category. Wasp was made by ex-children\'s TV presenter Andrea Arnold while Little Terrorist is the work of Ashvin Kumar. This year\'s awards will be handed out in Hollywood on 27 February. ', 'US', "Moreno debut makes Oscar mark Catalina Sandino Moreno has joined a rare group of actresses who have been nominated for an Oscar for starring in a foreign language film. The Colombian-born actress was the final hope for director Joshua Marston, who scoured the US and Colombia for a lead for Maria Full of Grace. The film sees the 23-year-old play a teenage drug mule who smuggles heroin by swallowing pellets in condoms. Plaudits have been raining down on her for her gritty performance, making it all the more surprising that this is her first film. Her previous acting experience was in amateur productions in her home city of Bogota at the Ruben Di Pietro theatre academy. She has already received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Awards leading actress category but these rarely overlap with Academy Awards, instead recognising quirkier, low-budget films. And at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival the jury could not choose between her and Charlize Theron's Oscar winning performance in Monster so gave them a tied award. Sandino Moreno is now being regarded as one of the most promising actresses around at the moment. But she is taking her time committing to her next project, hoping to land a strong Spanish script and would love to be able to work with directors Pedro Almodovar or Alejandro Amenabar. ", 'Europe', 'Bening makes awards breakthrough Film actress Annette Bening is up for an Oscar for her starring role in the award-winning film Being Julia. Bening, who was born in Texas in 1958, has gained prominence for a string of key roles. Although an Oscar has so far eluded her, her status as one of Hollywood\'s favourite actresses remains solid. One of the biggest Oscars buzzes in recent years was for Bening\'s role as troubled Carolyn Burnham in 1999\'s American Beauty. But her deliciously neurotic portrayal of surburban life turning sour was overlooked in favour of Hilary Swank\'s leading role in Boys Don\'t Cry. After opening her career in the theatre - and gaining a Tony Award nomination in 1986 - Bening had a low-key spell in television. She then made her film debut as a sex-starved wife in 1988\'s The Great Outdoors, opposite comics Dan Akroyd and John Candy. Following a cameo in Postcards From The Edge, Bening\'s breakthrough role came in 1990, playing seductive con artist Myra Langtry in The Grifters - a role that won her an Oscar nomination. Despite some rave reviews, Bening did not win the best supporting actress Academy Award. However the high-profile performance enabled Bening to capture roles in a number of big budget Hollywood productions, co-starring with some of Hollywood\'s greatest players, including Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford. But it was her role opposite Warren Beatty in 1991 gangster flick Bugsy which had the greatest impact. Bening played Virginia Hill, another role which won her high critical acclaim, but the film only picked up two of a staggering 12 Oscar nominations. Bugsy was the start of a very significant liaison for Bening - she married Beatty, with whom she had a child as the couple promoted the film in Europe. The couple now have four children together. A pair of contrasting yet successful performances peppered Bening\'s career in the mid-1990s. She played Michael Douglas\' opposite number in romantic comedy The American President, and as a "fiery" Queen Elizabeth I in a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare\'s Richard III. Bening was the first choice to play the female lead in American Beauty, director Sam Mendes\' film debut which was a critical and commercial success - but the actress had to be content with a Bafta award for her strong performance. But current film Being Julia has made Bening an award-winning actress rather than the perennial nominee, with success at the Golden Globes. The witty tale of revenge and love set in 1930s London sees the eponymous theatrical diva - played by Bening - grow tired of her success and fall for a young American - and could be the role which finally wins her the coveted Academy Award. ', 'Australia', 'Kidman wins photographer battle Actress Nicole Kidman has won a restraining order against two paparazzi photographers who she claims left her fearful of leaving her Sydney mansion. The Oscar-winning star took action against Jamie Fawcett and Ben McDonald after a bugging device was found outside her home earlier this week. Lawyers for the pair denied allegations they had planted the device. The Australian actress is currently in Sydney to film her latest movie, Eucalyptus, with Russell Crowe. Kidman was prompted to take action following a reported high-speed car chase with members of the paparazzi in Sydney last weekend. According to local newspaper the Daily Telegraph, the incident involved paparazzi driving through red lights and on the wrong side of the road in pursuit of Kidman\'s vehicle. Lawyers for Mr Fawcett and Mr McDonald denied that the pair were involved in the chase. Kidman sought the "apprehended violence" orders - normally used in Australia in cases of domestic violence and similar incidents - after being advised to do so by local police. "Nicole would like to make it clear that she acknowledges she is a public figure and that reporters and photographers have a job to do and she respects that," said Kidman\'s publicist Wendy Day. "However, these are specific actions against two individuals who, over a period of time, have caused her to feel threatened, intimidated and unable to leave her home without fearing for her safety." Magistrate Lee Gilmore, who issued the restraining order at Waverley Local Court in Sydney, said she understood the photographers were entitled to earn a living but there had to be limits to their behaviour. "Miss Kidman says she\'s willing to put up with some of it, but it\'s gone beyond that," she said. "I do believe the allegation in relation to the driving is a serious issue." ', 'UK', 'Bookmakers back Aviator for Oscar The Aviator has been tipped by UK bookmakers as the favourite to win the best film award at this year\'s Oscars. Ray star Jamie Foxx is clear favourite in the best actor category while Million Dollar Baby\'s Hilary Swank is tipped to win the best actress prize. Bookmakers predict Cate Blanchett will be named best supporting actress. William Hill and Ladbrokes have given The Aviator 4/9 and 8/13 odds of winning best film, with Million Dollar Baby in second place at 9/4. Bet Direct and Bet 365 also tip The Aviator, with the majority of bookmakers regarding Finding Neverland as the outsider. The Aviator is also widely tipped to win the best director prize for Martin Scorsese. British star Clive Owen is second favourite at William Hill to take the best supporting actor award, for his performance in Closer. The favourite in that category is Sideways star Thomas Hayden Church. Vera Drake star Imelda Staunton has 5/1 odds of winning the best actress Oscar at Bet 365 and William Hill, ahead of fellow UK star Kate Winslet who has odds of 25/1 at William Hill. Mike Leigh is the outsider in the best director category for Vera Drake, a position he holds jointly with Ray\'s Taylor Hackford at bookmakers VC Bet. This year\'s Academy Awards will be handed out in Hollywood on 27 February. X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne will present Sky television\'s live coverage of the event. Meanwhile, Clive Owen\'s best supporting actor nomination has led a bookmaker to shorten his odds of becoming the next James Bond. He has moved from 4/1 to 5/2 favourite to play 007, with Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor joint second favourite. "Clive Owen\'s nomination has sparked a betting frenzy from James Bond fans, who feel that his heightened global recognition will have done his chances of becoming the next Bond a world of good," said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams. ', 'India', 'Douglas set for Indian adventure Actor Michael Douglas is to co-produce and star in an adventure film about a diamond robbery set in India. The new picture is expected to be similar to Douglas\'s action films of the 1980s, Romancing The Stone and The Jewel Of The Nile. Another Hollywood star is being lined up to co-star, while the rest of the cast will be Indian. Aishwarya Rai, star of Bride and Prejudice, is the "preferred choice" of the Indian studio involved in the film. On a visit to India, the 60-year-old actor said he hoped to start shooting Racing The Monsoon next year. Douglas added that it had been inspired by a Wall Street Journal article about India\'s \'angadias\', who courier money and diamonds around India. The actor\'s own production company, Further Films, is working in partnership with two Indian film-making concerns to bring the picture to the screen. Shailendra Singh, the founder of India\'s Percept Films, said there would be "a lot of India" in the movie - and that an Indian train would play a big role. "The train will be a crucial part of the film. The chase and most of the stunts will be on the train," said Mr Singh. Swashbuckling adventure film Romancing The Stone saw Douglas\'s female co-star Kathleen Turner win a Golden Globe award for her performance in 1985. ', 'US', 'De Niro film leads US box office Film star Robert De Niro has returned to the top of the North American box office with his film Hide and Seek. The thriller shot straight to the number one spot after taking $22m (£11.7m) at the box office. De Niro recently spent three weeks at the top with comedy Meet The Fockers, which was at number five this week. Oscar hopefuls The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Sideways all cashed in on their multiple nominations with stronger ticket sales. In Hide and Seek, De Niro plays a widower whose daughter has a creepy imaginary friend. Despite lukewarm reviews from critics, the film took more than the expected $18m (£9.5m). "The element of a real actor in a psychological thriller certainly elevated it," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. Clint Eastwood\'s Million Dollar Baby led the Oscar hopefuls with $11.8m (£6.3m), coming in at number three during its first weekend of wide release. The Aviator, a film biography of Howard Hughes that leads the Oscar field with 11 nominations, was at number six for the weekend with $7.5m (£4m). Oscar best-picture nominee Sideways entered the top ten for the first time in its 15th week of release. It came in seventh $6.3 (£3.35m). Last week\'s top film, Ice Cube\'s road-trip comedy Are We There Yet?, slipped to second place with $17m (£9m), while Coach Carter fell two places to number four, taking $8m (£4.25m) in its third week. Rounding out the top ten were In Good Company - starring Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson - Racing Stripes and Assault on Precinct 13. ', 'Japan', "Howl helps boost Japan's cinemas Japan's box office received a 3.8% boost last year, with ticket sales worth 211bn yen (£1.08bn). The surge was led by animated movie Howl's Moving Castle, which took 20bn yen (£102m) to become the biggest film in Japan in 2004. It is expected to match the 30.7bn yen (£157m) record of Hayao Miyazaki's previous film Spirited Away. Japan Motion Picture Producers figures showed that 170 million cinema admissions were made in Japan in 2004. The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, was the biggest foreign movie hit in Japan last year, taking 13.8bn yen (£70.7m). It was followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Finding Nemo and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The second highest-grossing Japanese film was romantic drama Crying Out Love in the Centre of the World, followed by Be With You and Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation. Japanese films accounted for 37.5% of Japan's box office total last year, with foreign films taking the remaining 62.5%. This represented a 4.5% gain for the proportion of Japanese films in 2004 compared to 2003. The number of Japanese films released rose to 310 in 2004 from 287 the previous year. Sales of movies on DVD and video amounted to 497bn yen (£2.54bn) for the year. ", 'Japan', 'Day-Lewis set for Berlin honour Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is to be presented with an award for his career in film at the Berlin Film Festival. The 47-year-old, whose credits include his Oscar-winning performance in My Left Foot, will be presented with the Berlinale Camera award on 15 February. The honour, awarded since 1986, honours figures in cinema that the festival feels "particularly indebted to". Man to Man, a historical epic starring Kristin Scott Thomas, opens the German festival on 10 February. A candid documentary about the life and career of singer George Michael, A Different Story will also be screened at the 10-day event. \' Day-Lewis has competed four times at the Berlin Film Festival, with films In The Name Of The Father (1994), The Crucible (1997), The Boxer (1998) and Martin Scorsese\'s Gangs Of New York (2003). The festival praises him for his "sensational start" with roles in My Beautiful Launderette and costume classic A Room With A View, and a "great number of celebrated roles" in subsequent productions. Japan\'s oldest film studio will also be honoured along with Day-Lewis. Shochiku film studios, which was founded 110 years ago, will become the first cinematic institution to receive the Berlinale Camera award. Famous Japanese directors including Akira Kurosawa have had films produced at the studio. ', 'US', 'Applegate\'s Charity show closes US musical Sweet Charity has cancelled its run on Broadway after poor ticket sales for its early shows. Star Christina Applegate had to pull out of pre-Broadway performances earlier this month with a broken foot. Producer Barry Weissler said he was "deeply proud" of the show, but said the decision to close it was "painful but fiscally responsible". Applegate, who starred in TV comedy Married With Children, had been hoping to make her Broadway debut in the show. The 33-year-old injured herself while performing in Chicago, and had been hoping to recover in time for its official New York opening on 21 April. She had received mixed reviews for performances in Minneapolis and Chicago. Previews of the $7.5m (£4m) show were due to begin on 4 April. Sweet Charity tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine, a dancer who always falls in love with the wrong man. It was first performed on Broadway in 1966 with Gwen Verdon in the title role, while Shirley MacLaine starred in the 1969 film version. ', 'US', 'Britney attacks \'false tabloids\' Pop star Britney Spears has attacked "false" and "desperate" US tabloid magazines, questioning their honesty after they reported she was pregnant. In a letter on her website, the singer named celebrity tabloids Us Weekly, In Touch and Star as the worst offenders. "Until you face what is going on in your life, I guess you\'ll remain a false tabloid," the 23-year-old wrote. Stories about the state of her marriage to Kevin Federline and rumours about a pregnancy have recently appeared. But the chart-topping singer\'s letter did not shed any further light on those stories. In February, Spears clashed with Us Weekly for publishing pictures of her honeymoon in Fiji without permission. The couple, who married in Los Angeles last September, claimed staff took photographs of them which were later sold. They said they allowed the pictures to be taken after they were assured they would only be used for a private scrapbook, which they later received as a souvenir. Us magazine was unrepentant about their decision to publish, saying: "Britney should start her own magazine if she\'d like to dictate her own coverage." "Coming from a celebrity who sold pictures of both her wedding and her stepdaughter, it\'s unlikely the issue here is privacy," they added. Spears claimed that other magazines were approached with the pictures but chose to contact her instead. ', 'UK', 'Casino Royale is next Bond movie Casino Royale, author Ian Fleming\'s first James Bond book, is to be the next Bond film, with Goldeneye director Martin Campbell behind the camera. It will be the 21st James Bond film to hit the big screen, and speculation has been rife over who will play the lead. Casino Royale was turned into a spoof spy movie by John Huston in 1967, with David Niven in the lead role. Pierce Brosnan led the past four Bond films but said producers axed him after offering him the chance to return. Among the favourites to take over the coveted role are Scottish actor Dougray Scott, Oscar nominee Clive Owen and Australian star Hugh Jackman. Producers say no decision has yet been made on who will become the seventh actor, including Niven, to play Bond on film. Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino had talked of wanting to take on the Casino Royale project, and said he had spoken to Brosnan about it. Shooting on Casino Royale is expected to begin once Campbell has finished work on The Legend of Zorro, a sequel to The Mask of Zorro, starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Antonio Banderas. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson expect the film to be released in 2006. The script will once again be developed by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade who have both worked on two previous Bond movies. Fleming\'s book saw the introduction of Bond pitted against a Russian spy in a game of baccarat. Simultaneously, a woman arrives on the scene to take his eye off the game. The novel is one of Fleming\'s most violent and sadistic stories, with 007 suffering a savage beating from his nemesis Le Chiffre. In addition to the 1967 film, it was also adapted for television in 1954 with actor Barry Nelson as an Americanised "Jimmy" Bond. MGM Vice Chairman Chris McGurk said: "Martin (Campbell) is an incredibly exciting film-maker. Goldeneye was a wonderful movie and helped reinvigorate the Bond franchise. We\'re thrilled to have him back to direct the newest Bond." New Zealand-born Campbell moved to the UK in 1966 and directed TV series such as The Professionals, Minder and Bergerac. His film credits include Edge of Darkness, Vertical Limit and Beyond Borders, which starred Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen. ', 'India', 'India to deport Bollywood actress India has ordered the deportation of Iranian-born model and actress Negar Khan to Norway after saying she was working illegally on her visa. Khan has had raunchy roles in music videos and Bollywood films over the past two years. The distressed actress told media she was being driven straight to the airport after a routine appointment at the Bombay immigration office. Immigration officials said she had been warned about her visa last year. Khan told an Indian news channel on her mobile phone: "They are not even letting me go home to get my bags. I have no clothes or money on me. "They did not give me any notice. I don\'t know why they are taking me away like this. There is nothing wrong with my visa. It says I work here... They are not allowing me to even call a lawyer." Bipin Bihari, deputy police chief in Bombay, said Khan was being sent back to Norway, from which she holds a passport, on the first available flight. "She was on a visitor\'s visa but she has engaged in several commercial ventures," he said. "We issued notices last year, in view of which she had gone back to Norway, but she has returned again this year to work." One of Khan\'s biggest successes was the steamy Hindi song Chadti Jawani (Rising Youth). Khan was involved in controversy when topless photos alleged to be of her appeared in a Norwegian magazine. ', 'US', "Ray DVD beats box office takings Oscar-nominated film biopic Ray has surpassed its US box office takings with a combined tally of $80m (£43m) from DVD and video sales and rentals. Ray's success on DVD outstripped its $74m (£40m) US box office total, earning more than $40m (£22m) on the first day of the DVD's release alone. Ray has been nominated in six Oscar categories including best film and best actor for Jamie Foxx. The film recounts the life of blues singer Ray Charles, who died in 2004. In its first week on home entertainment release the film was the number one selling DVD, with the limited edition version coming in at number 11. Sony horror film The Grudge, starring Michelle Gellar, was the US' second best-selling DVD, with Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere's romantic comedy Shall We Dance? at number three. Foxx's critically acclaimed performance as Ray has already earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor, as well as a prestigious Golden Globe. Ray director Taylor Hackford, responsible for the classic 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, has also received an Oscar nomination in the best director category. The film's three other Oscar nominations are for costume, film editing and sound mixing. ", 'UK', 'Women in film \'are earning less\' Women in the UK film industry earn less than their male counterparts despite being better qualified, according to a study released on Wednesday. Only 16% of women earn more than £50,000, compared with 30% of men. Women make up a third of the workforce. The research was carried out jointly by the UK Film Council and industry training body Skillset. It also found that women in the industry were less likely than men to be married or have dependant children. The study, which claims to be the most in-depth so far conducted, found 60% of women in the film industry hold degrees, compared with 39% of men. Whilst 17% of men in the industry had no qualifications, this was true for only five per cent of women. In the lower salary bracket, 35% of women earn less than £20,000 a year, compared to only 18% of men. The research found very few women worked in the camera, sound, electrical and construction departments, but they made up a majority of those working in make-up and hairdressing. UK Film Council chief executive John Woodward said: "Whilst the UK has benefited hugely from its highly-qualified film production workforce there are still many barriers facing people who want to get in and stay in the industry." "Developing the film production workforce must be underpinned with a commitment to diversity as well as training." The workforce is largely focused around London, with 78% in the industry based in the capital and the south east of England. The industry depends heavily on word of mouth, with 81% being recruited in that way. In total, only five percent of the workforce is made up of ethnic minorities, although in London the figure rises to 24%. The necessity of completing unpaid work experience to get into the workforce has also shot up, from 5% before the 1980s, to 45% after 2000. ', 'UK', 'Stars shine on Bafta red carpet Hollywood stars brought a touch of glamour to London on Saturday for the biggest night in the British film calendar. Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio and Richard Gere were just some of the actors who attended the 2005 Bafta film awards. They emerged from limos at Leicester Square to an uncertain British climate that threatened rain one moment and promised late winter sunshine the next. But the gods were certainly shining on the thousands of film fans who lined the red carpet to meet their idols. Screaming built up into a crescendo as more and more big name stars appeared. The biggest cheer of the night was reserved for The Aviator star Leonardo DiCaprio, who paused in the chilly February air to sign autographs for the throngs. He said the ear-piercing welcome was "unlike anything I\'ve ever encountered. It\'s very intense and very loud." Best actress winner Imelda Staunton, who wore a green chiffon dress that sparkled with sequins and beads, told the BBC News website that Vera Drake was the highlight of her career. Her role as a backstreet abortionist in the gritty low-budget film has already led to a clutch of awards and an Oscar nomination. She said: "Never in a million years did I think this was going to happen. "Being here and just being nominated is great, but I hope it means more people will go and see the film as well." Rooting for Staunton in the best actress category was Cate Blanchett, herself nominated for her supporting role as Hollywood icon Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator. Shivering in a floor-length shimmering Armani dress, the Australian-born actress stopped to sign autographs and joked: "It\'s tight but I love it." Glamour was also brought to the evening by actress Sienna Miller, supermodel Claudia Schiffer - who was supporting her director husband Matthew Vaughn - Troy actress Diane Kruger and star of the TV programme The OC, Micha Barton. Wearing a caramel-coloured floaty frock by the designer Alexander McQueen, Miller told reporters the red carpet experience was "intense, nerve-wracking and cold". The younger stars of British film were also represented in the shape of Emma Watson, who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter films. The 14-year-old said she was hoping to meet DiCaprio and Keanu Reeves but joked that "they are probably a little too old for me". Actor Christian Slater, who is currently starring in One Flew Over The Cuckoo\'s Nest in London\'s West End, was greeted by cries of "Christian, Christian" by the ever vocal crowd. Keanu Reeves, who presented the best actress award, said being on the red carpet was an "exciting" part of his job. "It is always surreal and when it is nice, it is nice," he said. Martin Scorsese, whose movie The Aviator went on to win best film, said being honoured in the UK meant a lot to him. He said: "I am a great admirer of British cinema since the 1930s and 40s, up until now. "They give me a new energy when I see the best coming out of England and every two or three years is a whole new cycle of tough and young film-makers, and even the older ones are making good films. "To recognise me in this way is a great honour." British actor Clive Owen, who has won a Golden Globe and a Bafta for his supporting role in Closer, said it "meant a lot" to be at the ceremony. He said: "Just to be here really, at the Baftas. The bottom line is it is a celebration of British films." ', 'UK', 'Bafta to hand out movie honours Movie stars from across the globe are attending this year\'s Bafta film award ceremony. British stars Imelda Staunton and Clive Owen are hoping for awards at the Odeon in London\'s Leicester Square. Hollywood stars Leonardo diCaprio, Pierce Brosnan, Christian Slater and Richard Gere are also in the audience for the biggest night in UK film. Hollywood blockbuster The Aviator, starring DiCaprio, leads the field with 14 nominations, including best movie. It is up against Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland, The Motorcycle Diaries and British film Vera Drake, which has 11 nominations. Staunton is one of the favourites to land the best actress award for her gritty role as a backstreet abortionist in the small-budget film. She arrived at the ceremony wearing a green silk and chiffon low cut evening dress decorated with beads. "It\'s lovely to be here at home, to be on British soil. It\'s very nice indeed," she told reporters. Asked whether she was nervous about her best actress nomination she said: "It\'s out of my hands, there\'s nothing I can do. I\'m here with a lot of mates and we\'re going to have a very nice evening." Other nominees in the best actress category include Charlize Theron for Monster, Ziyi Zhang for House of Flying Daggers and UK star Kate Winslet, who has two nods for her roles in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Finding Neverland. DiCaprio faces competition from Bernal, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp in the best actor category. The crowed screamed when he arrived on the red carpet."It\'s unlike anything I\'ve ever encountered. It\'s very intense and very loud," he told the BBC. "It\'s the first time I\'ve come to the Baftas because it\'s the first time I\'ve been nominated...I\'ve appreciated British cinema for a long time and to be recognised like this is a special honour." Gere, who is presenting the best film award, said: "It\'s a big party, I had no idea it was going to be this big. It\'s crazy, I think it\'s bigger than the Academy Awards." British actor Owen is hoping to repeat his Golden Globe success with a best supporting actor award for his role in Closer. He raised one of the biggest cheers of the night when he walked down the red carpet. "I was always a huge fan of Closer as a play, so when I got the call to appear in the film, it was a huge thrill for me," he said. "The whole experience has been a treat and I\'m very fortunate to have been given the role." His co-star Natalie Portman is up against Blanchett, Heather Craney, Julie Cristie and Meryl Streep in the best supporting actress category. Mike Leigh is up for the best director award for Vera Drake, alongside Martin Scorsese for The Aviator, Michael Mann for Collateral, Michel Gondry for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Marc Forster for Finding Neverland. The Orange British Academy Film Awards will be shown on BBC One at 2010 GMT. ', 'US', 'Stars pay tribute to actor Davis Hollywood stars including Spike Lee, Burt Reynolds and Oscar nominee Alan Alda have paid tribute to actor Ossie Davis at a funeral in New York. Veteran star Ossie Davis, a well-known civil rights activist, died in Miami at the age of 87 on 4 February 2005. Friends and family, including actress Ruby Dee his wife of 56 years, gathered at the Riverside Church on Saturday. Also present at the service was former US president Bill Clinton and singer Harry Belafonte, who gave the eulogy. "He would have been a very good president of the United States," said Mr Clinton. "Like most of you here, he gave more to me than I gave to him." The 87-year-old was found dead last weekend in his hotel room in Florida, where he was making a film. Police said that he appeared to have died of natural causes. Davis made his acting debut in 1950 in No Way Out starring Sidney Poiter. He frequently collaborated with director Spike Lee, starring in seven Lee films including Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of activist Malcolm X, recalled the famous eulogy delivered by Davis at her father\'s funeral. "Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes," she said, quoting the man she knew as Uncle Ossie. "Ditto." "Ossie was my hero, and he still is," said Aviator star Alan Alda, a family friend for over forty years. "Ossie was a thing of beauty." "I want so badly someday to have his dignity - a little of it anyway," added Burt Reynolds, Davis\'s co-star in the 90s TV comedy Evening Shade. Before the midday funeral, scores of Harlem residents formed a queue outside the church to pay their respects to Davis. "It is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom, his humour, his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought," said Belafonte, himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with Davis for over 60 years. "But how fortunate we were to have him as long as we did." ', 'UK', 'Lopez misses UK charity premiere Jennifer Lopez cancelled an appearance at the UK charity premiere of her new movie saying she was too ill to fly. The actress and singer dropped out at the last minute and has now cancelled all European promotion of the film Shall We Dance? and her new album. She said: "I very much wanted to be in London but unfortunately I\'m not well. At the advice of my doctors I\'m unable to travel." Co-star Richard Gere attended the event held in aid of the tsunami appeal. Thousands braved the cold weather to see the stars in London\'s Leicester Square. The red carpet boasted waltzing dancers in honour of the film\'s ballroom dancing theme. The film\'s director Peter Chelsom said he was disappointed that Lopez did not attend. "It\'s a shame. I know it\'s true that she\'s not well because she has also cancelled her promotional tour. I\'ve heard she has swollen glands." Gere, 55, greeted the crowd and signed autographs, accompanied by his wife Carey Lowell. Other stars who turned out on the night included Honor Blackman, Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly and actress Anita Dobson. Lopez issues a statement apologising for her absence. "I\'m so proud of Shall We Dance and was looking forward to visiting London," she said. "This film was a labour of love for me, and I want to thank everyone involved in bringing it to you, from the cast, to the film director, to the crew." Lopez appeared at the Grammy awards on Sunday, singing a duet with her third husband Marc Anthony. ', 'UK', 'Super Size Me wins writers\' award Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock has won the Writers Guild of America\'s award for documentary feature writing. The Oscar-nominated film followed Spurlock as he ate only McDonald\'s fast food for an entire month. Spurlock was given the award at a special ceremony at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood on Tuesday. Organisers said the rising popularity of documentary films led them to honour a writer for a documentary screenplay for the first time. Producer Brian Grazer presented the award to Spurlock and the film\'s backers, Roadside Attractions, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Showtime Independent Films. Spurlock set out to discover the effect of living on nothing but McDonald\'s for a month, upgrading to supersize portions when offered. The film followed his 25lb weight gain and the health effects on his body, including his liver and cholesterol levels. McDonald\'s announced it was to scrap its "supersized" meals last year, but denied the move was as a result of the negative publicity created by Spurlock\'s film. Spurlock was given his award on the same day the European Court of Human Rights ruled that two UK activists should have been given legal aid in their long fight against a McDonald\'s libel action. Helen Steel and David Morris, from north London, dubbed the "McLibel Two", were found guilty in a 1990s trial of libelling the company in a leaflet they had been handing out At the end of the case the High Court in London ruled McDonald\'s had been libelled and awarded the company £60,000 in damages, later reduced to £40,000 on appeal. But he found the leaflet was true in some aspects. ', 'US', 'Hitch holds on to US box office Will Smith\'s first romantic comedy, Hitch, has topped the North American box office for a second weekend. Smith plays a New York "date doctor" with love worries of his own in the movie, which took $31.8m (£16.8m). It held off a strong challenge from the new Keanu Reeves sci-fi thriller Constantine which opened at number two with $30.5m (£16.1m) Constantine, based on the Hellblazer comics, stars Reeves as an exorcist who must send Satan\'s minions back to hell. Two family films came next in the chart, with Wayne Wang\'s comedy Because of Winn-Dixie, about a young girl and an abandoned dog, in third position with $10.85m (£5.73m). Comedy adventure Son of the Mask, came in at number four with $7.7m (£4.1m), just ahead of Oscar favourite Million Dollar Baby at five. Smith\'s comedy will be the first US movie released this year to top the $100m (£52.7m) mark. It\'s success continues a strong trend of Hollwood movie-going this year with figures for the popular President\'s Day weekend 13% greater than last year. Oscar contenders The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and wine-tasting comedy Sideways, both held onto positions in the top 10. ', 'US', 'Tarantino to direct CSI episode Film director Quentin Tarantino is to direct an episode of US television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction director has also written an original story for the season finale episode. CSI\'s co-producer, Carol Mendelsohn, said the episode would have "more bugs and blood" than usual. It is not Tarantino\'s first venture into TV. In 1995 he directed an episode of the medical drama ER and has also appeared in Alias. Ms Mendelsohn said the production team had been trying for a while to get Tarantino to direct an episode of CSI, and added that he was a fan of the forensic drama. She said he finally agreed a few weeks ago while CSI was doing some location shooting in Las Vegas and the show\'s stars persuaded him. "He knows everything there is to know about CSI, and he is into the whole mythology of CSI," Mendelsohn said. "Quentin came in a couple of weeks ago. We had a story meeting with the writers. "He had a great idea, and it was so much fun to have him in the room... we are positively giddy." Filming is due to start in early April and the Tarantino-directed episode will be broadcast in the US on 19 May. ', 'UK', 'Bollywood DVD fraudster is jailed A major distributor of pirated DVDs of Bollywood films has been sent to prison for three years. Jayanti Amarishi Buhecha from Cambridge was found guilty of two trademark offences last month, and sentenced at Harrow Crown Court, London, on Tuesday. Buhecha, who made £26,000 per month from his illegal trade, was called "one of the biggest Bollywood pirates in the UK" by the sentencing judge. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) worked for two years on the case. An operation was launched against Buhecha in 2002 after complaints were received about his activities. The judge in the case, which lasted seven days, said that "a heavy penalty was called for because of the enormous damage Buhecha caused to legitimate business". Fake DVDs were manufactured in Pakistan and Malaysia and sold on wholesale to shops by Buhecha, who traded in conterfeit DVDs in 2002 and 2003. In December 2002, he was stopped in his car by trading standards officers, who uncovered 1,000 pirated DVDs and faked inlay cards printed with registered trademarks. Despite being arrested and bailed, Buhecha was caught a second time at the end of 2003. His home and a lock-up in Cambridge were found to contain 18,000 counterfeit DVDs and further faked inlay cards. Buhecha was previously a legitimate distributor of Bollywood films, but was suspended and sued by his employers for dealing in illegal copies of Bollywood classic Mohabbatein. Legitimate Bollywood film distributors have hailed the conviction as "a major boost". Bollywood music and film suffers piracy at the rate of 40%, which is more than that suffered by mainstream productions. The BPI welcomed the news of the prison sentence, but warned there are plenty of other active counterfeiters of Bollywood films. The organisation\'s anti-piracy director David Martin said: "The problem simply will not disappear with Buhecha. Others and more will take his place, so it\'s vital that keep up our efforts in this field." ', 'UK', 'Critics back Aviator for Oscars Martin Scorsese\'s The Aviator will win best film at the Oscars, according to the UK\'s leading movie critics. But several of those surveyed by the BBC News website think the veteran film-maker will lose the best director prize to Clint Eastwood. Most of the critics tipped Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank to scoop best actor and actress for Ray and Million Dollar Baby respectively. The jury comprised experts and critics from the top UK film publications. The panel also revealed which nominees they would personally prefer to win. All expect The Aviator to win best film, but many think it will be a close race between Scorsese\'s Howard Hughes biopic and Eastwood\'s boxing drama Million Dollar Baby. The other films nominated are wine comedy Sideways, factual drama Finding Neverland, and Ray Charles biopic Ray. "I\'m pretty sure this is the year of The Aviator, though my own choice would be Sideways," said the Observer\'s Philip French. "Sideways should win but it doesn\'t have a hope," said Jamie Graham of Total Film, a position shared by Film 2005 presenter Jonathan Ross. "The form going in to the Oscars points to The Aviator, but I liked Million Dollar Baby more," said Tim Dams, news editor of trade weekly Screen International. Five of the eight critics tipped Scorsese to win best director, with Mr Dams, Heat\'s Charles Gant and Empire\'s Angie Errigo plumping for Eastwood. Sideway\'s Alexander Payne, Ray\'s Taylor Hackford and British director Mike Leigh - nominated for period drama Vera Drake - are considered outsiders in this category. "Up until recently I could have sworn Scorsese would get it just for being Scorsese," Ms Errigo told the BBC News website. "But I\'m beginning to think Eastwood will get it." "I\'d be very happy for Mike Leigh to win, but I don\'t think he has any chance," said Charles Gant, film editor of Heat. Foxx\'s portrayal of Ray Charles has already seen him win prizes at the Golden Globes, Baftas and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Mr Dams said this made him "out-and-out favourite" to be named best actor on Oscar night. "Everyone would be incredibly surprised if he didn\'t win," he said. "If you\'re a betting man, he\'s as close as you get to a certainty." "If Paul Giamatti was nominated for Sideways it would be a different game," says Total Film\'s Jamie Graham. "But Foxx will and should win." With Vera Drake star Imelda Staunton nominated for best actress alongside Kate Winslet, Britain has a good chance of victory - on paper. Jonathan Ross, for one, will be very happy if Winslet wins for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But while Wendy Ide of The Times still thinks Staunton has a chance, Heat\'s Charles Gant believes her Bafta win will cut little ice with Academy voters. "I\'d like Staunton to win, but her chances are not that great," said Mr Gant, who predicted a second Oscar for Hilary Swank. "I think Swank will win," said Mr French. "Imelda has got as far as she\'s going to get playing that role." Staunton is also the personal choice of Steven Gaydos, executive editor of industry magazine Variety. But while he tipped Swank to win, he predicted it would be a close contest. "Everything has the ability to flip by one vote and go the other way," he told the BBC News website. "There\'s not a sense that it\'s obvious how it\'s going to go." Meanwhile, thousands of people have voted in a BBC Radio Five Live poll to find the best film never to have won a best picture Oscar. The audience voted overwhelmingly for The Shawshank Redemption, the 1994 Frank Darabont tale of hope and humanity, which received 52% of the online votes and 68% of the text messages. The other two finalists, Citizen Kane and A Matter of Life and Death split the remaining votes roughly equally. This year\'s Academy Awards will be shown in the UK by Sky Movies 1 at 0130 GMT on Monday. - Tim Dams, Screen International: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Angie Errigo, Empire: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Philip French, The Observer: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Charles Gant, Heat: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Steven Gaydos, Variety: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Jamie Graham, Total Film: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Wendy Ide, The Times: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton. - Jonathan Ross, Film 2005: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Tim Dams, Screen International: Film - Million Dollar Baby; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Angie Errigo, Empire: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Philip French, The Observer: Film - Sideways; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton. - Charles Gant, Heat: Film - Sideways; director - Mike Leigh; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton. - Steven Gaydos, Variety: Film - Million Dollar Baby; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Don Cheadle; actress - Imelda Staunton. - Jamie Graham, Total Film: Film - Sideways; director - Alexander Payne; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank. - Wendy Ide, The Times: Film - Sideways; director - Alexander Payne; actor - Don Cheadle; actress - Imelda Staunton. - Jonathan Ross, Film 2005: Film - Sideways; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Kate Winslet. ', 'UK', 'Arnold congratulated on Oscar win Oscar-winner Andrea Arnold has been congratulated by the UK Film Council, the organisation which partly funded her project. Arnold\'s film Wasp won the best live action short film award on Sunday. "The UK Film Council spends millions of pounds of lottery investment on short filmmaking in Britain every year," said chief executive officer John Woodward. "It certainly pays off when you see new film-makers winning such prestigious awards," he added. Wasp, which was commissioned by the Film Council and Channel 4, beat films by fellow UK nominees Gary McKendry and Ashvin Kumar to the prize. It stars actress Nathalie Press, who appeared in the Bafta-winning drama My Summer Of Love, as a single mother who is forced to take drastic action when she is invited on a date and is unable to find a babysitter to look after her four daughters. The film has already won over 30 other international awards including the Sundance Short Film Prize. Arnold, from Dartford in Kent, described her victory as "truly overwhelming. I\'m really not used to this kind of thing," she said, after receiving her Oscar from actor Jeremy Irons. "Thanks to everyone who worked on this - the beers are on me when we get home." The director was one of only two British winners on the night, the other being Sandy Powell, who won the costume design Oscar for her work on The Aviator. ', 'UK', 'British stars denied major Oscars British hopes of winning major Oscars were dashed as UK stars failed to win acting and directing prizes. Despite three nominations, Mike Leigh\'s Vera Drake failed to take the director or screenplay awards and there was no prize for star Imelda Staunton. Kate Winslet also lost to best actress Hilary Swank, while Clive Owen and Sophie Okonedo failed to win best supporting actor awards. The UK\'s Andrea Arnold won the short film award for her gritty drama Wasp. Arnold, who presented children\'s television shows Number 73 and Motormouth in the 1980s, said it was "totally overwhelming" to win. Wasp tells the story of a single mother living on the breadline, beating films by fellow UK nominees Gary McKendry and Ashvin Kumar. "Everyone worked extremely hard - they know who they are," Arnold said as she accepted the prize. "The beers are on me when we get home." Earlier British costume designer Sandy Powell won the Oscar for The Aviator, beating Finding Neverland\'s UK designer Alexandra Byrne in the process. "I\'m very thrilled for the film and all the people who worked with me," said Ms Powell. "Hopefully I\'ll be staying up to celebrate - I\'ve been sick for three days and want to make it through the night." The British visual effects team behind Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were less fortunate, however, losing the Oscar in that category to Spider-Man 2. Before Sunday\'s ceremony Owen was bookmakers\' favourite for his role in romantic drama Closer that had already clinched him a Golden Globe award. It was the first time actress Okonedo had been shortlisted, chosen for her performance in Hotel Rwanda about the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It was also a debut nomination for Staunton, 49, who played abortionist Vera Drake in Mike Leigh\'s film. Leigh had previously received three Oscar nominations for Secrets and Lies and Topsy Turvy. Winslet said she was "ecstatic" about the fourth Oscar nomination of her career, this time for her lead role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Among other British talent nominated for Oscars, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Charles Hart were nominated for best original song for Learn To Be Lonely, from The Phantom of the Opera movie. That award was won by Al Otro Lado Del Rio from The Motorcycle Diaries. Cinematographer John Mathieson, who was nominated for Gladiator in 2001, was also up for The Phantom of the Opera but lost to The Aviator. Finding Neverland garnered another nomination for British talent, with Gemma Jackson shortlisted for the art direction prize. She lost in that category to The Aviator. A spokesman for the UK Film Council said: "It is disappointing not to have more British winners." He added: "It was extraordinary to have 24 British nominees in the initial list of nominees." ', 'UK', "UK Directors Guild nominees named Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood are among the nominees for the top prize at the Directors Guild of Great Britain awards, now in their second year. The Oscar rivals will compete for the international film prize at the ceremony, to be held at the Curzon Mayfair cinema in London on 20 March. Other nominees include Bill Condon for Kinsey and Michel Gondry for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Mike Leigh's Vera Drake is among the nominees for best British film. The awards will see Eastwood and Scorsese once again competing for the directing prize, following last weekend's Oscars. Clint Eastwood won best director for Million Dollar Baby, beating Scorsese who was nominated for a fifth time for the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. Mike Leigh will compete for the British film prize with Shane Meadows for Dead Man's Shoes, Roger Michell For Enduring Love and My Summer Of Love director Pawel Pawlikowski. Nominees for best foreign film include Spain's Pedro Almodovar for Bad Education and Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai for 2046. In the TV categories, comedy series Early Doors and The Alan Clark Diaries will compete for the best directing award for a 30-minute television show, while the directors of Shameless, Hustle and Bodies are all nominated for the 60-minute television prize. The directors of Omagh and Sex Traffic are among the nominees for a television movie or mini-series. American Beauty's Sam Mendes will receive a lifetime achievement award for his work in film and theatre, while theatre director Simon McBurney will be given an award for outstanding directorial achievement. ", 'US', "Tarantino 'to make Friday sequel' Director Quentin Tarantino is in talks to write and direct a new instalment in the Friday the 13th horror franchise, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film-maker will reportedly meet executives from New Line Cinema this week to discuss the 12th film in the long-running 'stalk and slash' series. The original film, released in 1980, has spawned ten sequels based around mask-wearing murderer Jason Voorhees. The most recent, Freddy Vs Jason, was released in summer 2003. That film saw Jason battle Freddy Krueger, star of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. According to the industry newspaper, New Line had been trying to make another sequel involving Ash, the hero of the Evil Dead movies, but was unable to agree terms with director Sam Raimi. Tarantino is said to be intrigued by the prospect of building a new film around one of the horror genre's most recognised figures. First, however, he is scheduled to direct the season finale of US television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Filming is due to start in early April. Tarantino's episode, for which he also wrote the original story, will be broadcast in the US on 19 May. "]
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['UK', 'Fox attacks Blair\'s Tory \'lies\' Tony Blair lied when he took the UK to war so has no qualms about lying in the election campaign, say the Tories. Tory co-chairman Liam Fox was speaking after Mr Blair told Labour members the Tories offered a "hard right agenda". Dr Fox told BBC Radio: "If you are willing to lie about the reasons for going to war, I guess you are going to lie about anything at all." He would not discuss reports the party repaid £500,000 to Lord Ashcroft after he predicted an election defeat. The prime minister ratcheted up Labour\'s pre-election campaigning at the weekend with a helicopter tour of the country and his speech at the party\'s spring conference. He insisted he did not know the poll date, but it is widely expected to be 5 May. In what was seen as a highly personal speech in Gateshead on Sunday, Mr Blair said: "I have the same passion and hunger as when I first walked through the door of 10 Downing Street." He described his relationship with the public as starting euphoric, then struggling to live up to the expectations, and reaching the point of raised voices and "throwing crockery". He warned his supporters against complacency, saying: "It\'s a fight for the future of our country, it\'s a fight that for Britain and the people of Britain we have to win." Mr Blair said that whether the public chose Michael Howard or Mr Kennedy, it would result in "a Tory government not a Labour government and a country that goes back and does not move forward". Dr Fox accused Mr Blair and other Cabinet ministers of telling lies about their opponents\' policies and then attacking the lies. "What we learned at the weekend is what Labour tactics are going to be and it\'s going to be fear and smear," he told BBC News. The Tory co-chairman attacked Labour\'s six new pledges as "vacuous" and said Mr Blair was very worried voters would take revenge for his failure to deliver. Dr Fox refused to discuss weekend newspaper reports that the party had repaid £500,000 to former Tory Treasurer Lord Ashcroft after he said the party could not win the election. "We repay loans when they are due but do not comment to individual financial matters," he said, insisting he enjoyed a "warm and constructive" relationship to Lord Ashcroft. Meanwhile Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy is expected to attack Mr Blair\'s words as he begins a nationwide tour on Monday. Mr Kennedy is accelerating Lib Dem election preparations this week as he visits Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Somerset, Basingstoke, Shrewsbury, Dorset and Torbay. He said: "This is three-party politics. In the northern cities, the contest is between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. "In southern and rural seats - especially in the South West - the principal contenders are the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, who are out of the running in Scotland and Wales." The Lib Dems accuse Mr Blair of making a "touchy-feely" speech to Labour delegates which will not help him regain public trust. ', 'UK', 'Crucial decision on super-casinos A decision on whether to allow Westminster to legislate on super-casinos is set to be made by the Scottish Parliament. The government has plans for up to eight Las Vegas style resorts in the UK, one of which is likely to be in Glasgow. Scottish ministers insist they will still have the final say on whether a super-casino will be built in Scotland. But opposition parties say that will not happen in practice. The vote is due to be taken on Wednesday and is expected to be close. The Scottish Executive believes that the legislation should be handled by Westminster. The new law will control internet gambling for the first time and is aimed at preventing children from becoming involved. A super-casino in Glasgow could be located at Ibrox or the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. The new gambling bill going through Westminster will allow casino complexes to open to the public, have live entertainment and large numbers of fruit machines with unlimited prizes. But the Scottish National Party and the Tories say the issue of super-casinos should be decided in Scotland and believe the executive is shirking its responsibility. ', 'UK', 'PM apology over jailings Tony Blair has apologised to two families who suffered one of the UK\'s biggest miscarriages of justice. The prime minister was commenting on the wrongful jailing of 11 people for IRA bomb attacks on pubs in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974. Mr Blair said: "I am very sorry that they were subject to such an ordeal and injustice." He made the apology to members of the Conlon and Maguire families in his private room at Westminster. In a statement recorded for television, Mr Blair said the families deserved "to be completely and publicly exonerated". The families had hoped the apology would be made during Prime Minister\'s Questions in the House of Commons. However, one of the so-called Guildford Four, Gerry Conlon - who was wrongly convicted of planting the bombs - said the families were delighted with the apology. He said Mr Blair had spoken with "such sincerity", adding: "He went beyond what we thought he would, he took time to listen to everyone. "You could see he was moved by what people were saying. "Tony Blair has healed rifts, he is helping to heal wounds. It\'s a day I never thought would come." The move followed a huge campaign in Ireland for a public apology after eleven people were wrongly convicted of making and planting the IRA bombs which killed seven people. Mr Blair\'s official spokesman said no-one present at the meeting would "ever forget the strength of feeling of relief that the prime minister\'s statement brought to them". Most of those convicted were either members or friends of the two families. All were arrested because of a family connection to Gerry Conlon. Mr Conlon\'s father Giuseppe was arrested when travelling to London from Belfast to help his son. He died while serving his sentence. Also arrested were Anne Maguire and members of her family. Mrs Maguire was the relative with whom Giuseppe planned to stay in London, as well as two family friends. She said it was a "wonderful feeling" to have had the apology and that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "The people who were still doubting us should now believe that we were totally innocent," she said. They were all jailed for handling explosives, based on scientific evidence which was later entirely discredited. In October 1989 the Court of Appeal quashed the sentences of the Guildford Four, and in June 1991 it overturned the sentences on the Maguire Seven. Mr Conlon\'s case was highlighted in the Oscar-nominated film In The Name Of The Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. ', 'UK', 'Howard rebuts asylum criticisms Tory leader Michael Howard has gone on the offensive in response to people questioning how a son of immigrants can propose asylum quotas. Mr Howard, whose parents fled the Nazi threat to come to the UK, says the claim would mean no-one from an immigrant family could become premier. His comments come in a BBC documentary called \'No More Mr Nasty\'. TV presenter Anne Robinson said as home secretary he gave the impression he would "like to kick your cat". Ms Robinson, a friend of the Tory leader, also revealed that as a Cambridge student Mr Howard was "much loved by women and he was a courteous and kind and rather dashing lover" - although she denied having personal experience. "I wasn\'t at Cambridge - and it\'s not personal experience - but I know people who were." Documentary maker Michael Cockerell was given behind-the-scenes access to Mr Howard for his film portrait. The Tory leader was asked about to respond to people who said that if there had there been a quota on immigration and asylum in the 1930s, his parents might not have been allowed into the country. He replies: "What is the inference of that? "That if you reach the view that you need to control immigration in the interests of the country you\'re not allowed to put a view forward if you happen to be descended from immigrants? "That seems to me an absolutely extraordinary proposition? It would certainly mean no one from immigrant parents could be prime minister." Ms Robinson, who presents The Weakest Link tells Cockerell that she despaired at his hardline image when he was home secretary in John Major\'s government. "I used to have to sit on my hands because he\'d get on television and give a passable impression of someone who\'d like to kick your cat or would put your baby in prison if he cried. I mean it was very, very Draconian." The film shows Mr Howard laughing at Rory Bremner\'s impression of him as Dracula, which he calls "good fun", apart from the serious falsehood of a comment suggesting he wants fewer black people in the UK. The film shows the private side of the Tory leader watching television at home or playing table tennis with his wife, ex-model Sandra. Asked if she enjoys a game of ping pong she confesses: "Yeah, it would be more enjoyable if I could win occasionally too, but otherwise it\'s quite fun." Former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell, now working on Labour\'s election campaign, says a "touchy-feely" image does not fit Mr Howard. He says Tony Blair was not worried by his opponents\' early performance in their Commons clashes because Mr Howard lacked a "big strategy", including on issues like Iraq. The Tory leader brands such criticisms as "absolutely rubbish", arguing that he has been consistent on his support for the war but critical of Mr Blair\'s failure to tell the truth on intelligence. Former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke says Mr Howard has a bigger problem changing perceptions of the Tory party than his personal image. Mr Clarke says the party is improving and it is "conceivable" it could win the next election. But he adds: "It has got to change itself a bit and broaden its appeal." - Michael Howard: No More Mr Nasty is being shown on BBC2 on Saturday 12 February at 2005 GMT. ', 'UK', 'Straw to attend Auschwitz service Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will visit Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the former Nazi concentration camp\'s liberation, it has been announced. Prince Edward will also join the UK delegation in Poland for National Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January. Between 1.1 and 1.5 million people, mainly Jews, were killed at Auschwitz. The Tories said they were glad Mr Straw had been "shamed" into going, having earlier criticised the decision to send a lower-ranking official. Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Ancram said: "I am glad the foreign secretary has finally been shamed into representing Britain at this important act of commemoration. "Once again this government has shown crass insensitivity until it has been forced by public opinion into doing what it should have done in the first place." In Britain, the Queen and Prince Philip will lead the nation\'s commemoration at a service in Westminster Hall, London. The Queen will also host a reception for holocaust survivors at St James\'s Palace. Altogether, some six million people, mainly Jews, perished in the Holocaust. The Queen\'s grandson, Prince Harry, sparked outrage earlier this week after photographs of him wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party emerged. The prince, 20, apologised, but critics have called for him to go to Auschwitz for the commemoration of the Soviets\' 1945 liberation of the camp. Prince Harry should see for himself "the results of the hated symbol he so foolishly and brazenly chose to wear", Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of Jewish human rights group the Simon Wiesenthal Center said. ', 'UK', 'Blair backs \'pre-election budget\' Tony Blair has backed Chancellor Gordon Brown\'s pre-Budget report amid opposition claims he was too bullish about the state of the UK economy. In a speech in Edinburgh, the prime minister said Thursday\'s report reinforced stability and opportunity. And that would be central to Labour\'s next election campaign, planning for which was already well advanced. Mr Brown earlier denied his economic forecasts were too optimistic - but refused to rule out future tax rises. He told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme: "No politician should make the mistake that John Major and his colleagues made in 1992 of saying no matter what the circumstances are, they can make all sorts of guarantees on every individual thing. "That is not what politicians should do, it would not be responsible to do." Mr Brown insisted his spending plans were "affordable" and he could afford to be optimistic because Britain was now a stable, low-inflation economy and house prices were now stabilising. Mr Blair praised his chancellor for his role in creating economic stability, which he said was the "cornerstone" of Labour\'s programme. In a speech at Edinburgh\'s Napier University, he said Labour would publish over the next few months "a rich agenda for future policy in any possible third term". "In every area of work there is a detailed plan for the future, much clearer than those in 1997 or 2001. All of it fits together around common themes of opportunity, security and stability for all," Mr Blair said. In his pre-Budget report, Mr Brown surprised some City experts by forecasting UK growth at between 3% and 3.5% for next year. Many believe the figure is more likely to be under 3% - and fear tax rises or spending cuts, saying tax receipts have been overestimated. Carl Emmerson, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, told BBC News: "He thinks everything will come out in the wash and it will, in fact, be OK. We\'re not so sure." David Page, of Investec Securities, said: "His forecast that he will meet the golden rule with a margin of £8bn is way too optimistic. "It\'s going to take a significant turnaround in the economy to meet these targets." Conservative Shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said: "I can\'t find a single economic forecaster from the IMF to the Institute of Fiscal Studies who believes anything other than the chancellor has got a black hole in his finances. "In order to deal with that he will have to raise taxes after the next general election." Mr Letwin accused the chancellor of using "fancy statistics" to hide public service failures. Vincent Cable, for the Liberal Democrats, called on Mr Brown to open up the government\'s books to the National Audit Office, to see if he had met his "golden rule". "It is very clear that there are some serious loose ends in government public spending," Mr Cable told MPs. ', 'UK', 'E-University \'disgraceful waste\' A failed government scheme to offer UK university courses online has been branded a "disgraceful waste" by MPs. The e-University was scrapped last year, having attracted only 900 students at a cost of £50m. Chief executive John Beaumont was paid a bonus of £44,914, despite a failure to bring in private sector backers. The Commons education select committee called this "morally indefensible" but the government said the e-University project had "improved understanding". A Department for Education and Skills spokeswoman said the venture had been "ambitious and ground-breaking, but take-up had not been "sufficient to continue with the project". She added: "UK e-Universities was not the only organisation to have lost out on private sector investment in the collapse of the dotcom boom." The select committee found that those responsible for founding the e-University in 2000 had been caught up in the "general atmosphere of enthusiasm" surrounding the internet. Initial business plans forecast a quarter of a million students joining within a decade, bringing in at least £110m in profit. But virtually no market research was carried out and just £4.2m was spent on worldwide sales and marketing of courses. Some £14m went on developing the technology to make the e-University work. This was used by just 200 students, the rest preferring to work through existing university websites. With no significant private investors and no direct accountability to a government minister, the e-University had had "too much freedom to spend public money as it wished", the report found. Committee chairman Barry Sheerman said: "UK e-University was a terrible waste of public money. "The senior executives failed to interest any private investors and showed an extraordinary over-confidence in their ability to attract students to the scheme." The report warns that the government should not be scared off investment in innovative but potentially risky schemes by the failure of the e-University, but "should learn the lessons from this disaster". ', 'UK', 'Protesters plan airport challenge Campaigners against the expansion of Britain\'s airports have begun challenging the government\'s plans in the High Court. BAA\'s expansion of Stansted Airport in Essex by building an extra runway is one of the most fiercely opposed plans. Opponents say the £2bn cost of the new runway could not be met unless cash from Heathrow and Gatwick was used. They said this is illegal under current rules and are trying to block the government from changing legislation. BAA are also owners of the airports at Heathrow and Gatwick. They have said they cannot raise the money needed for the Stansted upgrades from current landing charges. BAA also says it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans. Groups challenging the plans include Stop Stansted Expansion, Heathrow anti-noise campaigners HACAN Clearskies and the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Wandsworth. Their opponents are also likely to complain there was no public consultation before an extra runway was built at Luton Airport, or when it changed take-off and landing procedures at Heathrow. If the group wins, the government\'s future aviation plans outlined in last year\'s transport White Paper could be left in ruins. The campaigners will say the government did not adequately consider the building of new airports, such as one planned for the Isle of Sheppey east of London. Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme: "We are going to the High Court because we want a judge to rule there should be a proper inquiry. "We want a judge to say there has been inadequate preparation, consultation and thought before the government came out with its Green Paper. "Then there could be a proper debate nationally about where this extra capacity should go." He added: "Politicians should not decide where runways should be." The Stansted expansion, apart from the building of the new runway, would also need to include new terminal buildings to deal with the projected 50m passengers who will use it every year. The airport is the hub of many of the no-frills airlines operating in the UK. But BAA has said it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans. At Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, BAA launched a series of consultations on blight to properties from the proposed expansion in September 2004, which will close next week. BAA is also offering to buy noise-hit properties for an index-linked, unblighted price. At Heathrow, BAA said it was working closely with all interested parties to see how the strict environmental, air quality and noise targets for a third runway can be met. At Gatwick, the company has written to homes and business likely to be affected by any extra runway. ', 'US', 'Lords wrong on detainees - Straw Jack Straw has attacked the decision by Britain\'s highest court that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws. The foreign secretary said the right to life was the "most important liberty" and the government had a duty to protect people from terrorism. Law lords were "simply wrong" to imply the men were being held arbitrarily. New Home Secretary Charles Clarke vowed the nine men would remain in prison while the law was being reviewed. The House of Lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by the men - dealing a major blow to the government\'s anti-terror policy. But Mr Straw denied it amounted to a "constitutional crisis". He said those held had a right of appeal to the special immigration appeal tribunal and the decision to hold the suspects was upheld by that court. "The law lords are simply wrong to imply that this is a decision to detain these people on the whim or the certificate of the home secretary," he told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme. The foreign secretary insisted it was for Parliament, and not judges, to decide how best Britain could be defended against the threat of terrorism. But Liberal Democrat peer Lord Carlile, the government\'s independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, said it was possible some of the detainees could now be released. He said the Law Lords\' ruling was an "embarrassment" for the government and major changes were needed to the law. The ruling came on Charles Clarke\'s first day as home secretary following David Blunkett\'s resignation. In a statement to MPs, Mr Clarke said: "I will be asking Parliament to renew this legislation in the New Year. "In the meantime, we will be studying the judgment carefully to see whether it is possible to modify our legislation to address the concerns raised by the House of Lords." The detainees took their case to the House of Lords after the Court of Appeal backed the Home Office\'s powers to hold them without limit or charge. The government opted out of part of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 September attacks in the US. Any foreign national suspected of links with terrorism can be detained or can opt to be deported. But those detained cannot be deported if this would mean persecution in their homeland. On Thursday, Lord Bingham - a senior law lord - said the rules were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights as they allowed detentions "in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status" by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects, but not Britons. Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, in his ruling, said: "Indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law. In a statement, detainee \'A\' in Woodhill Prison said: "I hope now that the government will act upon this decision, scrap this illegal \'law\' and release me and the other internees to return to our families and loved ones." The case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case. Solicitor Gareth Pierce, who represents eight of the detainees, claimed the detention had driven four of the detainees to "madness", saying two were being held in Broadmoor hospital. ', 'Europe', 'Strike threat over pension plans Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders. The Cabinet Office has confirmed it is reviewing the current pension system, prompting unions representing 4.5m workers to threaten united action. They believe the plans include raising the mandatory retirement age for public service workers from 60 to 65. The government says unions will be consulted before any changes are made. It is thought the proposed overhaul, due on Thursday, could mean pensions could be based on a "career average" salary. For each year served, staff currently get one eightieth of their highest salary in the final three years. Ministers will be anxious to avoid mass strike action in the lead-up to the next general election, which is widely expected next May. In a statement on Sunday, the Cabinet Office said it was reviewing the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and hoped to announce proposals soon. "Unions will of course be consulted about any proposed changes. "Public sector pension schemes need to remain affordable and sustainable. People are living longer and pensions are getting more expensive. "To maintain the long-term affordability of our pension scheme, the government announced in its Green Paper on pensions that pension age would rise from 60 to 65." On Monday, Tony Blair\'s official spokesman declined to say whether the prime minister backed the plans. He said: "What\'s important is that there\'s a process going on, it\'s out for consultation at the moment, let\'s wait for that process to complete itself." There is already widespread anger over the chancellor\'s plans to get rid of more than 100,000 civil servants. Now public service unions are united against the plans and the Trades Union Congress is discussing the issue next Monday. Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said changes to pension provisions for workers in the public sector would mean they had to pay in more but would still face a raw deal. "Members working in the NHS or for local government have never had high pay or city bonuses, but they could look forward to a decent pension - now all that is being taken away," he said. "What really riles me is the breathtaking hypocrisy of MPs who recently voted themselves the best pension scheme in Europe, but say they can\'t afford it for anyone else. "This is a position that Unison cannot accept and will oppose. It will lead to conflict between Unison and the government, if not this year then next." Mr Prentis said workers did not want to go on strike and called for talks between unions and the highest level of government. Mark Serwotka, from the Public and Commercial Services union said there should be a co-ordinated one day strike unless there was a government rethink. The Fire Brigades Union said the government was planning to cut ill health retirement benefits for firefighters and other measures to chip away at pensions. Pensions officer Paul Woolstenholmes said: "The pensions of millions of public sector workers are under threat - apart from MPs and judges who have the most generous pensions arrangements in the country." ', 'UK', 'Parties warned over \'grey vote\' Political parties cannot afford to take older UK voters for granted in the coming election, says Age Concern. A survey for the charity suggests 69% of over-55s say they always vote in a general election compared with just 17% of 18 to 24 year olds. Charity boss Gordon Lishman said if a "decisive blow" was struck at the election it would be by older voters who could be relied on to turn out. A total of 3,028 adults aged 18 or over were interviewed for the study. Mr Lishman urged the next government to boost state pension. He also called for measures to combat ageism and build effective public services to "support us all in an ageing society". "Older people want to see manifesto commitments that will make a difference to their lives," Mr Lishman said. "Political parties must wake up to the fact that unless they address the demands and concerns of older people they will not keep or attract their vote." In the survey carried out by ICM Research, 14% of people aged between 18 and 34 said they never voted in general elections. Among the over-65s, 70% said they would be certain to vote in an immediate election, compared with 39% of people under 55. Age Concern says the over-55s are "united around" key areas of policy they want the government to focus on. For 57%, pensions and the NHS were key issues, while the economy was important for a third, and tax was a crucial area for 25%. ', 'UK', 'Blair and Blunkett Sheffield trip Tony Blair is to join Home Secretary David Blunkett in a visit to Sheffield on Thursday. Mr Blunkett\'s conduct is being looked at to establish whether he abused his position in relation to his ex-lover. The Parliamentary standards watchdog is looking at his decision to give Kimberly Quinn free rail tickets. He is also being investigated over the visa application of Mrs Quinn\'s ex-nanny. The visit to Sheffield will be seen as a show of unity by Mr Blair. On Wednesday during Prime Minister\'s Questions, Tory leader Michael Howard went on the offensive over comments Mr Blunkett is alleged to have made in a new biography. He is understood to have made a series of criticisms about his Cabinet colleagues from the prime minister down. Mr Howard said Mr Blunkett had complained he had inherited a "giant mess" when he took over at the Home Office from Jack Straw, now foreign secretary. The Tory leader went on: "He doesn\'t stop there: he thinks the culture secretary\'s weak; he thinks the trade secretary doesn\'t think strategically and he thinks the education secretary hasn\'t developed as expected. "He says the prime minister doesn\'t like being told the truth and the chancellor - no doubt the prime minister will agree with this - is a bully." Mr Blair retorted voters remembered the record of a government and no comments by politicians. The home secretary has already admitted he was wrong to give the two first class tickets, given to him as an MP, to Mrs Quinn and has since paid the £180 back. He has apologised for "a genuine mistake" and says he will write to the watchdog to answer further questions. The rail tickets are meant to help MPs\' spouses get between Westminster and their constituencies. After his inquiry, Parliamentary watchdog Sir Philip Mawer will report to the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, the group of MPs who will recommend to the full House of Commons what action - if any - should be taken against Mr Blunkett. The separate inquiry by ex-senior civil servant Sir Alan Budd is investigating whether the home secretary helped fast-track a bid by Mrs Quinn\'s nanny, Leoncia Casalme, to stay in the UK. Last week, Mr Blunkett won the first round of a High Court battle with Mrs Quinn for access to her son. Mr Blunkett declined to comment about his own position, saying the inquiry was under way and the High Court had stressed his right to privacy did not affect his job in improving security and stability. Downing Street has stressed Mr Blair\'s support for the home secretary. ', 'Europe', 'Scots smoking ban details set out Smoke-free areas will save lives and improve Scotland\'s health, First Minister Jack McConnell has insisted. He told the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday that a "comprehensive ban" on smoking in public places would be introduced by the spring of 2006. Mr McConnell said the country\'s health rates were "lamentable" not least because of smoking. He said fines of up to £2,500 would be levied on employers and licences would be removed for non-compliance. Earlier, the Scottish Executive considered a range of options but agreed unanimously to introduce an all-out ban on smoking in public places. In a statement to parliament, Mr McConnell said that the licensed trade would be asked to join an expert committee prior to the ban coming into force. The health arguments far outweighed lingering public disquiet about a complete ban and claims by the licensed trade that jobs would be lost, he told MSPs. He said there would be an international marketing campaign whereby "tourists can enjoy smoke free environment and the sick man of Europe image becomes a thing of the past". "There are still national habits which hold us back - the time has come for this parliament to accelerate improvements in health," he declared. "Health rates are lamentable because of a lack of exercise, drugs abuse, excessive drinking and over-eating. "They all make us one of the most unhealthy countries in Europe, and too many smoke. "It is clear that Scotland must not be held back by poor public health - the single biggest contribution devolved government can make is to reduce the toll of preventable death caused by smoking." The legislation will be introduced as part of the Health Service (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which will be considered by parliament before Christmas. Main points of the plan: - A comprehensive ban on smoking in all enclosed public places in Scotland - The legislation will be enforced by environmental health and local licensing officers - Licensees or employers who fail to enforce the law will face fines up to a maximum of £2,500 - Licensees who persistently refuse to comply with the law will face the ultimate sanction of losing their liquor licence - A system of issuing fixed penalty notices for those individuals who break the law will be examined - Individuals who persistently break the law will face a maximum fine of £1,000. Mr McConnell claimed there was evidence that smoking bans had helped smokers to either give up quicker or smoke less. He said there had been falling cigarette sales of 13% in New York and 16% in Ireland. Mr McConnell added that there had been a near nine per cent rise in tax revenues from New York bars and restaurants and, in Ireland, only a one point three per cent volume sales fall, where they were declining before the ban. The afternoon announcement, following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, won broad support from opposition parties. The Scottish National Party\'s Holyrood leader, Nicola Sturgeon, welcomed the move but added that the public should be consulted as the clock ticked towards the ban date. She said: "The time has come for a ban on smoking in public places. "There is evidence a ban can cut deaths from passive smoking and makes it easier for the 70% of smokers who desperately want to give up the habit. "But we must also recognise that some people have concerns and reservations - there are people who are yet to be persuaded." The Scottish Conservative Party leader, David McLetchie, questioned what would be exempted from the ban. He was keen to know if inmates in Scottish prisons would continue to be allowed to smoke. Mr McLetchie asked: "Would it not be ironic and perhaps entirely typical of the first minister\'s brave new Scotland that the criminals can be smokers but the smokers will become criminals?" The Scottish Green Party\'s health spokeswoman, Eleanor Scott, said she was pleased Scotland would be following the "success stories of New York and Ireland". She believed the majority of people in Scotland wanted to go out without having to breathe in harmful tobacco smoke. ', 'UK', 'Muslims discuss election concerns Issues that Muslims should be considering before voting in the next general election are to be debated by UK community representatives. The event is being held by the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), which believes Muslim voters could influence the result in up to 50 constituencies. Last year MAB, which opposed the war in Iraq, urged Muslims not to vote for Labour in the European elections. But a spokesman stressed the meeting was "not necessarily anti-Labour". "This meeting is not anti-party in particular, it\'s anti-policy, it\'s on the issues we are going to ask Muslims to vote on," MAB spokesman Dr Azzam Tamimi said of Tuesday\'s event. "There are issues of concern to Muslims, and Muslims generally agree on them but have not in the past been aware of how a vote can serve these issues." Dr Tamimi said the main issues Muslims should consider were what he referred to as the war on Iraq, the Palestinian situation, the erosion of civil liberties for Muslims in the UK and economic, social and education problems. Approximately 1.1m of the UK\'s 1.6m Muslims are of voting age. Previous election research has shown the overwhelming majority have traditionally voted Labour, but more recent studies have suggested Labour support has been falling away significantly among some Muslim voters. Anger over the war in Iraq has appeared to be the main reason, with many saying it was "unjustified". Representatives from a number of Muslim organisations will attend Tuesday\'s event. Among them will be the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). The chairman of the MCB\'s public affairs committee, Sher Khan, said the war in Iraq would be a "significant factor" affecting Muslims\' voting intentions. "I think it\'s going to be quite significant because of the number of seats in which they could have an impact," Mr Khan said. However, Professor John Curtice, of the University of Strathclyde, is sceptical about how much difference tactical voting by Muslims could make. "For the most part the Labour constituencies where there\'s a large Muslim community are relatively safe, but there are one or two that are not quite so safe," Professor Curtice said. The constituencies where Labour was most at risk from a Muslim tactical vote were Bethnal Green, in east London, and Rochdale in Lancashire, he added. In Bethnal Green, former Labour MP George Galloway, who founded the anti-war party Respect, is standing against sitting MP Oona King, who had a 10,000-vote majority in 2001. In Rochdale, the Liberal Democrats - the mainstream party a 2004 ICM survey showed was benefiting most from Muslim disaffection with Labour - secured second place in the 2001 election, securing just under 6,000 votes fewer than Labour\'s Lorna Fitzsimons. But Professor Curtice said the Muslim anti-war vote could be split between the Liberal Democrats and Respect, meaning neither would benefit much at the ballot box. "Ironically the Tories might be the beneficiaries if Labour does lose seats, which is generally the case," he said. But Dr Tamimi said MAB\'s intention was not to "empower" the Tories. "We know the next government will be Labour, but we are aiming to send a message that it will make a difference if the Muslims use their vote properly. "If the next Labour government has a reduced majority that\'s a great achievement because having a very big majority has been very harmful for politics in this country," Dr Tamimi said. ', 'UK', 'MPs to debate \'euthanasia laws\' MPs are preparing to debate a bill which critics claim would legalise euthanasia "by the back door". The bill would give legal force to "living wills", where people say they want medical treatment withheld if they become severely incapacitated. The Mental Capacity Bill has broad support from charities who say it would give better safeguards over treatment. But Christian groups say it could mean doctors withholding food and fluids even if they think it inappropriate. Ministers insist the Mental Capacity Bill - for England and Wales - would not change laws on assisted suicide and contains a presumption in favour of preserving life. The bill would establish a legal presumption that everybody can make decisions about their own treatment unless proved otherwise. It would allow people to give somebody the power of attorney to make decisions on their behalf, which could be challenged by doctors. Critics fear it could allow "killing by omission" through withdrawing treatment. An amendment to the bill - specifically preventing decisions that would bring about death - has been tabled by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith. Ninety one MPs have signed a petition backing the amendment. MPs could vote on it later on Tuesday, during the bill\'s report stage debate. The Bill will then go to a third reading and be debated in the Lords, before becoming law. The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) and Lawyers\' Christian Fellowship (LCF) said the Mental Capacity Bill would allow euthanasia by the "back door". Peter Saunders of the CMF said it believed advance refusals should be only advisory, not legally binding. "CMF is concerned that patients will make unwise and hasty advance decisions to refuse food and fluids without being properly informed about the diagnosis and the expected course their illness will take," he said. The LCF\'s Andrea Williams said there were "too many loopholes that could be abused by unscrupulous doctors". Ex-Labour minister Frank Field told BBC Two\'s Newsnight programme there was a danger people would feel under pressure to "do away" with themselves so relatives could inherit their assets. Constitutional Affairs Minister David Lammy said laws affecting 750,000 people with dementia needed updating. Mr Lammy told BBC News Labour MPs would not get a free vote as the law was being strengthened, not changed. "We are against euthanasia, we are against assisted suicide but we are in a situation now where people can make living wills and that has the force of the common law," he said. "Doctors are saying they want more clarity. Patients are saying they want more clarity." The Making Decisions Alliance, which includes the Alzheimer\'s Society, Age Concern, Mencap and the National Autistic Society, said misunderstandings over the bill had to be cleared up. "It will not change the current law on euthanasia and will actually provide a series of better safeguards when decisions are made for people who lack capacity," the alliance said in a statement. The British Medical Association also backs the bill, saying it just gives incapacitated people the same rights as others. Debate on legalising euthanasia has intensified in the UK because of cases like that of motor neurone patient Diane Pretty. She died two years ago after losing a legal battle to allow her husband to help her commit suicide. ', 'UK', 'Opposition grows to house arrests The Conservatives have expressed "serious misgivings" about government plans for keeping UK and foreign terror suspects under house arrest. Michael Howard said he would not back the Home Secretary\'s plans for "control orders" which include home detention. "I do not believe that anyone should be deprived of their liberty on the say so of a politician," he said. The Lib Dems also oppose the proposals, but ministers insist they are proportionate to the terror threat. The government proposed the idea and a range of other new powers after the laws lords said current detentions without trial broke human rights laws. New Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has backed the control orders, saying: "I\'m sorry. It is a dilemma, but there is only one choice." But Mr Howard said: "We have serious misgivings about both their effectiveness in protecting life and their consequences for the British way of life." He argued that people accused of terrorist offences should be brought to trial and be held in prison - not at home - while they await trial. Mr Howard said he feared "internment without trial creates martyrs" and could be "a very effective recruiting sergeant" for terrorists". His party plans to move an amendment to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill next week that would give a judge responsibility for assessing evidence and ensuring a balanced case is presented to the court. He called on the prime minister to "enter into constructive discussions" with his party to find a "better way forward". Controversy over the issue continues after a foreign terror suspect held in the UK without trial or charge since December 2001 was freed from jail. Home Secretary Charles Clarke said there was not enough evidence to keep the Egyptian man, known only as C, certified as a terrorist suspect. On Monday, the legal team for two Algerian suspects being held without trial told a court the men did not want bail if it meant being put under house arrest. Most of the terror suspects are detained at Belmarsh Prison in London. The Liberal Democrats say they also oppose house arrests and questioned the human rights implications of the measure. Home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme: "It\'s a matter of principle for us that we can\'t have a situation where the Home Secretary is able to impose house detention now on UK nationals as well as foreign nationals." The Lib Dems believe the Home Secretary should allow phone tapping evidence in prosecutions. "We think there could be a role for some form of control order - tagging, surveillance, limitation on use of mobile phones - but not with the Home Secretary\'s say so. That must be done with a proper judicial process, a judge involved in making those decisions," said Mr Oaten. Mr Clarke has rejected that idea saying intercept evidence is only a small part of the case against terror suspects and could put the lives of intelligence sources at risk. He said prosecutions were the government\'s first preference and promised the powers would only be used in "serious" cases, with independent scrutiny from judges. ', 'UK', 'Visa decision \'every 11 minutes\' Visa processing staff are sometimes expected to rule on an application every 11 minutes, MPs have said. Pressure was placed on staff to be efficient, rather than to do a thorough examination of an application, the Public Accounts Committee found. Every officer had an annual target of 8,000 applications - equivalent to 40 a day or one every 11 minutes. MPs want research into whether UK visa holders leave at the end of their stays, or vanish into the black market. Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "There is a worrying tension between quick processing and proper control over the visas issued. "Entry clearance staff are expected to deal with a visa application in about 11 minutes which is surely too little time to look closely at the supporting documents. " The committee\'s report also discussed the Romanian and Bulgarian visas scandal which led to the resignation of immigration minister Beverley Hughes last year. Committee members said the Home Office had been wrong to dismiss concerns from visa staff abroad who feared the system was being abused. Investigations carried out in the wake of Ms Hughes\' resignation found more than 7,000 people had entered the UK under the business visa scheme for Romanian and Bulgarian "entrepreneurs". Mr Leigh said the Home Office should now consider removing those who had not set up a valid business. A Home Office spokesman said the system had been toughened and tightened since the investigation. He added "that the traditional system of a dual decision making process for all pre-entry applications will be replaced by a single pre-entry check at post, which will be simpler and more robust against abuse than the current system". ', 'UK', 'Brown names 16 March for Budget Chancellor Gordon Brown will deliver his Budget to the House of Commons on 16 March, the Treasury has announced. The Budget, likely to be the last before the General Election, will be at 1230 GMT on that Wednesday, just after Prime Minister\'s question time. The annual event is when the chancellor outlines the government\'s taxation and broader economic predictions. It is likely to set out much of the tax and spending battleground for the election, widely expected on 5 May. Next month\'s Budget will be Mr Brown\'s eighth since Labour came to power in 1997. If a May election is called, there could be as little as 18 days between the Budget and the announcement of a date for the election. A shortened Finance Bill would have to be rushed through Parliament with all-party support to allow the Government to continue collecting revenue. The full Finance Bill, with the Budget measures in it, would then be returned to the Commons after the election, if Labour secures another term in office. As Mr Brown announced the Budget date in a short ministerial statement, accountancy firm Ernst & Young urged him to put politics aside and focus on the long-term requirements of the economy. "In the Budgets that were given immediately before the last six elections, taxes were cut by the incumbent chancellor and, in many cases, taxes were increased soon after the election result," said Aidan O\'Carroll, E&Y\'s UK head of tax. ', 'UK', 'Asylum children to face returns The UK government is planning to return asylum seeker children without parents to Albania. The trial scheme, which could start in weeks, may be extended to apply to children from other countries. Children\'s charities have reacted with alarm, saying the policy amounts to forcible removal and may not guarantee the safety of those affected. But the Home Office says it may be in the children\'s best interests if it reunites them with their communities. The pilot, included in the government\'s five-year immigration plan, aims to return unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Albania who have failed in their asylum claims. Since 2002, at least 9,000 under-18s have arrived in the UK to seek asylum without other family members. These children automatically become the responsibility of social services. Up to now, ministers have held back from final removal orders against unaccompanied children until after they are legally adults at 18. At least a dozen Albanian-born teenagers are thought to have been identified for return, according to sources, although there is no public confirmation of numbers. Those selected could either be returned to their families, should they be traced, or placed in the care of other Albanian authorities. Separate negotiations to establish a family tracing and returns scheme are believed to be underway with another country. Under the 1989 Children Act, public bodies have a duty to act in the "best interest" of a child in their care. Laura Brownlees of Save the Children said there were grave concerns, not least because of the well-documented trafficking of children into crime and prostitution in Albania. "If children are going to be returned then there should be proper assessments and decisions on a case by case basis," she said. "We do not think there are structures in place [to receive returning children in Albania]. \'If these decisions are not in the best interests of the child, then that is a forced removal because the child will not have any choice in the final decision." In its five-year immigration plan, announced on Tuesday, the government said it was addressing "the difficult issue" of returning unaccompanied asylum seeking children. A spokesman for the Home Office said it was wholly wrong to suggest that the plan was to return children "and leave them to rot". "We are developing a returns programme for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children whose asylum and humanitarian protection claims have been refused," said the spokesman. "We have been exploring how we can establish reception and longer-term care arrangements in countries of origin and believe that it\'s possible to return children in a way that is in their best interests and is safe and sustainable. "We do not believe that it is right, or in keeping with children\'s legislation, that children who can return should remain in the UK indefinitely separated from their families and communities." The spokesman stressed the UK would abide by its international human rights obligations. Only those children who could be provided with a carefully planned reintegration package would be returned, he said. But Andrew Hogg, spokesman for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, said ministers had so far failed to reassure agencies. "From what is so far known, we strongly oppose the scheme because the welfare and best interests of the child will not properly be taken into account," said Mr Hogg. "In Albania particularly there is no statutory child care or protection structure. "The Medical Foundation has many serious concerns, including the assessment process for suitability for return, the degrading of best interests of the child principles and of child welfare, and the lack of safeguards in the chosen countries." A spokesman for the Albanian embassy in London said it was the first it had heard of a scheme, but did not rule out that there had been an agreement between the two countries. ', 'UK', '\'Fido\' to be taken off vote lists The risk of pets and children being given votes could be cut by changing how people register to vote, the UK elections watchdog has said. Those are some of the mistakes found under the current system, where one person in each household applies for voting forms for the other occupants. The Electoral Commission says enabling people to register individually could cut some errors and combat fraud. Voters need to register by 11 March if the next poll is on 5 May as expected. But any individual registration scheme would not be introduced in Britain before that general election. The proposed scheme would mean voters using individual "identifiers" when they vote - such as their own voting number, date of birth and signature. The Electoral Commission says having voters register individually rather than the head of household do it for them fits better with human rights laws. Chairman Sam Younger told MPs on Tuesday care was needed to ensure that people were not lost off the register in the process - which happened when Northern Ireland switched to a similar system. There have been rare cases when household pets have been put on the electoral roll, the MPs heard. And some people have registered all their family, regardless of their age - birth dates are not included on the forms so election officers cannot easily check. Non-British citizens who are not entitled to vote have also been registered in some cases. Mr Younger said there was anecdotal evidence of inaccuracies in the register, the vast majority of which were caused by genuine mistakes. He argued local councils could look harder at promoting targeted campaigns at "hard to reach" voters, for example. Some authorities already run such programmes but in others councillors worry about the party political impact of encouraging particular areas to turn out. Mr Younger said using the Royal Mail\'s postal redirection service had already helped election officers retrace about 50,000 voters. He argued individual registration would also increase security for postal ballots and other new ways of voting. There have been fears there are too few checks to ensure current postal votes are cast by the person on the voting form. He said it might also help register students in halls of residences, where the hall warden often has to do the job for everybody. The MPs on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Constitutional Affairs select committees pressed Mr Younger on how to avoid losing voters in any changeover. He said the Northern Ireland example illustrated real difficulties to be confronted. Currently, British voters have to re-register to vote every year or face being removed from the electoral rolls if they fail to do so two years running. Mr Younger suggested the re-registration could happen less frequently but argued efforts were needed to check the electoral rolls were up-to-date. ', 'UK', '\'More to do\' on adult literacy The government will only hit its target for improving adult maths and literacy skills if courses are made more attractive, a report says. The National Audit Office praised ministers for reaching the benchmark of 750,000 adults in England gaining basic qualifications by this year. But a target of 1.5 million more by 2010 needed "creative" ideas. Some 26 million adults lack maths or English skill levels expected of school-leavers. According to the report, "more than half" the qualifications achieved were by learners aged 16 to 18. These are defined as "adults" by the government for the purpose of compiling these figures. Normally adults are defined as being aged over 19. The number of these people gaining qualifications was "rising slowly". Auditor General Sir John Bourn said: "Higher levels of literacy and numeracy will benefit England both socially and economically. "More people will have the opportunity to live richer lives." In 2001, the government launched the Get On scheme - aimed at reducing illiteracy and innumeracy. Sir John said "substantial progress" had been made since, adding that this was "only the beginning". The government and its partners would "need to be creative and responsive". Some £3.7bn will be spent on implementing the programme by 2006. The report recommends gathering more details on the educational needs of areas, so courses can be set to meet local demand. Existing adult learners could use their "enthusiasm, commitment and local knowledge" to attract other people. The Department for Education and Skills could also use more "personalised learning" and work with voluntary groups, councils and employers. It should also assess adult learners\' progress "at frequent intervals", the report adds. When the government announced it had reached its 2004 target earlier this month, Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "only the start of the journey". An estimated 5.2 million adults have worse literacy than that expected of 11 year olds, while 14.9 million have numeracy skills below this level. This is thought to cost the UK economy hundreds of millions of pounds each year. The qualifications achieved by those taking part in the government\'s scheme range up to GCSE equivalents. Get On\'s participation target has been set at 2.25 million by 2010, with an interim figure of 1.5 million by 2007. Education minister Ivan Lewis said: "We will continue to use creative ways of involving people with the lowest skill levels and the report shows that our efforts are gathering pace." Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins said: "This is the third report in two days to highlight Labour\'s failure to ensure young people acquire the necessary levels of literacy and numeracy for their working life. "Employers and business leaders have repeatedly voiced concern over the number of school-leavers without these basic skills, but all the government have offered is more talk." Liberal Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis added: "Far too little has been done to enable adult learners to fit learning into their busy lives." ', 'UK', 'Job cuts \'false economy\' - TUC Plans to shed 71,000 civil service jobs will prove to be a "false economy" that could hamper public sector reforms, according to a TUC report. Public and Commercial Services union members have already voted to strike over cuts for one day on 5 November. The TUC said cuts would deliver less than 6% of the £22bn ministers hope to save through efficiency reforms. General secretary Brendan Barber warned the "costs could easily outweigh the benefits". "The government\'s big boost to public spending is now showing results," said Mr Barber. "Public services are improving but looking for simple savings through job cuts at this stage could be a false economy. "They may shoot a Tory fox, but cutting thousands of civil service jobs will hit the morale and capabilities of the public servants expected to implement government reforms. The costs could easily outweigh the benefits." Next Friday\'s strike action by the PCS is the biggest in the civil service since 1993, hitting Jobcentres, benefit agencies, pensions offices, customs and driving tests. The union says it is concerned about pensions, sick pay and forced relocation as well as the cut in jobs. Last month it was announced that a total of 37 social security offices and Jobcentres across the UK would close in the first wave of plans to shed civil service jobs. The number of civil servants in Britain rose to more than 520,000 in April. Other areas the strike will affect include passports, museums and galleries, libraries and health and safety inspections. ', 'UK', 'UK\'s \'useless\' quangos under fire The UK has 529 quangos financed with billions of pounds of taxpayers\' cash - many of which are useless or duplicate each other\'s efforts, a report claims. Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005 author Dan Lewis said at least 111 of the appointed bodies had been set up since Labour won power in 1997. He urged a limit on the number of quangos that could be set up by any individual government department. Tories and Lib Dems welcomed the report and called for a "slimming down". Conservative deregulation spokesman John Redwood said: "The research endorses our policy of destroying unwanted and unnecessary quangos, and slimming down the rest. "A Conservative government will axe 162 quangos, as part of its drive for more efficient and more accountable government." Lib Dem spokesman Ed Davey meanwhile said instead of the "bonfire of quangos" New Labour had promised, there had been an "explosion" of them. "For over two decades, under both Tory and Labour governments, these unaccountable agencies have mushroomed. "Liberal Democrats would abolish many, merge others, and make any that remain properly accountable." Labour representatives were unavailable for comment. The quango guide follows last year\'s government-commissioned Gershon Report which recommended significant cuts in bureaucracy across the public sector. Mr Lewis wants a public inquiry into regional development agencies which cost £1.8bn a year - cash he says which "appears to be almost entirely wasted". As well as a departmental limit on quangos he also wants a statutory five-year limit on any such body with executive powers. He also listed what he dubbed the nine "most useless quangos". They were the British Potato Council, the Milk Development Council, the Energy Savings Trust, Agricultural Wages Committees, the Wine Standards Board, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Football Licensing Authority, Investors in People UK and the Economic and Social Research Council. Mr Lewis branded the existence of the 60-employee Potato Council, set up in 1997 to research and promote overseas potato markets, "surprising". He said the £80m spent annually on the Energy Savings Trust, which promotes renewable energy, would be better spent on eight million boiler jackets for British homes. And he argued it was "absurd" to charge farmers for Agricultural Wages Committees, which set working and wage standards in the industry, when many were prepared to take advantage of immigrant labour prepared to work for £1 an hour. "If a football team can afford to pay £27m for Wayne Rooney, why should the taxpayer - not all of whom like football - be forced to fund the Football Licensing Authority to the tune of over £1.1m a year?" Mr Lewis asked. The report is published by the Efficiency in Government Unit - a joint effort by right of centre think tanks the Economic Research Council and the Centre for Policy Studies. It says before a new public body is set up, an assessment should be made whether its proposed role is already carried out by an existing charity or other private organisation. ', 'EU', 'Campaign \'cold calls\' questioned Labour and the Conservatives are still telephoning the millions of people who have signed up to make sure they do not get marketing "cold calls". The parties say they can stick to the rules by ensuring that their calls are not marketing - for instance by asking about people\'s voting intentions. The Lib Dems are asking the watchdog overseeing the rules to stop the calls. The information commissioner\'s office says surveys are allowed but there is a "grey" area if personal data is kept. Telephone call centres are expected to be used as never before by all the three major parties in the run-up to the general election. But seven million telephone numbers are on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) lists, which ban unsolicited sales and marketing calls. Both schemes are run by the Direct Marketing Association and backed by EU directives on privacy and electronic communications. The rules on marketing calls apply as much to politicians as to private sector companies. But that does not mean Labour and the Tories are not calling people signed up to the TPS. A Labour Party spokesman told the BBC News website the party avoided those on TPS lists when telephoning people about membership or fundraising. But that did not happen for "voter identification" calls. "When we ask which party they will vote for, that is not marketing and we have very clear legal advice that it is not," he said. "So it is not covered by the Telephone Preference Service." He said the party always asked people if they would be happy to be contacted again and if they said no, they were not rung again. A Conservative spokeswoman said the party stuck to the rules when it rang TPS subscribers. She said: "We do apply TPS but in line with the law. We would not do things that are not allowed in the law." A spokesman for the Information Commissioner\'s Office said it would be classed as marketing if political parties telephoned people to encourage them to vote for them. But the rules did allow polling organisations to telephone people about their voting intentions if they recorded them only as part of a bigger set of statistics, not person by person. "If a political party was doing that than it may be that also would not be marketing," he said. The spokesman said it might be considered unsolicited marketing if a party recorded voting preferences with a view to marketing information in the future. The spokesman said there was "no yes or no" answer and the area was "pretty grey". He added: "If someone complained, then we would investigate that. Political parties are aware of the regulations. At the last by-elections, we reminded them." Lib Dem chairman Matthew Taylor has now written to the watchdog saying: "The advice we have received on several previous occasions is that such phone calls are illegal." He says evidence from local Lib Dem parties around the country suggests there are "significant" numbers of such calls. "I hope you can therefore take swift and efficient action to ensure that this ceases," he tells the commissioner. Mr Taylor argues there should be new guidelines so all parties can act in the same way if the watchdog believes the rules allow parties to ring TPS numbers about voting intentions and later urge those people to vote for them. ', 'UK', 'MSPs hear renewed climate warning Climate change could be completely out of control within several decades, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is warning a committee of MSPs. Experts are giving evidence on the subject to the Scottish Parliament\'s environment committee. Officials believe nuclear energy and wind farms may be better options than trying to tackle global warming. Solutions suggested by conservationists include reducing internal UK air travel and boosting electric trains. The evidence is part of the committee\'s inquiry into the impact of climate change in Scotland. Sepa is attempting to curb global warming gases, as pollution from transport emissions increases. Ecologists are warning MSPs that Scotland may have to accept "significant intrusion" from wind farms. It is likely also that nuclear power will be needed for possibly several decades. Sepa predict that the two methods will remain as energy sources until climate change is under control. Experts studying the seas off Scotland\'s west coast have already forecast more devastating weather of the type which caused havoc across the country last month. They predicted that damaging storms will become more frequent. Researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands and Southampton have been looking at wave heights in the Atlantic over the last nine years. The project was conducted jointly by the Environmental Research Institute in Thurso, which is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Millennium Institute network, and the Southampton Oceanography Centre. Scientists carried out a series of studies, including the use of satellites to assess wave heights in the seas around the west coast and the Hebrides. ', 'UK', 'Kennedy calls for Iraq exit plans Tony Blair should set out a proper exit strategy from Iraq in the wake of next Sunday\'s elections in the country, Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has said. In a speech focusing on issues arising from the re-election of George W Bush, Mr Kennedy said Iraq had become a "crucible of militant terrorism". He wants to see a phased withdrawal of UK troops "as soon as the situation allows", he said in London. Any exit strategy must "augment and support" the democratic process. "There are some who are of the opinion that the mere presence of British and American troops in Iraq feeds the insurgency," he said. "There is some truth in that, especially after the initial mistakes that were made - the heavy-handedness of operations like Fallujah, and the well-publicised instances of abuse at the hands of coalition forces." Mr Kennedy pointed out that the Netherlands, Portugal and the Czech Republic, which all have troops operating in the southern sector of Iraq, have announced their imminent withdrawal "regardless of the situation on the ground". He accused Mr Blair\'s government of "being less than straightforward" over its plans. "Next week the prime minister should make a statement regarding the elections in Iraq," Mr Kennedy said during his City of London speech. "He should set out a proper exit strategy, including the phased withdrawal of British troops, as the security situation allows." Mr Kennedy also argued that British troops deployed in Iraq should be replaced with forces from other countries - "especially Islamic countries". ', 'UK', 'UK plan to deport terror suspects Deals are being sought to allow the UK to deport terror suspects to their home countries without risk of them being tortured or sentenced to death. Home Secretary Charles Clarke told the Times he hoped agreement with several countries could be reached. The move follows a Law Lords judgement that the detention of 12 men at Belmarsh prison, London, and Woodhill, Milton Keynes, was unlawful. The 12 affected by the ruling are from Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. The government was told that using anti-terror legislation brought in after 11 September to hold the men indefinitely without charge broke human rights laws. Mr Clarke told The Times: "I think we should be prosecuting much more energetically our ability to deport the individuals concerned to the countries from which they come." He said it was a route that was being pursued in collaboration with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw "in a very positive way". Mr Clarke said that he was seeking "memorandums of understanding" between overseas governments and Britain to ensure suspects would not be subjected to the death penalty on their return. However, he added: "I do not think the solution to the Law Lords\' judgement for this government is in deportations, but they will help. "There are other strands that we have to do." But the Liberal Democrat\'s shadow home secretary, Mark Oaten, accused Mr Clarke of avoiding the main issue with the Belmarsh detainees. "The critical issue that the home secretary is dodging at this stage is to deal with the very principle, to deal with how we tackle this problem in the future," he told BBC News. "And I do want him to grasp those issues and that means looking at how we can actually secure convictions in this country allowing, for example, intercept communications, telephone tapping to be included," Mr Oaten said. "Deportation may tackle this initial problem but I want to see a wider debate urgently about how we can actually get trials and convictions in this country." "Unless we get that, the Liberal Democrats will vote against this measure when it comes for renewal in March." The BBC\'s home affairs correspondent, Daniel Sandford, said it appeared Mr Clarke was putting more emphasis on the possibility of deportation than his predecessor, David Blunkett. But he said reaching an understanding with some of the detainees\' home countries could be difficult. "Some of these people are accused of very, very serious crimes in their home countries so it\'s not an easy agreement to get and I think for some of these suspects it won\'t be the solution." Daniel Sandford said ministers may try to put forward other solutions - such as allowing more secret evidence to be put into normal criminal trials or developing a more secret trials process - in the next few weeks. "The government may try and deport some of them and then those that are left see if they can work out some way of putting them on trial," he said. ', 'UK', 'Council tax rise \'reasonable\' Welsh councils should set their taxes at "reasonable levels" after being given an average funding increase of 6%, says the assembly government. Finance Minister Sue Essex said it was a "good deal" for local government. The £3.2bn settlement includes the "full" £7.4m from the UK Treasury announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown. But opposition parties said rebanding of council taxes would mean steep rises. In addition, £13.4m will come from the business support grant - a scheme which enables local authorities to keep part of business rates. She said where spending rises were kept to around 5% she was "confident that councils will be able to set council taxes at reasonable levels." The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) had said on the eve of the announcement said that "significant" cuts to services may still be unavoidable. After the announcement WLGA finance spokesman Bob Wellington, of Torfaen, said it was vital that rises were minimsed. "A limited amount of money has come available but this is not the answer to our problems," said Mr Wellington. "It is vital that we start now to plan for future years and accept that resources will continue to reduce while pressures on services increase." On Monday, a delegation of north Wales councils visited Ms Essex to lobby for increased funds. Ms Essex said: "I have listened to the views of local government and council tax payers and recognise the funding pressures and the concerns they have about council tax rises. "I have met a large number of local authorities in recent weeks and I am aware of the pressures on them to provide local services and keep down the level of council tax, particularly for those people to are moving up a band due to the revaluation of domestic properties." She said council taxes could be kept at reasonable levels, "even for those people who have moved up a band". The settlement includes a rise in the grant to help councils with the most deprived communities and a 16.4% rise in capital expenditure support. Ms Essex said: "This is a good deal for local government, which will allow the well-managed councils of Wales to develop their services and charge reasonable levels of council tax. It is now a matter for council leaders to manage their budgets at a local level." Plaid Cymru\'s local government spokesman Dai Lloyd called the announcement "hugely disappointing". He said: "Wales and its local authorities have been short changed yet again. This is not whinging as the Labour Assembly Government so often claims - it is anger." "This will mean either a massive hike in council tax, massive cuts in services provided by councils, or both." Mike German, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the assembly, claimed that one in three homes were still likely to face council tax rises due to rebanding. Mr German said: "I know from my discussions with Welsh Liberal Democrat council leaders that they are doing their utmost to keep council tax to a minimum. But the random redistribution effect of rebanding...will create a great deal of difficulty." Conservative local government spokesman Glyn Davies said that for the minister to claim that the majority of council tax payers in Wales should see very little change "is taking spin to the very verge of deception". He added: "Around a third of Welsh households have been re-valued upwards by at least one band and inevitably face increases into double figures." ', 'UK', 'Blunkett row should end - Blair Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was time to draw a line under the controversy surrounding David Blunkett. The Tories and the Lib Dems have called for a second inquiry into the fast-tracking of a visa application for Mr Blunkett\'s ex-lover\'s nanny. Sir Alan Budd found a "chain of events" linked Mr Blunkett to Leoncia Casalme\'s indefinite leave to remain application. At the end of his Middle East trip, Mr Blair said he still admired Mr Blunkett and thought his integrity was intact. On Tuesday Sir Alan said the application for leave to remain in the UK made by Kimberly Quinn\'s nanny was processed in 52 days, 120 days faster than the average. But he could not find evidence to show whether Mr Blunkett\'s intervention was intended to give special help for his then lover\'s nanny - or if he was raising the case as an example of poor departmental performance. In his first comments since Sir Alan\'s announcement, Mr Blair told BBC News he had not yet read the report in detail. But told BBC News: "As far as I\'m concerned, we have drawn a line under that." Asked if Mr Blunkett could return to frontline politics at some point, he replied: "I have made my admiration for David very clear and it remains. "He\'s been a tremendous colleague, he\'s done a great job for us, first as home secretary then as education secretary. The future is something we will have to approach in the future." The prime minister shrugged off claims from Conservative leader Michael Howard that he led a "grubby government". He said Mr Blunkett\'s integrity remained intact: "He was the person first of all who asked for this inquiry to be set up. He accepted that what he originally thought had happened had not happened, he said. "But I think Sir Alan Budd also accepted there wasn\'t some conspiracy or cover-up and I just think a line should be drawn under now and we should move on." Earlier, Mr Howard said: "There does need to be another inquiry, a judge-led inquiry. There were so many questions that weren\'t answered." There was "deceit at the heart of government" which was not limited to the visa affair, he argued. Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten also said there was "a strong case for a judge-led judicial review". He said: "Next time it happens it may not be about a nanny and their visa. It may be about something even more important than that." Mr Blunkett quit as home secretary last week after being told in advance of Sir Alan\'s findings. In a statement, the ex-home secretary said he accepted the inquiry\'s findings. He said he had told the truth throughout and had raised the nanny case as an example of unacceptable backlogs in the system. ', 'UK', 'Minimum rate for foster parents Foster carers are to be guaranteed a minimum allowance to help cover their costs, the government has announced. Payment levels vary from area to area, with some carers getting just £50 a week for clothes, food and other costs. Minister for Children, Young People and Families Margaret Hodge said new plans will ensure fosterers\' allowances would be as fair as possible. However local authorities, which set and pay the allowances, are concerned about how the extra cash will be found. About 50,000 children live with foster families in the UK and carers have said they need more money to make ends meet. Ms Hodge said: "Foster carers must not be out of pocket when meeting the costs of caring for a looked after child - a crucial role in society. "We need to make sure that arrangements for paying foster carers are as fair and transparent as possible. "Our proposal for a national minimum rate shows we are serious about creating a better deal for foster carers and about encouraging more people to come forward and consider fostering as a worthwhile and rewarding opportunity." The government is seeking to amend the Children Bill, which passes through the Commons next week, to establish a national minimum payment. Fostering Network executive director Robert Tapsfield criticised the existing system. "There is just no logic to a system which values children differently depending on where they live. "And with a shortage of over 8,000 foster carers in England, it\'s not a sustainable situation to expect carers to fund foster care from their own pockets." The charity recommends a weekly payment of £108.49 for looking after a baby. In a survey, it discovered that rates paid by neighbouring authorities could vary by as much as £100 per week. The Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) said it agreed in principle with the government\'s plans. Tony Hunter, the organisation\'s president, said: "There are many devils and lots of details hidden within the Government\'s proposals. "But ADSS fully supports proper remuneration for valued foster carers and looks forward to working with ministers, local government and the fostering organisations themselves in order to make sure a sensible and practicable policy emerges." ', 'Australia', 'Royal couple watch nation\'s mood Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are awaiting the nation\'s reaction after announcing they are to be married on 8 April. Mrs Parker Bowles will take the title HRH Duchess of Cornwall after a civil ceremony to be held at Windsor Castle. A Daily Telegraph poll of 1,313 people suggests two-thirds of Britons support the couple\'s decision to marry. But only 40% think Mrs Parker Bowles should become Princess Consort as planned after Charles becomes king. Some 47% believe she should have no title, while 7% think she should become queen. The poll also found that the majority of Britons would prefer the monarchy to miss a generation, with the Queen handing the throne to her grandson Prince William, 22, on her death or abdication. On Thursday night, Prince Charles, 56, and Mrs Parker Bowles, 57, hosted a dinner at Windsor Castle, their first public appearance since announcing their engagement. Mrs Parker Bowles said the prince went down on one knee to propose and added: "I\'m just coming down to earth." She displayed her diamond engagement ring - a Royal Family heirloom - to reporters. Charles said he and his wife-to-be were "absolutely delighted". Their marriage will end years of speculation on a relationship which dates back to 1970. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh said the news had made them "very happy". Princes William and Harry said they are "very happy" and wish the couple "all the luck in the future". The wedding will be a civil ceremony followed by a service of prayer and dedication in St George\'s Chapel at which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will preside. The marriage is likely to be a sensitive issue because Mrs Parker Bowles is divorced and her former husband is still alive. If he became king, Charles would be the supreme governor of the Church of England and some Anglicans remain opposed to the remarriage of divorcees. "His divorce from Diana and the disappointment the country felt over how Diana had been treated... opened up a sense of disillusionment with [Prince Charles]," said Ros Coward, who wrote the authorised biography of Diana, princess of Wales. The Archbishop of Canterbury said: "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step." Tony Blair said he was "delighted" for the couple and offered his congratulations, as did Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy. Australia\'s Prime Minister John Howard also offered his congratulations, adding that their decision to marry was a "sensible and a good thing". Mrs Parker Bowles has joined the prince at numerous engagements in recent years - mostly at evening events for The Prince\'s Trust. Clarence House staff were at pains to point out that she attended these events in a private capacity. ', 'UK', 'Muslim police stops \'more likely\' UK Muslims should accept that people of Islamic appearance are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, a Home Office minister has said. Hazel Blears said innocent Muslims would be targeted because of the search for Islamic extremists. Qualifications for religious leaders to enter the UK could also be made tougher, she told a Commons inquiry. Her comments have been described as "irresponsible" and "outrageous" by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). "The threat is most likely to come from those people associated with an extreme form of Islam, or who are falsely hiding behind Islam," the Salford MP told the Commons home affairs committee. "It means that some of our counter-terrorism powers will be disproportionately experienced by the Muslim community." It was a reality that should be recognised, she said. "If a threat is from a particular place then our action is going to be targeted at that area," she added. On ministers of religions, such as imams, she said faith groups would be asked what other qualifications and skills, such as civic knowledge and ability to engage the community, should be demanded. Last year, ministers introduced a requirement that ministers should speak English to a certain level. IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh accused Ms Blears of "playing an Islamophobia card" in the run-up to a general election. "She is demonising and alienating our community," he said. "It is a legitimisation for a backlash and for racists to have an onslaught on our community. "This sort of comment is just music to the ears of racists." Later, the prime minister\'s official spokesman urged people to put Ms Blears\' comments into context. The minister had been saying she understood there was a perception that stop and search was aimed at one community, but that was not what was happening, the spokesman said. "What is happening is that those powers are aimed at those who are suspected of carrying out or planning certain activity who happen to come from one community. "It is not aimed at a particular community, it is not police policy to aim these powers at a particular community," he added. Statistics showed that of the 17 people found guilty of terrorist acts in the UK since the 11 September attacks, only four of the 12 whose ethnic backgrounds were known were Muslim, he added Figures published last week showed that people from ethnic minorities were increasingly likely to be targeted by police stop and search tactics. Figures showed that, for 2003/2004, Asians were 1.9 times more likely to be stopped and searched, compared with 1.7 times more likely in the previous year. Separate figures on police searches in England and Wales carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000 showed that ethnic minorities were more likely to be targeted. Muslim groups have repeatedly claimed that their communities are being victimised under terror laws. In 2003/2004, 12.5% searches under the laws were on Asian people, even though they make up 4.7% of the population. Last July, the police were accused of Islamophobia by Muslim groups after stop and search figures showed the numbers of Asians targeted had risen by 300% since the introduction of anti-terror laws. ', 'UK', 'Howard attacks cost of asylum Michael Howard has launched an attack on the cost of Britain\'s "chaotic" asylum system under Tony Blair. The Tory leader said English local authorities have spent more than £3bn - or £140 per household - on asylum since Labour won power in 1997. Mr Howard is expected to tell activists in Kent that voters\' tolerance and desire to help others are being abused. Other parties and refugee agencies have already attacked Tory plans for annual limits on numbers. Mr Howard said Britain should take its fair share of the world\'s "genuine refugees". "The anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz - where my grandmother was murdered along with over a million others - has reminded all of us that we have a moral responsibility to those fleeing persecution," he was due to say. "But if we are to fulfil responsibility, we have to get a grip of the system. "Fair play matters. People want a government that upholds the rules - not one that turns a blind eye when they are bent and abused," he said. "And let\'s be clear. Our asylum system is being abused - and with it Britain\'s generosity." Earlier this week, Mr Howard said his party\'s plans to cut immigration were not racist, arguing they would make the asylum system fairer for genuine refugees. If elected, his party would institute an annual limit on asylum and all claims would be processed overseas. That prompted some charities to say the plans would put refugees\' lives at risk if they were turned away once quotas were filled. "If we have a moral responsibility towards people fleeing persecution, then these policies will not provide a safe haven," said Hannah Ward of the Refugee Council. "If people turn up in the UK asking for help they will be turned away. Michael Howard\'s policy effectively means there is no safe haven in the UK. "When it comes to costs, then perhaps we should start with how decisions are made on asylum seekers. So many of them are shown to be wrong - one in five decisions that are appealed are successfully overturned, rising to half for some nationalities. "We need good quality decision-making on asylum applications because it is delays in the system which cost so much." Tony Blair said Labour would set out workable plans for tackling immigration abuse in the next few weeks and attacked the Tory plans. "By cutting the number of front-line immigration staff at our borders, they will actually make the problem worse," said Mr Blair. Liberal Democrat chairman Matthew Taylor said there needed to be a quick, fair and firm asylum system. But he said it was "absolutely disgusting" to propose a system which could turn away genuine refugees. The Conservatives say there is little risk of this happening as demand for asylum will be considered when quotas are set. On Monday, Mr Howard said: "It\'s not racist, as some people to claim, to talk about controlling immigration far from it." ', 'UK', 'UK heading wrong way - Howard Tony Blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing Britain and has failed, Michael Howard has said. "Britain is heading in the wrong direction", the Conservative leader said in his New Year message. Mr Blair\'s government was a "bossy, interfering government that takes decisions that should be made by individuals," he added. But Labour\'s campaign spokesman Fraser Kemp responded: "Britain is working, don\'t let the Tories wreck it again". Mr Howard also paid tribute to the nation\'s character for its generous response to the Asian quake disaster. The catastrophe was overshadowing the hopes for the future at this usually positive time of the year, Mr Howard said. "We watched the scenes of destruction with a sense of disbelief. The scale, the speed, the ferocity of what happened on Boxing Day is difficult to grasp. "Yet Britain\'s response has shone a light on our nation\'s character. The last week has shown that the warm, caring heart of Britain beats as strong as ever." He went on to reflect on the values that "most Britons hold dear". Looking ahead to the coming general election, he pledged to "turn these beliefs into reality" and set out the choices he says are facing Britain. "How much tax do people want to pay? Who will give taxpayers value for money, the clean hospitals and good, disciplined schools they want? "Who can be trusted to get a grip on the disorder on our streets and the chaos in our immigration system?" Mr Blair has failed to tackle these problems, he claimed, saying he has the "wrong solution" to them. "The result is big government and higher taxes eroding incentives, undermining enterprise and denying people choice. "Worst of all, it is a government that has wasted people\'s money and failed to tackle the problems families face today." The Tories, he said, can cut crime and improve public services without asking people to pay more taxes. "We can have progress without losing what makes Britain great - its tolerance, the respect for the rule of law, the ability of everyone to fulfil their potential. "We simply need to change direction. The election will give Britain the chance to change." This is the record Mr Blair will have to defend in the coming months, he said, urging voters to hold him to account. But Labour spokesman Mr Kemp said: "It would be more appropriate for this message to come out on 1 April, not 1 January." "Let us never forget that when Michael Howard was in government Britain suffered mass unemployment, 15% interest rates, record home repossessions, and the introduction of the poll tax. "With Labour Britain is working. Rather than alluding to false promises Michael Howard should be starting 2005 with an apology to the British people for the misery that the government, of which he was a member, inflicted upon the country. ', 'UK', 'New drink limit \'would cut toll\' More lives than previously thought could be saved by cutting drink-drive limits by a third, a report says. University College London research claims cutting the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg would save 65 lives a year. The findings are being published by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety as MPs are due to vote on the government\'s Road Safety Bill. The bill includes changes to speeding fines but not to the drink-drive limit. The research, carried out by transport expert professor Richard Allsop, says cutting the limit would also lead to 230 fewer serious injuries on the UK\'s roads compared with 2003. He estimates that this would save the country £119m a year. A previous estimate, contained in a 1998 Department of Transport Document, suggested such a move could save 50 lives a year. The findings are based on the assumption that drivers who currently keep below the legal limit would continue to do so were it to be lowered and that those who tend to exceed the limit slightly would also lower their drinking. Professor Allsop said: "Reducing the limit from 80mg to 50mg can be expected to save around 65 lives a year or around half of those who die in accidents where the driver\'s BAC [blood alcohol content] is within 30mg of the current limit. "Only about one in 50 of those driving during weekend evenings and nights will need to moderate their drinking to achieve this and fewer still at other times." Ministers do not support a lower limit, saying it is not clear it would have a major impact on drink drive casualties. They believe educating drivers is more important. The AA Motoring Trust said it was not sure what affect dropping the limit would have on drivers\' attitudes to drink-driving. Road safety head Andrew Howard said: "It remains to be seen whether the social disapproval of the drinking driver will stay at the current rate if the alcohol limit is cut. "Parliamentarians need to consider this carefully. Britons police themselves by consensus much more effectively than they do by weight of enforcement alone." Liberal Democrat transport spokesman John Thurso said drink-driving remained a "major killer", with figures showing a worrying rise in the number of accidents involving drivers who had been drinking. He said there had been a 29% drop in the number of drivers being breathalysed since 1997, which he said the government needed to address if it wanted to reduce the danger caused by drink-driving. The Road Safety Bill, which gets its second reading on Tuesday, would allow the results of roadside breath tests to be used in court - currently a blood test is needed. It also includes plans for a staggered speeding fines and points system, penalising drivers who exceed limits by a wide margin more than those who are caught going just over. These have been criticised by road safety campaigners, including Labour backbencher Gwyneth Dunwoody, who says it will reduce the incentive for drivers to stay within the limits in residential areas, leading to more road casualties. In an article for the Times newspaper, Ms Dunwoody, who chairs the Transport Select Committee, says: "Slight increases to low car speeds increase hugely the risks to pedestrians and cyclists. "It is quite simple: if you hit someone at 30mph, they have a 50 per cent chance of survival. If you are going at 40mph, nine times out of ten they will die." ', 'EU', 'UKIP candidate suspended Eurosceptic party UKIP have suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed. John Houston, 54, was due to stand in the East Kilbride seat in Lanarkshire at the next election. But he was suspended after his reported views, including the return of the British Empire, were sent to two Scottish newspapers. UKIP spokesman Mark Croucher said those who selected Mr Houston knew nothing of his views. The episode comes at a difficult time for UKIP, soon after the high-profile departure of MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk. Mr Houston is alleged to have said that the organs of the criminally insane should be "made available to law-abiding members of the community" and proposed the legalisation of drugs and the sex trade. The document reportedly said: "We\'re looking for the resurrection of the British Empire. "The problems for the human race - environmental and others - can only be dealt with on a global scale, and that calls for a radical alliance of the English-speaking nations, which they are uniquely able to do." Mr Croucher said the main issue would be that Mr Houston\'s reported views had been presented as UKIP policy, which they were not. He said they might have been submissions to a committee working on the party\'s manifesto, but would not have been matched to Mr Houston when he was standing to become a candidate. He told BBC News: "He appears to have said these things. We have suspended him as a member and as a candidate. "By all accounts none of this was mentioned at his selection meeting. "It is simply a distraction from the task in hand, the EU constitution, not individual idiocies." Mr Houston was quoted in the Herald newspaper saying: "I feel UKIP have over-reacted and overshot the runway." Peter Nielson, who is UKIP Scotland chairman, said he had suspended Mr Houston on Friday night. "He will remain suspended while the matter is being investigated and then we will decide if and what further action will be taken." He said that any evidence would be looked into and Mr Houston may be interviewed by the party. He added: "I can\'t comment too much at the moment, I have one version from him but I haven\'t seen the papers yet." ', 'UK', 'Brown shrugs off economy fears Gordon Brown is to freeze petrol duty increases, fund a £1bn package to avoid big council tax rises and boost childcare and maternity leave. In an upbeat pre-Budget report, he slightly increased borrowing but insisted economic targets would be met. The chancellor also hailed the longest period of growth in UK "industrial history" but denied he was "gloating". But Oliver Letwin, for the Tories, attacked government red tape and debt, dubbing Mr Brown "Sir Wastealot". The shadow chancellor said Mr Brown\'s "golden rule" had "turned to dross in his hands" and said he was borrowing to spend, not invest, with predicted debt over the coming years totalling £170bn. Mr Letwin told MPs: "The tide is going out on the chancellor\'s credibility. He is spending, borrowing and taxing so much because he is not getting value for taxpayer\'s money." Vincent Cable, for the Liberal Democrats, accused Mr Brown of ducking tough choices. He said: "Last week the prime minister gave us the politics of fear; this week the chancellor has offered the economics of complacency. "There are serious challenges ahead from the falling dollar and from the rapid downturn in the UK housing market and rising personal debt. But they have not been confronted." Mr Brown rejected the Lib Dem\'s call to open up the government\'s books to the National Audit Office, saying decisions on tax and spending should be made by ministers. Some economists say his forecasts on public finances are wishful thinking. BBC economic editor Evan Davis said the figures were plausible but also a gamble. Mr Brown\'s insistence he was not "gloating" was a pointed rebuttal of a warning from new European Commissioner Peter Mandelson. In his speech, he set out a 10-year childcare strategy for if Labour wins the next election. It includes a £285m cash injection to extend paid maternity leave from six months to nine, with parents able to transfer leave from the mother to the father. He also promised to increase free nursery education for three and four-year-olds to 15 hours from April 2007. And funds would be provided to keep schools open from 0800 to 1800GMT to look after children while their parents were at work. Taken together, the measures would create a "welfare state that is truly family-friendly for the first time in its history", said Mr Brown. He also announced a cash hand-out for older pensioners, with payments of £50 for the over-70s as part of the winter fuel allowance. In a move ministers say should keep council tax rises below 5% next year, the chancellor said he was providing an extra £1bn for local councils. The money is expected to come from government departments such as health and education. Mr Brown said he was set to meet his two fiscal rules - to borrow only to invest and keep debt "low and sustainable" - both in this economic cycle and the next. Borrowing figures for 2003/4 are £35bn - £2.5bn less than the £37.5bn predicted in March\'s budget, as already announced by the Office for National Statistics. Borrowing is tipped to fall to £31bn by 2005/06 - but that is still £2bn more than Mr Brown predicted in his March budget. Inflation would be 1.75% next year and 2% in the years to follow, Mr Brown forecast. He also pledged an extra £105m for security and counter-terrorism. Business groups have welcomed efforts to improve competitiveness and invest more in skills and innovation. But there worries about the costs of more family-friendly working. Simon Sweetman, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "The proposals on maternity leave have clearly been made with a general election in mind and with little thought to the impact on small employers." ', 'UK', 'Blair told to double overseas aid Tony Blair is being urged to use all his negotiating powers to end poor countries\' debt and double aid. Some 45 million children will die needlessly before 2015 and aid budgets are half their 1960 levels, Oxfam says in a report, Paying the Price. The call comes as the prime minister prepares to assume the presidency of the G8 of top industrialised nations. "As rich countries get richer, they\'re giving less and less. This scandal must stop," Oxfam\'s Barbara Stocking said. "The world\'s poorest children are paying for rich countries\' policies in aid and debt with their lives. "2005 offers the chance for an historic breakthrough, but unless world leaders act now the year will end in shameful failure," the charity\'s director added. The report said: "For rich countries, providing aid to help to end global poverty is an obligation and a matter of justice, not an act of charity." It also points out that in 1970 the G8 of top industrialised nations agreed to spend 0.7% of their incomes on aid. But 34 years later none of the organisations members have reached this target and many have not yet set a timetable, the report says. It argues that the price of not investing in poor countries\' sustainable development will be felt across the world. The report said: "Global poverty threatens our shared prosperity and security. "Environmental crises and natural disasters, disease and drug trafficking know no national borders. Poverty heightens the likelihood of conflict and unrest. "New threats to the peace and security of rich nations arise from poverty and gross inequalities. "Criminal and terrorist networks are more likely to operate where state institutions are weak." Both the prime minister and Chancellor Gordon Brown have called for urgent action to fight world poverty. Mr Blair, who has described Africa as a "scar" on the world\'s conscience, has already said tackling world poverty would be one his G8 priorities along with climate change and the Aids epidemic. Mr Brown has also pledged to write off the debt owed to Britain by the world\'s poor nations. A spokeswoman for the Department for International Development said: "The government had made a clear commitment to reaching 0.7% of gross national income for overseas development aid by 2013. "If Britain\'s proposal for an International Finance Facility were adopted, the objective of 0.7% could be achieved earlier, by 2008-09. "These additional resources will be used to increase UK bilateral aid to Africa to at least £1.25bn a year by 2008 and spend at least £1.5bn on HIV/Aids related work over the next three years." ', 'UK', 'Peace demo appeal rejected Peace protestors have lost a landmark appeal over police actions in stopping an anti-war demonstration days after the start of the Iraq war. They had appealed against a High Court decision that it was not unlawful for police to forcibly turn protestors away near RAF Fairford, Glos, in 2003. The police had also sought to overturn a breach of human rights ruling arising from the same case. Sitting on Wednesday, three Appeal Court judges dismissed both appeals. They were challenging decisions by two judges in the High Court in February this year. It followed action by police, when three coachloads of people were searched and detained on the way to RAF Fairford and forced to return to London under police escort. The demonstrators appealed against a finding by Lord Justice May and Mr Justice Harrison that it was not unlawful for the police to turn the passengers away. The police were urging Lord Chief Justice and Lord Justices Clarke and Rix to overturn the ruling that they had breached the protestors\' human rights by detaining them in the coaches. Craig Mackey, assistant chief constable of Gloucestershire Police, said: "We have always considered that our responses were proportionate and all our decisions on the day were based on intelligence." He said no one on the coaches accepted responsibility for items found on the coaches including body armour, a smoke bomb and five shields. "Given these circumstances, and the fact that RAF Fairford, and other military installations in the UK, had been the scene of increasingly destructive disorder in the weeks preceding this incident, the police commander on the ground made the decision to turn back the coaches. "From day one we have vigorously defended this decision, which was made out of a genuine concern that if the coaches were allowed to proceed it would have resulted in disorder and criminal damage at RAF Fairford." Fairford Coach Action, representing more than 80 people who appealed against the police actions, say they are prepared to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Their action is supported by Amnesty International and Liberty. ', 'UK', "UK helps raped Rwandan women Britain is to give a £4m grant to help women survivors of the Rwandan genocide who were raped and often deliberately infected with HIV/Aids. An estimated 25,000 girls and women were raped during the 1994 genocide. About 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias after the assassination of an ethnic Hutu leader. The five-year Department for International Development funding will enable more survivors to have access to anti-retroviral treatment. The plight of the infected women was overshadowed for a long time. It was overshadowed by Rwanda's emergence from the 100 days of slaughter, during which time the mass killings took place, and the women's fate was largely a taboo subject. But many of the women were widowed and they now not only have their own children to care for but, in many cases, orphans too. As the women die, the number of Rwanda's orphans rises. Until recently, very few of the women have had access to anti-retroviral treatment. That is now starting to change. This funding is intended to make anti-retrovirals and other care available for some 2,500 women. Mary Kayitesi Blewitt, founder of the Survivors Fund (SURF), one of the organisations through which the funds are being channelled, said it was a recognition, before it was too late, that the survivors should be a priority for help. ", 'Europe', 'Malik rejects all-black MP lists A call for ethnic minority shortlists to boost the number of black and Asian MPs has been rejected by one of Labour\'s most senior Asians. Shahid Malik, who is on Labour\'s ruling NEC, accepted people\'s frustration but said there should be targets not lists to boost representation of minorities. Just 13 of Britain\'s 659 MPs are from ethnic minority groups, he added. Commission for racial equality chief Trevor Phillips argued on Sunday the time had come for such shortlists. That came after it emerged that one of Britain\'s most ethnically diverse constituency, West Ham, was to get a women-only shortlist for the next election following an NEC ruling. Mr Phillips said changes to the race relations legislation might allow political parties to reserve seats for under-represented groups. For example in West Ham, this might allow only women and minorities to seek to be candidates. "If we get to the other side of the general election and find that minorities are not represented, we have to say that after 20 or 30 years of talking about this, we cannot go on the same way," he said. He added: "It would be terribly disappointing if in the least white constituency [West Ham] in the whole of Europe we didn\'t have a minority candidate." Appearing on BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme, Mr Malik, who is himself running for the seat of Dewsbury, acknowledged that so far women-only shortlists had failed to deliver a boost in the number of ethnic minority candidates. But he argued: "I do think that there currently things that parties can do and which they aren\'t doing... for example setting targets to ensure that existing democratic structures are more reflective." Labour MP Diane Abbot, who backs Mr Phillips\' proposal of shortlists, said she had been elected along with three other ethnic minority MPs - Keith Vaz, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant - in 1987 but it took another 10 years before another black woman was able to win a seat. That was a rate of progress Ms Abbott described as "painful". "I am a little older than Shahid and served on the National Executive Committee in the 1990s - I was the first black person on the NEC ... crossing our fingers and hoping we are going to get more black and Asian MP hasn\'t worked," she said. "The shortlist strategy works for women and I believe that it can be made to work for black and Asian people." On Tuesday Labour chairman Ian McCartney said his party was "ambitious" to improve black and Asian representation. "We haven\'t ruled out all-black shortlists and welcome a debate in the party about this," he said. ', 'UK', 'Candidate resigns over BNP link A prospective candidate for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has resigned after admitting a "brief attachment" to the British National Party(BNP). Nicholas Betts-Green, who had been selected to fight the Suffolk Coastal seat, quit after reports in a newspaper that he attended a BNP meeting. The former teacher confirmed he had attended the meeting but said that was the only contact he had with the group. Mr Betts-Green resigned after being questioned by the party\'s leadership. A UKIP spokesman said Mr Betts-Green\'s resignation followed disclosures in the East Anglian Daily Times last month about his attendance at a BNP meeting. "He did once attend a BNP meeting. He did not like what he saw and heard and will take no further part of it," the spokesman added. A meeting of Suffolk Coastal UKIP members is due to be held next week to discuss a replacement. Mr Betts-Green, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, has also resigned as UKIP\'s branch chairman. ', 'UK', 'Labour accused of broken pledge Labour has already broken its pre-election promise on immigration before the ink has dried on its new pledge card, the Tories have claimed. Home Secretary Charles Clarke has been quoted as telling Labour members he wants more migrants to come to the UK. Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said the comments were at odds with Tony Blair\'s prediction of a net cut in immigration. But Mr Clarke accused him of trying to score "cheap political points" by muddling immigration with asylum. London\'s Evening Standard quoted Mr Clarke telling Labour activists at a question and answer session in Gateshead that he wanted Britain to offer refuge for those fleeing tyranny. "That\'s not only a moral duty and a legal duty, but something which is part of the essence of this country," he said. "We want more migration, more people come to study and to work. "We want more people coming to look for refuge." Mr Blair\'s was asked last Wednesday if the government\'s new immigration plans, including a point system for economic migrants, would reduce net migration. The prime minister told MPs: "The abusers will be weeded out, and as a result of the end of chain migration [where families have an automatic right to settle], the numbers will probably fall." On Monday, Dr Fox told reporters: "The prime minister has broken his word so many times in the past but now his promises do not even last a week. "The Labour Party election pledges, even when they are so incredibly vague, do not even last four days." The Tories want quotas for economic migrants and refugees and on Tuesday will outline more details of their plans for health checks on migrants. Mr Clarke dismissed the latest Tory attack. "This is simply a scurrilous attempt by the Tories to score cheap political points," he said. "The Tories are purposely mixing together two separate issues of immigration and asylum." Mr Clarke said he had made clear the UK would welcome genuine economic migrants for key jobs on a strict points based system. And only asylum seekers genuinely fleeing death or persecution would be admitted. "Under our plans we expect unfounded applications to continue to fall," he added. Earlier, Dr Fox accused Mr Blair and other Cabinet ministers of telling lies about Tory policies and then attacking the lies. He told BBC Radio: "If you are willing to lie about the reasons for going to war, I guess you are going to lie about anything at all." The latest pre-election spats come after Mr Blair told Labour members the Tories offered a "hard right agenda" which would take Britain backwards. Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy accelerating Lib Dem election preparations this week as he visits Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Somerset, Basingstoke, Shrewsbury, Dorset and Torbay. ', 'UK', 'Clarke to unveil immigration plan New controls on economic migrants and tighter border patrols will be part of government plans unveiled on Monday. Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants to introduce a points system for economic migrants and increase deportations of failed asylum seekers. Tony Blair has said people are right to be concerned about abuses of the system but there is no "magic bullet". The Tories say Labour is acting too late while the Lib Dems say the plans may not produce an efficient system. The government\'s new five-year plan is designed to show how Labour would reform immigration and asylum controls if it wins the election, expected to be held in May. Ministers deny they have been spurred into action by Tory campaigning or because the prime minister is worried too little has been done. Instead, they say the plans are part of an "evolving" process aimed at winning public confidence. Mr Clarke is expected to announce an end to the automatic right to settle for immigrants\' families, and the introduction of fingerprinting for all visa applicants. The prime minister on Sunday said immigration would be "toughened up" to ensure only those immigrants with skills the UK really needs will be granted work permits. But he rejected the Tories\' call for a quota on economic migrants, saying no "arbitrary figure" could reflect the UK\'s needs. Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4\'s Westminster Hour: "We should cut the number or increase it depending on the country\'s needs... "The public are worried about this, they are worried rightly, because there are abuses of the immigration and asylum system." But he defended the UK\'s current regime, saying all systems around the world were subject to abuse. Tory proposals to cap the number of asylum seekers and process all claims abroad would not work, argued Mr Blair. He said: "We will not be... pretending there is some simple easy way of processing Britain\'s asylum seekers in some other country, because no such other country exists." Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis said the government had failed to remove 250,000 failed asylum seekers from the UK and limits on economic migrants had been a "shambles". "What we are seeing today is a rather panicky response from the government after eight years of failure," he said. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said Labour was right to reject the Tories\' idea of quotas on asylum. But he said it was yet to be seen if Mr Clarke could deliver "a fair and efficient asylum system". ', 'UK', 'Kilroy-Silk attacked with slurry Euro MP Robert Kilroy-Silk has had a bucket of farm slurry thrown over him by a protester in Manchester. The UK Independence Party member was arriving for a BBC radio show when the attacker emerged from behind a bush. Fellow guest Ruth Kelly MP was also hit by the slurry. Mr Kilroy-Silk said the man, who later disappeared, claimed he was "doing it in the name of Islam". In January, Mr Kilroy-Silk quit his BBC One show for remarks he made about Arabs, who he called "suicide bombers". Mr Kilroy-Silk had already been taken off air by BBC bosses for the comments, in which he also described Arabs as "limb-amputators, women repressors". The remarks prompted outrage among Muslim groups. The slurry attack took place on Friday as Mr Kilroy-Silk and Ms Kelly, a Cabinet Office minister and Bolton West MP, arrived at Manchester High School for Girls for the recording of BBC Radio 4\'s Any Questions. The police were called but the attacker had disappeared by the time officers arrived. They are treating the incident as assault. The programme\'s host, Jonathan Dimbleby, later told the audience the MEP had been covered from "head to toe". Mr Kilroy-Silk was still able appear to appear on the show after being loaned a change of clothes. He told reporters he was "very angry" and planned to press charges if his attacker was caught. He said the man shouted: "You\'ve offended my religion, I\'m doing this in the name of Islam." "As I started to turn round a guy tipped a bucket of farmyard muck over me and then threw the rest of it over me and the car," Mr Kilroy-Silk said. "I was totally covered, it was all through my clothes, and it stank to high heaven. It went all inside the car and splattered Ruth Kelly." A BBC spokesman said: "He took his seat as Jonathan Dimbleby was introducing the show. Fortunately someone at the school had a change of clothes to let him have." Greater Manchester Police said people near Mr Kilroy-Silk had also been hit by the waste. Officers took statements at the scene, but no arrests have been made. Police say the suspect ran off after towards Wilmslow Road after committing the offence but is believed to have been driving a red Vauxhall Corsa earlier. The suspect is described as white, aged 30 to 40, with a ginger beard. Police want to hear from anyone who has any information. Mr Kilroy-Silk, an MEP for the East Midlands, resigned the UK Independence Party whip in the European Parliament in October, after criticising UKIP and stating his ambition to be leader. However, he remains a member of the party. He said on Friday he hoped to be elected party leader before Christmas. "I think that is sufficient time for us to put in process what is necessary... in time for us to fight and have a significant impact upon the General Election." But a UKIP spokesman said that would be impossible under the party\'s constitution, which requires 70 days before any leadership ballot can take place. ', 'UK', 'Tories pledge free sports lessons Children would be offered two hours\' free sports training a week by a future Tory government, the party has said. The Club2School policy would provide up to £250m yearly for local sports clubs in the UK to deliver after-school sport. The extra coaching would be funded by the National Lottery and would come on top of the two hours of sport a week children are supposed to get in school. Shadow home secretary David Davis said five million children were being denied adequate sporting opportunities. The plans would help tackle the "fastest growing rate of obesity in the developed world", he said. Shadow sports minister Lord Moynihan said the policy would empower local clubs and create a lasting legacy. "We aim to shift the emphasis on after-school sport provision away from our overstretched teachers and schools directly in to the 151,000 sports clubs in the UK." The Tories say Labour\'s plans to give all children two hours of sports lessons a week in schools have failed. Government figures show that in England in 2002 only a third of schools at Key Stages 1, 3 and 4 and two-fifths of schools at Key Stage 2, met that target. The Tories also claim that of the £750m the prime minister pledged in 2000 to invest on school sports facilities, only £41m had been spent. But the Big Lottery Fund has said that complex capital projects are involved - and it was confident the money would all be allocated by next year as intended. ', 'UK', 'Plaid MP\'s cottage arson claim A Plaid Cymru MP believes UK security services were involved in some arson attacks blamed on Welsh extremists. It is 25 years since the start of 12 years of fire-bombings, attributed to a shadowy group known as Meibion Glyndwr. Plaid Cymru\'s Elfyn Llwyd has suggested the security services could have been involved, with the intention of discrediting the nationalist vote. Ex-Welsh Office Minister Lord Roberts of Conwy denied security services were involved. In March this year, North Wales Police reopened the case, saying materials kept during their investigations would be examined to find whether it would yield DNA evidence. Meibion Glyndwr - which means "sons of Glyndwr" - began burning property in December 1979 in protest at homes in rural Wales being sold as holiday cottages to people from England. The group was linked to most of the 220 or so fire-bombing incidents stretching from the Llyn Peninsula to Pembrokeshire. The campaign continued until the early 1990s. Police were accused in some quarters of targeting anyone who was a nationalist. Although one man, Sion Aubrey Roberts, was convicted in 1993 of sending letter bombs in the post, the arson cases remain unsolved. As a solicitor, Elfyn Llwyd represented Welsh singer Bryn Fôn when he was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the arson campaign. Fôn was released without charge . But now, as MP for Merionnydd Nant Conwy and Plaid Cymru\'s Parliamentary Leader, Mr Llwyd has argued that some of the terror attacks may have had the involvement of the security services and not Meibion Glyndwr. He believes that elements of the British security services may have carried out renegade actions in order to discredit Plaid Cymru and the nationalist vote ahead of elections. The claim is made in an interview for BBC Wales\' Maniffesto programme to be shown on S4C on Sunday. Mr Llwyd said that the sophistication of many of the devices used in the attacks compared to the crude nature of many others, suggests a degree of professionalism which could only have come from individuals who knew exactly what they were doing. He said: "What I\'m saying is that the role that they took wasn\'t the appropriate one, i.e. like an agent provocateur and perhaps interfering and creating a situation where it looked like it was the nationalists that were responsible." The programme also heard from Lord Roberts of Conwy, who was a Welsh Office minister at the time. He denied that the security services played any improper role. Mr Llwyd\'s theory has also been questioned by Plaid Cymru\'s former President, Dafydd Wigley. He accepted that the fires damaged Plaid Cymru\'s public image but believed that the security services had their hands full at the time with the IRA and animal rights activists. - Maniffesto can be seen on S4C on Sunday, 12 December, at 1200 GMT. ', 'UK', 'Anti-terror plan faces first test Plans to allow Home Secretary Charles Clarke to place terror suspects under house arrest without trial are set for their first real test in Parliament. Tories, Lib Dems and some Labour MPs are poised to vote against the plans. Mr Clarke says the powers are needed to counter terror threats. Opponents say only judges, not politicians, should be able to order detention of UK citizens. The government is expected to win Wednesday\'s vote in the Commons, but faces a battle in the House of Lords. The Prevention of Terrorism Bill was published on Tuesday. It proposes "control orders", which would mean house arrest in the most serious cases, and curfews, electronic tagging and limits on telephone and internet access for other suspects. The two opposition parties are particularly worried that the control orders would initially be imposed on the say-so of the home secretary, rather than a judge. Tory shadow home secretary David Davis warned of the potential for miscarriages of justice, like the Guildford Four - for which Tony Blair recently apologised - as a result of the pressure on politicians to lock up terror suspects. "Those pressures would be much more for a politician than they would on a judge and that\'s why we have serious concerns abut that approach," he told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme. Mr Clarke says he does not intend to use the house arrest powers now - even for the 11 current terror detainees. He also said that any decision he made would be reviewed by a judge within seven days. The foreign terror suspects currently detained are mostly held at London\'s Belmarsh prison. They are held under laws which the Law Lords have ruled break human rights rules - and which are due to expire on 14 March. The new powers, designed to replace the existing laws and meet the Law Lords\' concerns, would apply to British as well as foreign terror suspects. Critics say that giving politicians the power to deprive UK citizens of their freedom is the biggest attack on civil liberties for 300 years. Opposition MPs are also angry they will have only two days - Wednesday and next Monday - to debate the new plans before they pass to the House of Lords. But the government says the existing powers run out soon so must be replaced urgently. In a rare move, the Tories and Lib Dems have jointly tabled a motion opposing the new bill, saying the house arrest plans are "excessive". It argues decisions should be taken on a higher standard of proof and the plan "wrongly infringes the right to liberty" by failing to bring terrorists to trial where there is evidence. Mr Davis told Today: "It gives a minister, for the first time in modern history, the right to detain without trial, without showing the evidence and indeed, in some respects, almost the allegation against the individual concerned." He questioned why there was "such a rush" to introduce the legislation when Mr Clarke had indicated he was not planning to use the house arrest powers straight away. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "We believe it should be the judge that takes decisions, not politicians." Mr Clarke said the security services and police backed his measures and it would be "rash and negligent" to ignore their advice. Nobody should doubt that terrorists at home and abroad wanted to attack the UK and its interests, he argued. ', 'UK', 'Former NI minister Scott dies Former Northern Ireland minister Sir Nicholas Scott has died at a London hospice, his family has announced. The former Conservative MP for Kensington and Chelsea, died after a long illness diagnosed as Alzheimer\'s. The 71-year-old served in Northern Ireland from 1981 to 1987 during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. As a Northern Ireland minister he dealt with education and later security where he rode out the mass IRA escape from the Maze in 1983. In education, he encountered criticism over school closures and the future of the Catholic training colleges. He also merged the New University of Ulster and the Ulster Polytechnic to create the University of Ulster. Sir Nicholas was a strong defender of the Anglo-Irish Agreement and was held in esteem in Dublin government and SDLP circles. But he experienced hostility from unionists some of whom dubbed him "Minister of Discord". After leaving Northern Ireland in a reshuffle, he became a UK disability minister. Sir Nicholas was replaced as the member for Kensington and Chelsea by the flamboyant Alan Clark, after being deselected by his constituency in December 1996. His deselection followed a series of scandals including being found slumped in the street by police during the Tory Party conference in Bournemouth and taken back to his hotel. Sir Nicholas claimed strong painkillers he was taking for a back problem had reacted badly with a small amount of alcohol. After his sacking, he bitterly said that despite the support of Cabinet ministers and Tory backbenchers, the Eurosceptics in his constituency were "absolutely determined to get rid of me". His colourful career also included a very public disagreement with daughter Victoria over civil rights for the disabled. Sir Nicholas admitted he misled MPs when he denied his department had been involved in wrecking tactics designed to kill the Disability Bill in 1994. Victoria, a lobbyist for disabled rights, denounced her father\'s actions and heaped insult on injury when she joined the calls for him to resign. He joined the backbenches two months later. ', 'UK', 'Jowell confirms casino climbdown Tessa Jowell has announced plans to limit the number of new casinos in the UK to 24, in a move branded a "humiliating retreat" by the Tories. It puts an end to plans for up to 40 super casinos, originally outlined in the government\'s Gambling Bill. Instead there will be a cap of eight new casinos in each size category - small, medium and large. The Culture Secretary said the move showed she listened to critics who feared an explosion in gambling. But Conservative shadow culture secretary John Whittingdale said the way the government had handled the bill was a "shambles". "This announcement is a further humiliating retreat by the government. "Instead of the initial intention of the gambling bill, to liberalise the rules governing gambling, the bill now imposes a more restrictive regime than exists at present." Shares in British casino operators London Clubs International, Rank Group and Stanley Leisure, who had been hoping the bill would pave the way for a big expansion in smaller casinos, fell by between 10 and 25% following the announcement. Ms Jowell\'s deputy, Richard Caborn, said the government had adopted a cautious approach to the issue, and responded to the concerns raised. "Limiting the number of regional casinos to eight in the first phase is a cautious move that will allow us to test the impact of a new kind of casino on the levels of problem gambling," he said. "We also believe it\'s right to apply this same level of caution to small and large casinos." He added that local authorities would still be able to stop new casinos coming to their areas. Church groups welcomed the limit on the number of casinos. Salvation Army spokesman Jonathan Lomax said: "The proliferation of these casinos on high streets across the country was a real concern and the [three year] trial period, which we think should last at least five years, will enable research into the potentially severe social consequences of an increase in hard and addictive forms of gambling." But British British Casino Association Chairman Penny Cobham said her members were "outraged" by the decision, which followed a campaign in the Daily Mail newspaper. "There was never going to be a massive explosion of casinos. Talk of a casino on every High Street was just a scaring tactic." ', 'US', 'Cherie accused of attacking Bush Cherie Blair has been accused of criticising George W Bush\'s policies in a private address she gave during a United States lecture tour. The prime minister\'s wife is said to have praised the Supreme Court for overruling the White House on the legal rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees. The Tories said she broke a convention that British political figures do not act in a partisan way when abroad. But Downing Street said she was speaking in her capacity as a lawyer. It said she was not expressing political opinions. Mrs Blair\'s remarks are said to have been made in a speech to law students in Massachusetts. She said the decision by the US Supreme Court to give legal protection to two Britons held at Guantanamo Bay was a significant victory for human rights and the international rule of law. She also described the US legal code as an outdated grandfather clock and welcomed a decision to throw out a law backed by Mr Bush relating to sodomy in Texas. BBC news correspondent Gary O\'Donoghue said Mrs Blair was likely to face further calls for restraint, since the US election is imminent. "There have been some objections from people reasonably close to the Bush administration about her making these comments in their backyard just two days before a presidential election," he said. "Conservatives here too have made their feelings clear. "Cherie Booth has always regarded herself as having an independent career. She has continued to practise as a major human rights lawyer in the courts. "It\'s not unusual for her to make these sorts of criticisms clear but it can be embarrassing." ', 'UK', 'Tsunami \'won\'t divert Africa aid\' UK aid to help the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster will not take much needed relief from Africa, Prime Minister Tony Blair has promised. Mr Blair told the BBC\'s Breakfast with Frost show the money spent on the tsunami would not "invade" the money Britain wanted to spend on Africa. Questioned about the disaster, he said his faith in God had not been shaken. He added he would give new figures on the number of tsunami-related British deaths to the Commons on Monday. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Friday that about 440 Britons were either dead or missing in the disaster. Mr Blair told Sunday\'s programme: "Since Jack Straw gave those figures a couple of days ago they haven\'t moved a great deal, which should give us some hope that we are beginning to reach the peak of the numbers. But we just can\'t be sure. "It is just an immensely difficult job to get absolutely accurate figures, all countries are struggling with this." He said the £50 million originally allocated from the Department for International Development was now "well on the way" to being spent. But the exact allocation could not be clarified until the World Bank had completed its assessment of the needs of the countries affected. Within the next few weeks a clearer picture would emerge of the long-term costs of reconstruction, he added. But he pledged that Africa - which sees a "preventable" tsunami-size death toll every month from conflict, disease and poverty - would not be neglected. As Britain takes up its presidency of the G8 group of leading nations, Mr Blair said ministers had a big agenda for Africa. "For the first time we have a plan that won\'t just deal with aid and debt but will also deal on issues of governance within African countries and conflict resolution," he said. "A lot of the problems in Africa come from conflict, that again are preventable, but only with the right systems in place." ', 'UK', 'Game warnings \'must be clearer\' Violent video games should carry larger warnings so parents can understand what their children are playing, the trade and industry secretary has said. Patricia Hewitt is expected to call for the law banning the sale of 18-rated games to children to be enforced better at a games industry meeting on Sunday. She is concerned too many children are playing games aimed at adults which include "high levels of violence". Parents are expected to spend millions on video games as Christmas presents. Violent games have been hit by controversy after the game Manhunt was blamed by the parents of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah, who was stabbed to death in Leicester in February. His mother, Giselle, said her son\'s killer, Warren Leblanc, 17 - who was jailed for life in September - had mimicked behaviour in the game. Police investigating the Stefan\'s murder dismissed its influence and Manhunt was not part of its legal case. Ahead of Sunday\'s meeting in London, Ms Hewitt said she was proud of the UK\'s "vibrant games industry" but was concerned too many children were playing games which should only be sold to adults. Roger Bennett, head of gaming industry body ELSPA, said banning violent games would be wrong. He said: "We don\'t want to go down that route. We have seen that the government is supportive of the industry." The government is holding a further meeting on Friday with industry and retail representatives as well as the British Board of Film Classification to discuss how labelling can be made clearer. Ms Hewitt said: "Adults should be treated as adults and children as children. It is important that retailers respect the classifications and do not sell games with high levels of violence to minors. "Equally parents need to know what they might be buying for their children. "Video games are different to films or videos, and not all parents have grown up playing games in the way our children do. "We need to look carefully at how we improve content warnings and strengthen sales enforcement." Her call was backed by Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Tessa Jowell who said: "You wouldn\'t let your child watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You wouldn\'t let them go to a strip club. "So you shouldn\'t let them play an 18-rated game. It\'s the same principle - adults can make their own informed choices, but children can\'t always and need to be protected." Anyone convicted of selling an 18-rated game to a child can be jailed for six months and fined up to £5,000. Rockstar Games, the makers of Manhunt, has said in the past it markets its games responsibly and only targets its adverts at adults. ', 'UK', 'Howard rejects BNP\'s claim Tory leader Michael Howard has dismissed claims that his immigration policy was "moving onto the turf" of the British National Party (BNP). BNP leader Nick Griffin told the Independent he expected some BNP voters to switch to the Tories over the issue. But Mr Howard said he rejected the idea that the Tories and BNP appealed to the same voting instincts. Asked if he would welcome BNP voters he told the BBC: "I don\'t want anybody to vote for these extremist parties". He added, on BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme: "If you want good community relations in this country...then you have to have firm, fair immigration controls." The Tories have promised an upper limit on the number of people allowed into Britain with the slogan: "It\'s not racist to impose limits on immigration". All parties are stepping up campaiging in the run-up to the general election, widely expected to be called for 5 May. Labour has unveiled its own "points system" for ensuring migrants who want to work in the UK have skills that are required, but have rejected immigration quotas. The Liberal Democrats have warned both parties against "pandering to prejudice". Mr Griffin told the Independent the Tories\' plans were "a definite move onto our turf". He said: "I quite freely accept that on a nationwide basis, the Tories will con enough people to make a significant hole in our vote." Asked whether he was comfortable with the perception that the Conservatives and the BNP appeal to the same voting instincts, Mr Howard told the BBC: "I reject that entirely". He said he found BNP\'s policies "abhorrent" but he said the UK had to take a different approach to immigration, which he said was out of control. "The government doesn\'t want to limit it in any way, we do, there\'s a legitimate difference between us there which we can discuss in a calm, rational and reasonable way," he said. He again rejected newspaper speculation that his own father entered Britain illegally. ', 'Europe', 'Tories opposing 24-hour drinking The Tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control, despite backing a law change last year. Spokesman David Davis said ministers had failed to make his party aware of concern among senior police that plans would cause more anti-social behaviour. Notts police chief Steve Green said innocent people would suffer. But Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said a delay would be "disastrous" and she accused the Tories of opportunism. The government would go ahead with the changes which would give police more power to tackle excessive drinking, she added. Earlier chief constable Green questioned how his officers would be able to practically apply powers allowing them to shut down problem premises. "If you look at the Market Square in Nottingham, if a fight takes place which licensed premises do you go and lay the responsibilty at the door of?" he asked on BBC Radio 4\'s World at One programme. He warned that if drinking establishments were allowed to open until three or four in the morning the police would have to take officers off day shifts in order to do their job effectively at night. Earlier this year the Royal College of Physicians said it opposed the plan to extend drinking hours when there was already an "epidemic" of binge drinking. Minister Richard Caborn said the government was tackling the causes and the symptoms of the problem by allowing more powers to close down problem premises. It is hoped that allowing pubs and clubs to stay open longer will stagger closing times and end the current situation where drinkers spill on to the streets all at once. Earlier Tony Blair defended the plans against criticism from one of his own backbenchers. "My view of this is very clear: we should have the same flexibility that other countries have and then we should come down really hard on those who abuse that freedom and don\'t show the responsibility," he told MPs. "The law-abiding majority who want the ability, after going to the cinema or theatre say, to have a drink at the time they want should not be inconvenienced, we shouldn\'t have to have restrictions that no other city in Europe has, just in order to do something for that tiny minority who abuse alcohol, who go out and fight and cause disturbances. "To take away that ability for all the population - even the vast majority who are law abiding - is not, in my view, sensible." This week a judge claimed easy access to drink was breeding "urban savages" and turning town centres into no go areas. Judge Charles Harris QC made his remarks as he sentenced three men for assaults carried out while drunk and high on drugs after a night out. ', 'UK', 'New foot and mouth action urged A senior Tory MP has criticised agriculture department Defra\'s "lackadaisical" approach to planning for a future foot and mouth outbreak. Public accounts committee chairman Edward Leigh was giving his reaction to a report by a government watchdog on lessons to be learnt from the crisis. The National Audit Office said Defra had improved its capacity to deal with future livestock disease outbreaks. But Mr Leigh said the department was "dragging its heels". That comment referred to the setting up of a scheme to share any future compensation costs with industry. He also said Defra had been "dreadfully slow" in paying some of its bills dating from the foot and mouth crisis. The outbreak, which began in 2001, led to the slaughter of 6.5 million animals, devastated many farms and rural businesses, and is estimated to have cost the UK up to £8bn. "Four years after the outbreak, Defra is yet to begin its planned review of some of its contractors\' costs, and £40m of invoices remain unpaid," Mr Leigh said. Mr Leigh also pointed out that the introduction of an IT system to help control future outbreaks had been delayed. In November it emerged European Commission compensation amounted to just over a third of the money the UK government had hoped to get as reimbursement for the billions lost through the foot and mouth crisis. Ministers had hoped to get £900m from the European Union Vet Fund to help with animal slaughter and other costs but in the end was granted £349m. That was because the UK had valued the culled animals at between "two and three times" the commission\'s assessment of their likely market value. National Audit Office chief Sir John Bourn said a new compensation scheme was now being looked at. On the issue of the unpaid invoices, Sir John said Defra had paid 97% of the £1.3bn submitted by contractors since 2001, "but has not agreed a final settlement with 57 contractors pending the results of its investigations". Mr Leigh said being "better prepared" would also help avoid the need for "mass funeral pyres which provided an unsettling images of the 2001 outbreak". A Defra spokesman said: "We welcome the report. It acknowledges the progress the department has made since 2001 - particularly on contingency planning and our improved capacity and preparedness for combating another major disease outbreak. "However, the department is aware that there are some areas requiring further work and we are working to resolve them as soon as is practicable." ', 'Indonesia', 'Gurkhas to help tsunami victims Britain has offered to send a company of 120 Gurkhas to assist with the tsunami relief effort in Indonesia, Downing Street said. The deployment would involve troops from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, based in Brunei. Discussions have begun with Indonesia on the exact timing and location of the deployment, but the government said the offer was aimed at the Aceh province. Downing St said a similar offer might be made to the Sri Lankan government. However a spokesman pointed out that there were particular logistical difficulties in Indonesia which the Gurkhas might be able to help with. The spokesman said: "Following this morning\'s daily coordination meeting on the post-tsunami relief effort, the government has formally offered the Indonesian government the assistance of a company of British Army Gurkhas from 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles around 120 personnel and two helicopters. "This is in addition to the ships and aircraft we have already committed to the relief operation in the Indian Ocean." Indonesia was by far the country worst affected by the tsunami, with 94,000 of the 140,000 confirmed deaths so far. International Development Minister Gareth Thomas said the assistance offer would most likely focus on the northern province of Aceh. "We have offered the Gurkhas to help in the process of scaling up the relief effort, particularly in Aceh which is undoubtedly the hardest hit area in the Indian Ocean at the moment," he said. "We\'ve also had RAF aircraft flying in equipment which the UN desperately need in order to set up a truly effective relief operation on the ground in Aceh province as well." The offer comes as the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrives in Indonesia for a special summit meeting on the disaster. ', 'US', 'Abbas \'will not tolerate\' attacks Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said he will not tolerate attacks such as last Friday\'s suicide bombing in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. In an interview ahead of a meeting in London to discuss Palestinian reforms, Mr Abbas said such attacks were against Palestinian interests. The Palestinian Authority (PA) was exerting "a 100% effort" to end the violence, Mr Abbas added. The attack, which killed five, was the first of its kind since he took office. Mr Abbas confirmed Israel shared information with the PA in the hunt for the organisers of the attack. The Israeli government refuses to accept Syria\'s denials that it was implicated in the nightclub bombing. Israeli officials gave an intelligence briefing to foreign ambassadors on Monday, explaining Syria\'s alleged involvement. British foreign minister Jack Straw said there had been a "continuing stream" of information suggesting Palestinian militant groups were operating from within Syria. In an email interview in the British newspaper the Independent, Mr Abbas said: "We believe peace is possible now and we are ready to negotiate with Israel to reach a true and lasting peace based on justice and international legitimacy." He added: "We have an opportunity and it would be irresponsible if we, the Israelis, or the world allow it to slip away." Tuesday\'s meeting on Palestinian reform is being hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Also due to attend are US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, World Bank officials and foreign ministers from 23 European and Arab countries. The conference was a "vital step" in renewing the peace process, Mr Straw said. "It\'s a high-level attendance, which reflects the sense of momentum and opportunity created by recent events," he added. A spokesman for Mr Blair said the Prime Minister expected the conference to discuss "a comprehensive, co-ordinated and, above all, practical work plan for both the Palestinian Authority and the international community". Israel will not attend, but is said to be closely watching the outcome. ', 'UK', 'Top judge clashes with ministers The UK\'s top judge has revealed he has clashed with ministers about how the heads of public inquiries are chosen. Lord Woolf said he was determined his current veto on whether a judge should chair an inquiry should continue as a guard for judicial independence. But he told MPs the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, was insisting he should have the final say in such cases. Lord Hutton\'s inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly sparked debate about who should run inquiries. The government says the lord chancellor would be unlikely to go against Lord Woolf\'s wishes. Lord Woolf, who is Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, was giving evidence to the Commons public administration select committee\'s inquiry into public inquiries. He said he had not been involved in the choice of Lord Hutton, who as a law lord did not come under his jurisdiction. But he argued he should have a veto on whether judges generally should chair a particular inquiry and if so, which judge it should be. In written evidence to the committee, Lord Woolf said: "I have, so far, failed to reach an agreement with the lord chancellor on this issue ... I intend to maintain my position and will press for this safeguard to be in any future legislation." Judges should think carefully before heading an inquiry into a highly political issue, such as the intelligence on Iraq\'s weapons of mass destruction, he said. He argued: "The subject matter of the inquiry may be so political that it would be damaging to the judiciary for a judge to be involved. "In addition, the question of whether there should be an inquiry at all may be highly controversial and if a judge is appointed, the judiciary, as a result of the appointment, may be seen as siding inappropriately with the government." He told the MPs: "Anything that tends to undermine the confidence of the public in the judiciary worries me." Lord Woolf said the current rules were not written down but it was inconceivable in practice that the lord chancellor would overrule his concerns. But that situation could change with new legal reforms. The issue had been "overlooked" when a new agreement was drawn up about those responsibilities and the dispute had emerged in later discussions. "What I am asking for is a situation where if the lord chancellor cannot obtain my agreement [on appointing a judge], it doesn\'t happen," he said. Lord Woolf said he did not think there would be difficulties but he wanted to establish the principle. A Department for Constitutional Affairs spokeswoman said Lord Woolf and Lord Falconer agreed about what happened in practice. "Their disagreement is about whether the legislation should include a requirement for consultation or concurrence - a very narrow dispute, in Lord Woolf\'s words," she said. "As Lord Woolf also acknowledged, it is highly unlikely that the lord chancellor would appoint a judge against the wishes of the lord chief justice. "Judges are free to decide for themselves whether to accept positions as inquiry chairs." Parliament will examine the issue next year when it debates a new bill about public inquiries. ', 'Australia', 'Tory expert denies defeatism The Conservatives\' campaign director has denied a report claiming he warned Michael Howard the party could not win the next general election. The Times on Monday said Australian Lynton Crosby told the party leader to focus on trying to increase the Tories\' Commons presence by 25 to 30 seats. But Mr Crosby said in a statement: "I have never had any such conversation... and I do not hold that view." Mr Howard later added there was not "one iota" of truth in the report. The strategist helped Australia\'s PM, John Howard, win four elections. Mr Howard appointed Mr Crosby as his elections chief last October. Mr Crosby\'s statement said: "The Conservative Party has been making an impact on the issues of lower tax and controlled immigration over the past week." It added: "The Labour Party will be wanting to do all they can to distract attention away from the issues that really matter to people." ', 'UK', 'Schools to take part in mock poll Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government. Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. Pupils in the schools taking part will learn the skills of speech writers, canvassers and political candidates. Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said engaging young people\'s interest was "essential" to the future of democracy. He added: said "Young people who are engaged and motivated by the political process are essential to the future health of our democracy. "The mock elections initiative provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their own understanding of how the democratic process works and why it matters. "By experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future." The Hansard Society, the Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills are running the programme. Pupils will stand as party candidates, speech writers and canvassers. Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy." The mock votes will take place around 5 May, widely expected to be the date of the general election. Information packs, including ballot papers and manifesto guides, with elections happening in early May were sent out to the 3,000 schools invited to take part. ', 'UK', 'Blair dismisses quit claim report Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election. "You don\'t do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One\'s Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown\'s Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004. Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country. Mr Blair said: "I\'ve dealt with this six months ago. I said then you don\'t do deals over jobs like this - you don\'t. "What both of us are actually concentrating on are the issues that concern the country." The book, by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston and serialised in the newspaper, said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other. It claims Tony Blair felt by November 2003 he had lost voters\' trust because of the Iraq war and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party. And that at a dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott he told Mr Brown of his intention to stand down. According to Mr Peston the prime minister said: "Help me to get through the year and I will then stand down." But he then changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, according to the book. Mr Peston told BBC News: "My understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were. "What the book says is there is now a pretty profound mutual mistrust, mutual animosity. "I think in public you see this double-act pretending everything is alright, but in private I don\'t think the relationship is good because Brown, understandably, feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership." But, in a wide-ranging BBC interview covering issues such as the Asian tsunami disaster, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "When you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you. "All sorts of people make all sorts of claims and counter-claims." He admitted to a "sense of frustration" about the allegations which he said had been made "countless times". There has been fresh speculation of a rift recently, following their separate responses to the Asian tsunami. These rumours were fuelled by Mr Blair\'s decision to hold his monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other\'s response to the disaster. But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense". Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so. Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of "squabbling like schoolboys". He told Sky News\' Sunday with Adam Boulton: "This is the politics of the playground and Britain really does deserve better." The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government". "Either they need to grow up and put their squabbles to one side or they cannot expect the electorate to support a divided government at the next election." During the interview Mr Blair also said the former home secretary David Blunkett would play a "big role" at the general election. ', 'US', 'Clarke defends terror detentions The home secretary has defended his decision not to release foreign terror suspects despite a legal ruling their detention breached human rights laws. House of Lords law lords ruled against the detention measures last week. They said it was wrong to have one set of laws for foreign suspects and another for British suspects. New Home Secretary Charles Clarke said he would carefully consider the ruling and would return to Parliament early in the new year with proposals. He insisted that he would not be rushed into judgement but would examine the law lords\' findings in detail. "My duty is to look at first of all the security of this country and in so doing to consider very carefully the precise legal measures that there are." Mr Clarke\'s comments came in response to an emergency question from Liberal Democrat constitutional affairs spokesman David Heath. Mr Heath said the judgement contained "unprecedented condemnation and could not have been more unequivocal". He said he accepted the difficult balance between the nation\'s security and human rights but questioned why the home office had made "no contingency plans for the present circumstances". "These detainees should be prosecuted and tried. Simply renewing the present deeply unsatisfactory legislation is not an option." Shadow home secretary David Davis said it was not possible to overstate the importance of the judgment and urged the government to move as fast as "competently possible" to sort the problem out in the interests of natural justice. "If you do, we will give you every support." The law lords\' ruling came on Charles Clarke\'s first day as home secretary last Thursday following David Blunkett\'s resignation. In a statement on the same day, Mr Clarke said: "I will be asking Parliament to renew this legislation in the New Year. "In the meantime, we will be studying the judgment carefully to see whether it is possible to modify our legislation to address the concerns raised by the House of Lords." But the government was widely criticised for insisting the detentions would continue following the ruling last week. Lord Bingham - a senior law lord - said the rules were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights as they allowed detentions "in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status" by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects, but not Britons. Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, in his ruling, said: "Indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law." The detainees took their case to the House of Lords after the Court of Appeal backed the Home Office\'s powers to hold them without limit or charge. The government opted out of part of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 September attacks in the US. ', 'UK', 'Iraqis win death test case probe The family of an Iraqi civilian allegedly killed by UK troops have won a challenge against the government\'s refusal to order a full inquiry. The High Court ruled on Tuesday that Baha Mousa\'s death in British custody in Iraq fell within the European Convention on Human Rights. And the judges paved the way for an independent inquiry by saying previous investigations were inadequate. But judicial reviews into five other deaths in southern Iraq were ruled out. Their families will be appealing against the judgement. The families\' solicitor Phil Shiner described it as "a historic day for human rights and the rule of law in the UK". Father-of-two Mr Mousa, 28, a hotel receptionist, was arrested with eight men seized at a hotel in Basra in September 2003. He was allegedly beaten to death while in the custody of the Queen\'s Lancashire Regiment. The Iraqi families\' lawyer argued that failing to adequately investigate the death breached the European Convention on Human Rights. Ministry of Defence lawyers argued the UK-controlled area of southern Iraq was outside European jurisdiction. But Lord Justice Rix and Mr Justice Forbes ruled that UK jurisdiction could extend to a UK-run prison, but did not apply "to the total territory of another state". They said as Mr Mousa was in custody when he died, his case came within the UK\'s jurisdiction. The other five Iraqis did not die in custody, so their cases had to fail, they said. And it was difficult to say that the investigation which had already occurred "has been timely, open or effective", the judges said. After the ruling Carla Ferstman, legal director of the human rights organisation Redress, said: "It is not enough for the military to investigate behind closed doors. "There must be an effective public investigation by an independent official body. Only such an investigation could reveal what really happened and who might be responsible." Other allegations involving British soldiers included the shooting of an Iraqi police commissioner and the shooting of four Iraqi civilians in May 2003. Both sides were granted permission to appeal. Prime Minister Tony Blair\'s official spokesman said: "Obviously we will need to study this detailed judgment. I would point out, however, that a separate criminal case is currently being considered by the army prosecuting authority. "I can\'t say anything further for obvious reasons. The MoD are considering whether to appeal." But former British Commander Colonel Bob Stewart said : "Anyone at the top [of the military] will be saddened by the verdict that has taken place but will say: \'If there\'s a case to answer, let\'s have it out. Because we don\'t want people thinking that British soldiers beat up civilians and get away with it\'," he said. "The Ministry of Defence does everything in its power to try to prove we act ethically and properly under the rules of war." ', 'UK', 'Kilroy unveils immigration policy Ex-chatshow host Robert Kilroy-Silk has attacked UK policy on immigration saying Britain\'s open door approach is hitting low wage "indigenous" workers. The Veritas leader said the only people to benefit from immigrants from places like Poland were employers, landlords, members of the \'metropolitan elite\'. The MEP said his party would only admit foreigners who were required because they had specific skills to offer. And he argued asylum cost £2bn a year for 14,000 successful applicants. Mr Kilroy-Silk said that worked out at £143,000 per successful asylum seeker. He said Veritas wanted to grant an amnesty for all those in Britain claiming asylum and who have children and deport everyone else. Britain should take its fair share of asylum seekers under the United Nations Convention on Human Rights, he argued. And Mr Kilroy-Silk said he wanted to spend an extra £500m a year to help provide for refugees abroad. ', 'UK', 'MPs assess Scots fishing industry A group of MPs are on a two-day fact-finding mission to Scotland to gather evidence for a report into the UK\'s fishing industry. Members of Westminster\'s environment, food and rural affairs committee will be touring fish markets and talking to fish processors. They will also talk to Fisheries Minister Ross Finnie and scientists. MPs are deciding whether to recommend a new system of "community quotas" to conserve fish stocks. The aim is that fishing ports like Peterhead or Fraserburgh would be allocated a quota and local people would decide how to fish it. The scheme is a variation on the local management committees already being established by the European Union. Details are contained in a Royal Commission report for the UK Government, along with the more controversial idea of closing some mixed fishing grounds completely. Six members of the committee will be in Scotland to seek views from fishermen and processors in Aberdeen and Peterhead. They will also speak to Mr Finnie, representatives of the Royal Society and the Sea Fish Industry Authority. Committee chairman Austin Mitchell said some way has to be found of harvesting mixed fisheries without wasting stocks. ', 'US', 'Research fears over Kelly\'s views Scientists have expressed concerns that new education secretary Ruth Kelly\'s religious views could hamper vital scientific research. Ms Kelly, who is Catholic, is reported to be "pro-life" and has opposed embryo research. Medical Research Council Professor Nancy Rothwell said Ms Kelly\'s views mattered as she was responsible for training future scientists. The Department for Education and Skills would not comment on the concerns. A spokeswoman said: "It is not news that Ms Kelly is a Catholic but we are not going into any details on this." But she added that claims Ms Kelly was in charge of a £1bn university research budget were not true. It was down to the Higher Education Funding Council and the research councils to decide on universities\' research allocations. British law is open to the cloning of human embryos to create stem cells, master cells that can develop into all the body\'s tissue types. This cloning activity is not permitted for reproductive purposes - only for research into new disease treatments. However, it is controversial because it involves the destruction of embryos. Professor Rothwell, who is also vice-president of research at Manchester University, told the Times Higher Education Supplement it would worry her "a great deal" if ministers were anti-stem cell. She said: "The views of ministers in the DfES do matter as they are responsible for training the next generation of scientists. "You can\'t have a higher education policy that is at odds with the government\'s science policy." Head of developmental genetics at the National Institute of Medical Research, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, said he had witnessed the confused situation in the US where many religious groups opposed the practice. He said: "If someone as senior as Ruth Kelly is not going to favour stem cell research we will end up with a similarly schizophrenic system in this country. It is very worrying." But fertility expert Lord Winston said he thought it was "rather good" ministers held ethical views. Concerns have also been raised by "pro-choice" organisations that Ms Kelly\'s views might affect sex education policy in schools. Family Planning Association chief executive, Anne Weyman, said teaching pupils about contraception and abortion were key. "Young people must be informed about all the issues within sexual health, which include contraception and abortion. "I think it is very important that the government maintains its commitment to the teenage pregnancy strategy." Currently, individual schools devise their own sex education policies based on a framework provided by the DfES. Ms Kelly has not set out her detailed views on either issue yet, but has said she intends to put parents first in education policy. This would include the quality of teaching, classroom discipline and academic standards in schools, she said. ', 'UK', 'Student \'inequality\' exposed Teenagers from well-off backgrounds are six times more likely to go to university than those from the most deprived areas, a report says. The Higher Education Funding Council for England said more people went to university between 1994 and 2000. But the percentage of poorer students "hardly changed at all", said its chief executive, Sir Howard Newby. Increasingly more women than men went to university, while tuition fees and student loans made no major difference. The Hefce report, drawing on child benefits data, said teenagers in the richest areas could expect a better than 50% chance of going to university, while in the poorest neighbourhoods it was 10%. Participation at constituency level ranged from 69% in Kensington and Chelsea, 65% in the City of London and Westminster and 62% in Sheffield Hallam, down to 10% in Bristol South and Leeds Central and 8% in Nottingham North and Sheffield Brightside. Sir Howard said the report highlighted the "entrenched divisions" between rich and poor areas, but added it was a social as much as an educational problem. He told BBC News: "We know, once children from deprived backgrounds get into university, they do very well. In fact surprisingly more go into postgraduate study than those from more affluent backgrounds. "The issue is, I think, one of raising aspirations amongst those families and those communities that university is something for them and not for other people." He said by the time universities traditionally dealt with pupils, between the ages of 16 and 18, it was too late. Instead they should be reaching out to communities and schools much earlier, even down to primary school level, to persuade them a university education was something they could aspire to, he said. But while the report revealed stark inequalities and exposed the extent of the challenge, there were some encouraging findings, he added. Tuition fees and student loans in England and Wales - and the different fee regime in Scotland - did not seem to have affected the choices of young people, even the poorest. The report also showed women were 18% more likely than men to enter higher education in 2000 - up from 6% in 1994. In the poorest areas, the gap was 30% in women\'s favour and growing faster than anywhere else. The Higher Education Minister, Kim Howells, said: "We are working in schools to raise the attainment and aspiration of young people in disadvantaged areas." Higher standards in schools would lead to greater participation in higher education. From 2006 upfront tuition fees in England would be removed, with grants for the less well off. The shadow education secretary, Tim Collins, said: "It is clear from this report that children from disadvantaged areas are far more likely to have encountered poor standards in their secondary education. "Tackling these must be the top priority for any government looking to improve university access." The group which represents university vice-chancellors, Universities UK, said the new system of deferred fees in England, due to start in 2006, with grants and bursaries for poorer students, would encourage more of them to go into higher education. The National Union of Students argued the opposite - that the situation was "likely to get much worse, with poorer students being restricted in choice and having to make decisions based on their financial situation rather than aspiration". The tables below show the participation rate for each Parliamentary constituency in Britain: ', 'US', 'No election TV debate, says Blair Tony Blair has said he will not take part in a TV debate with his political rivals ahead of the next election. "We answer this every election campaign and, for the reasons I have given before, the answer is no," he said at his monthly news conference. In October Tory leader Michael Howard said Mr Blair would be running scared if he refused calls to go head-to-head. In recent years the leader of the opposition has always called for a debate, although it has never happened. Before the 2001 election, plans for a debate between Mr Blair, William Hague and Charles Kennedy collapsed. In 1997 a debate between Mr Blair and John Major was also cancelled when a format could not be agreed. Televised debates have become the high point of the US presidential election campaigns. ', 'UK', "What the election should really be about? A general election is the best chance most pressure groups get to make a real impact on government policy. Here is how six leading lobbies plan to make sure their cause is being debated ahead of an expected Spring poll. We've called for the state pension to be increased from £79.60 to the pensioner credit guarantee level of £105.45. That's what we're calling for. Many pensioners are disadvantaged by the current system. If we've got one in five pensioners below the poverty line, we've got to make it more generous or have these people living in poverty. We've drawn up a pensioners' manifesto. This will be sent to each of the candidates in the 659 constituencies. They will be asked which of the top five issues, including the pension issue, they would support. Once we've got their responses we will publish the results within the constituencies and nationally as well. It's our way of putting the politicians on notice. We are trying to get across the fact that there are 11m voters over 60 in the country, they are more likely to vote than other sections of society and thirdly they are true swing voters. Before 1997 most pensioners voted Conservative. In 1997 and 2001 they voted Labour. But there is no guarantee they will vote for a Labour government this time around. They cannot take that vote for granted. Pensions generally will certainly be a big election issue even though the government has postponed the publication of Adair Turner's full report into the issue. He said the UK had one of the least generous pensions systems in the developed world. That the government takes seriously the impact of aviation on the environment. We haven't worked out specific plans but I imagine we will lobby political parties and incumbent MPs. Various local groups will do that in their particular areas and we will provide a national briefing. We don't have any large demonstrations planned but they can't be ruled out. It is hard to say whether we will be successful. We have got the issue in the public consciousness to an extent, but it is difficult to say whether an election will raise its importance in the public mind or whether it will be pushed out by big issues like Iraq. Repealing the Hunting Bill. We are challenging the use of the Parliament Act 1949 in a High Court action. We are hoping to hear in the New Year. Whichever way the court rules the other side will appeal so we expect it to fall plumb in electioneering time. When the ban comes into force on 18 February we will be going to the European Court because no compensation is being paid. So there's a lot of legal territory to go. We are trying to engage with the ministers by demonstrating and talking. Whatever intelligence we get we will try to turn up and speak to whoever it is. (Rural affairs minister) Alun Michael has avoided us and cancelled engagements so that makes it difficult. It is not intimidatory - on the whole it is groups of angry housewives. Of course there is an element of shouting because people are angry but there is no violence because that does not achieve anything. It will fall plumb in the run up to the most important general election Tony Blair will ever face. It's exactly what the prime minister did not want. He wanted the issue off the table until after the election. People using live animals as targets for sport both here and abroad. The reason for including abroad is because of trophy hunting. It is another sort of form of shooting for sport. The principle is the same whether it's a tiger or a pheasant. We will widely publicise what's happening in relation to trophy hunting. We will publicise the darker aspects of the target animal industry the UK. We will seek to get pledges from individual MPs and would-be MPs saying that they are against the use of animals as targets for sports. We would like the support of political parties but I think a general election is very much to do with pledges MPs make to their electors. With hunting we had many MPs who were happy to say they were against it. I think what we will get is a very real climbing up the agenda. Whether or not we will get a ban I am not sure. But it will mobilise public opinion. Everything we do will reduce animal suffering and in time that will lead to a ban. The issue that we think is the most important for this election is choice. The language of consumerism is very commonplace in government and across the political spectrum. Choice as an ideology is beginning to be the privatisation of this decade. It's become an issue in itself but what's really missing from the debate is the consumer's choice in that. Choice is not choice at all if all you have to choose from is two failing schools. We have seen so many pensions mis-selling scandals and in the pensions industry there's a maximum of choice but a minimum quality in that. We want choice on the consumer's terms - that means clear and accessible information to operate that choice. Firstly, we have our website. It features our campaigns and changes every day. Secondly through our 700,000 members who communicate with us. Thirdly through the media and also what we will be doing is holding a pre-election conference. We will invite the opinion formers, MPs, journalists and others. The idea is that we open up communications between members of the public and the politicians. I think we will be successful. It's very much the language being used by the main political parties. Politicians on all sides are very sensitive to this issue they want to be seen to be responding to this issue. Fuel duty is a large part of operational costs for road haulage workers. We have been hearing about this proposed increase of 1.92p per litre that Gordon Brown has been postponing and postponing. Tuppence does not sound like a great deal but every year if you operate one vehicle that's an increase of about £750. If you're running 10 vehicles it's obviously 10 times that. If fuel duty does rise we will be absolutely horrified. There will be a huge effect throughout the industry and I would not be surprised if you see widespread demonstrations. What it will mean is there will be a number of firms going out of business. We will continue to do what we have always done we keep the issue in the trade press. Regrettably it's one of those stories that it is getting harder to get into the national press. Whatever we do, the public don't like lorries - they see us as a complaining minority. But they don't realise that when you see a car on the road it is probably going to work, when you see a lorry it's already at work. ", 'UK', 'Blair \'said he would stand down\' Tony Blair promised Gordon Brown he would stand down before the next election, a new book about the chancellor claims. But the prime minister changed his mind following intervention from allies in the Cabinet, according to the book. The book by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other. The book, Brown\'s Britain, said Tony Blair felt by November 2003 he had lost voters\' trust. The author\'s sources, all unnamed "allies" of Mr Blair and Mr Brown, said the prime minister felt the Iraq war had undermined him and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party. The book, serialised in the Sunday Telegraph, alleges that Mr Blair told the chancellor at a dinner hosted by deputy PM John Prescott in November 2003 of his intention to stand down. "At that stage he saw Gordon Brown and said, \'look you are the next most influential member of the government, I need your help to get through the next year," Mr Peston said. "I myself recognise that I\'m going to have to stand down before the election but help me to get through the year and I will then stand down.\'" But he changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, the book claims. Mr Peston told BBC News: "My understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were. "What the book says is there now a pretty profound mutual mistrust, mutual animosity. "I think in public you see this double act pretending everything is alright but in private I don\'t think the relationship is good because Brown, understandably, feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership." There has been fresh speculation of a rift recently, following their separate responses to the Asian tsunami. Rumours of a rift were fuelled by the sudden decision to hold Mr Blair\'s monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other\'s response to the disaster. Former welfare minister Frank Field MP criticised the reported rivalry between the pair on GMTV\'s Sunday Programme. "What sort of model does it give to the nation when the two most important political leaders do nothing but fight it out together or use their aides to fight it out?" the Labour MP for Birkenhead asked. He said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so. Conservative policy co-ordinator David Cameron, MP for Witney, added: "If it wasn\'t so serious it would be funny. "But it is serious - you\'ve got the two most senior people in the government not concentrating on fighting crime, poverty or dirty hospitals - they are fighting each other." Carol Walker, BBC News 24 political correspondent, added: "There is a real concern that this could undermine the general election campaign. "And clearly it is very bad news for the government at a time when it is trying to explain what it is doing to respond to the terrible problems thrown up by the tsunami disaster." ', 'UK', 'Blair dismisses quit claim report Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election. "You don\'t do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One\'s Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown\'s Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004. Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country. Mr Blair said: "I\'ve dealt with this six months ago. I said then you don\'t do deals over jobs like this - you don\'t. "What both of us are actually concentrating on are the issues that concern the country." The book, by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston and serialised in the newspaper, said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other. It claims Tony Blair felt by November 2003 he had lost voters\' trust because of the Iraq war and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party. And that at a dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott he told Mr Brown of his intention to stand down. According to Mr Peston the prime minister said: "Help me to get through the year and I will then stand down." But he then changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, according to the book. Mr Peston told BBC News: "My understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were. "What the book says is there is now a pretty profound mutual mistrust, mutual animosity. "I think in public you see this double-act pretending everything is alright, but in private I don\'t think the relationship is good because Brown, understandably, feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership." But, in a wide-ranging BBC interview covering issues such as the Asian tsunami disaster, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "When you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you. "All sorts of people make all sorts of claims and counter-claims." He admitted to a "sense of frustration" about the allegations which he said had been made "countless times". There has been fresh speculation of a rift recently, following their separate responses to the Asian tsunami. These rumours were fuelled by Mr Blair\'s decision to hold his monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other\'s response to the disaster. But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense". Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so. Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of "squabbling like schoolboys". He told Sky News\' Sunday with Adam Boulton: "This is the politics of the playground and Britain really does deserve better." The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government". "Either they need to grow up and put their squabbles to one side or they cannot expect the electorate to support a divided government at the next election." During the interview Mr Blair also said the former home secretary David Blunkett would play a "big role" at the general election. ', 'UK', 'Brown in appeal for Labour unity Gordon Brown has made an appeal for unity after reports claimed Mr Blair went back on a pledge to stand down before the next general election. The chancellor would not comment on the reports, but insisted he would not be "diverted or distracted" from tackling the challenges faced by the country. His only "motivation" was to ensure Labour was re-elected, he insisted. Mr Blair earlier dismissed the claim he had reneged on a promise to stand aside for Gordon Brown as old news. According to a new book, Brown\'s Britain by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004. In an interview with BBC One\'s Breakfast with Frost, Mr Blair said: "I\'ve dealt with this six months ago. I said then you don\'t do deals over jobs like this - you don\'t. "What both of us are actually concentrating on are the issues that concern the country." In a separate interview with BBC political editor Andrew Marr, Mr Brown said: "It\'s very important that we all do what we can in a unified way to ensure the election of a Labour government. "I think it is very important to stress that that is the motivation that I have. "That is my purpose in politics, and that is what every day I seek to do. And I am not going to be diverted or distracted, nor is Tony Blair, by newspaper stories or books or rumours or gossip. "The only reason why we are in government is to get on with the job in a unified way to deal with the challenges facing this country." Mr Brown also said he had discussed the general election campaign with the prime minister on Saturday and pledged to play his part as he had been asked to do. But Mr Peston said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other and that Mr Blair had decided in November 2003 he would quit because he felt he had lost voters\' trust because of the Iraq war. He then changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, according to the book. Andrew Marr said: "This is enormously damaging. Gordon Brown knows it as well as Tony Blair. "I think the relationship is genuinely, privately, very poor indeed. Things are very difficult." He added: "Lots of ministers believe Tony Blair will attempt to move Gordon Brown out of the Treasury after the election. "That depends on whether there\'s still a Labour government and their majority." Senior MPs are expected to raise concerns about the latest reports of infighting at the regular meeting of Labour backbenchers on Monday. Health Secretary John Reid said those fuelling such reports were damaging Labour\'s re-election chances and would not be easily forgiven. Fresh speculation of a rift recently followed Mr Blair and Mr Brown\'s separate responses to the Asian tsunami. These rumours were fuelled by Mr Blair\'s decision to hold his monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other\'s response to the disaster. But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense". Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of"squabbling like schoolboys". Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government". ', 'UK', 'Howard taunts Blair over splits Tony Blair\'s feud with Gordon Brown is damaging the way the UK is governed, Tory leader Michael Howard has claimed in a heated prime minister\'s questions. Mr Howard asked: "How can they fight crime when they are fighting each other?" That question was later unveiled as the headline for new Tory campaign posters. But Mr Blair dismissed the talk of splits and said people\'s priorities at the next elections would be on the economic successes achieved by Labour. "He can stick up whatever he likes on billboards about something in a book but what the public will concentrate on are the low mortgages, low inflation, low unemployment that we delivered and that he failed to," he said. The chancellor is currently on a high-profile tour of Africa to highlight new anti-poverty plans. But before doing so, he insisted he still trusted Mr Blair, despite claims to the contrary in a new book. Brown\'s Britain, by Robert Peston, says there is mutual animosity between the two men. It claims Mr Blair said in November 2003 he would stand down as prime minister before the next election. But he went back on his pledge after support from Cabinet allies and suspicion that Mr Brown was manoeuvring against him, it says. Mr Peston\'s book claimed that Mr Brown told Mr Blair: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe." Mr Blair directly denied that quote on Wednesday. He again insisted there could be no deals about the premiership but twice declined directly to say whether or not he had offered to quit. The Tory leader countered that such agreements had been struck twice at dinners with the chancellor. He declared: "He is the deals on meals prime minister. No wonder the chancellor is not a happy eater." He continued: "How can there be discipline in schools when there is no discipline in government, how can they clean up our hospitals when they don\'t clean up their act?" Mr Blair said he would not respond to "tittle tattle in books" and promised to hail Labour\'s record on the economy, waiting lists and law and order "from now until polling day". Later at their poster launch Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said his party would exploit opportunities to show how "juvenile" the prime minister and chancellor were. Labour staged a show of unity at its own poster launch on Tuesday, where Mr Brown was joined by Alan Milburn, who Mr Blair controversially put in charge of election planning in place of the chancellor. But Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy told BBC News: "The government is clearly split at the top. This kind of cosmetic exercise does not persuade anybody." Later this week Mr Blair is expected to outline the direction of his party\'s next election manifesto. The prime minister and chancellor faced backbench discontent at Monday\'s meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party over claims made Mr Peston\'s book. ', 'Russia', 'How political squabbles snowball It\'s become commonplace to argue that Blair and Brown are like squabbling school kids and that they (and their supporters) need to grow up and stop bickering. But this analysis in fact gets it wrong. It\'s not just children who fight - adults do too. And there are solid reasons why even a trivial argument between mature protagonists can be hard to stop once its got going. The key feature of an endless feud is that everyone can agree they\'d be better off if it ended - but everyone wants to have the last word. Each participant genuinely wants the row to stop, but thinks it worth prolonging the argument just a tiny bit to ensure their view is heard. Their successive attempts to end the argument with their last word ensure the argument goes on and on and on. (In the case of Mr Blair and Mr Brown, successive books are published, ensuring the issues never die.) Now this isn\'t because the participants are stupid - it\'s actually each individual behaving entirely rationally, given the incentives facing them. Indeed, there\'s even a piece of economic theory that explains all this. Nothing as obscure as "post-neo-classical endogenous growth theory" which the chancellor himself once quoted - but a ubiquitous piece of game theory which all respectable policy wonks are familiar with. It\'s often referred to as the "prisoner\'s dilemma", based on a parable much told in economics degree courses... about a sheriff and two prisoners. The story goes that two prisoners are jointly charged with a heinous crime, and are locked up in separate cells. But the sheriff desperately needs a confession from at least one of them, to provide enough evidence to convict them of the crime. Without a confession, the prisoners will get a minimal sentence on some trumped up charge. Clearly the prisoners\' best strategy is to keep their mouths shut, and take the short sentence, but the clever sheriff has an idea to induce them to talk. He tells each prisoner separately, that if they confess - and they are the only one to confess - they\'ll be let off their crime. And he tells them that if they don\'t confess - and they are the only one not to confess - they\'ll get life. Now, if you are prisoner confronted with this choice, your best bet is to confess. If your partner doesn\'t confess, you\'ll get off completely. And if your partner does confess, you\'d better confess to ensure you don\'t get life. The result is of course, both prisoners confess, so the sheriff does not have to let either one off. Both prisoners\' individual logic was to behave that way, even though both would have been better if they had somehow agreed to shut up. Don\'t worry if you don\'t entirely follow it - you can to look it up on Google, where there are 283,000 entries on it. The prisoners\' dilemma and all its ramifications have truly captured economists in the last couple of decades. It is a parable used to describe any situation where there is an obvious sensible choice to be taken collectively, but where the only rational choice individually is to behave selfishly. A cold war arms race for example - a classic case where both Russia and America would be better off with just a few arms, rather than a lot of arms. But as long as each wants just a few more arms than the other, an arms race ensues with the results that the individually logical decision to buy more arms, results in arms levels that are too high. What economics tells us is that once you\'re in a prisoners\' dilemma - unless you are repeating the experience many times over - it\'s hard to escape the perverse logic of it. It\'s no good just exhorting people to stop buying arms, or to stop arguing when all their incentives encourage them to carry on. Somehow, the incentives have to change. In the case of the Labour Party, if you believe the rift between Blair and Brown camps is as bad as the reports suggest, Solomon\'s wisdom needs to be deployed to solve the problem. Every parent knows there are ingenious solutions to arguments, solutions which affect the incentives of the participants. An example, is the famous rule that "one divides, the other chooses" as a way of allocating a piece of cake to be sliced up between greedy children. In the case of an apparently endless argument, if you want it to come to an end, you have to ensure the person who has the last word is one who loses rather than the one who wins the row. The cost of prolonging the row by even one more briefing, or one more book for that matter, has to exceed the benefit of having the last word, and getting your point in. If the rest of the party can enforce that, they\'ll have the protagonists retreating pretty quickly. ', 'UK', '\'Best person\' for top legal job The "best person for the job" should be appointed lord chancellor, and not necessarily a lawyer or MP, the courts minister has told MPs. Under reforms, the post of lord chancellor is to be stripped of its judicial functions. "The lord chancellor...no more needs to be a lawyer than the Secretary of Health needs to be a doctor," said courts minister Christopher Leslie. The Constitutional Reform Bill was entering its second reading on Monday. Mr Leslie said: "The prime minister should be able to appoint the best person for the job whether they sit in the House of Lords or the House of Commons." Under the reforms, the Law Lords will also be replaced as the UK\'s highest legal authority by a Supreme Court and judges will be appointed by an independent panel rather than ministers. In December the Lords rejected a plea by current Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer that the holder of the job should not necessarily be a lawyer or a peer. The peers voted by 229 to 206 to say in law that lord chancellors must also be peers. The debate was carried over from the last Parliamentary session, but with an impending general election time is crucial for the government to get the Bill passed. Mr Leslie said it was irrelevant whether the post was called Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs or Lord Chancellor. He said: "What matters most is...whether it is reformed so that the post holder no longer has those conflicting duties. "It is no longer appropriate for a government minister to have such unfettered discretion in the appointment of judges." Shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve criticised the government on its plans to change what he said was an "exceptional institution," providing a "champion of the independence of the judiciary". The government had initially proposed to take this institution and "smash it to pieces," Mr Grieve said. Convention should be "nurtured and celebrated," but the government distrusted and disliked it instead. He warned that unless ministers backed down over the lord chancellor remaining a member of the House of Lords, the government would have "great difficulty" in getting the Bill through Parliament. Former Cabinet minister Douglas Hogg, whose father and grandfather served as lord chancellor, said the Bill was "largely unnecessary, bureaucratic and expensive". But the Tory MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham admitted the lord chancellor\'s role and office "cannot be frozen in aspic". ', 'US', 'Amnesty chief laments war failure The lack of public outrage about the war on terror is a powerful indictment of the failure of human rights groups, Amnesty International\'s chief has said. In a lecture at the London School of Economics, Irene Khan said human rights had been flouted in the name of security since 11 September, 2001. She said the human rights movement had to use simpler language both to prevent scepticism and spread a moral message. And it had to fight poverty, not just focus on political rights for elites. Ms Khan highlighted detentions without trial, including those at the US camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and the abuse of prisoners as evidence of increasing human rights problems. "What\'s a new challenge is the way in which this age-old debate on security and human rights has been translated into the language of war," she said. "By using the language of war, human rights are being sidelined because we know human rights do not apply in times of war." Ms Khan said such breaches were infectious and were now seen in almost very major country in the world. "The human rights movement faces a crisis of faith in the value of human rights," she said. That was accompanied by a crisis of governance, where the United Nations system did not seem able to hold countries to account. The Amnesty secretary-general said a growing gap between the perceived influence of human rights group and what they could actually achieve was fuelling scepticism. "Public passivity on the war against terror is the single most powerful indictment on the failures of human rights groups," she said. Ms Khan said the movement had failed to mobilise public outrage about what was happening to the human rights system. There needed to be a drive to use simpler language, talking about the basic morality of the issues rather than the complexity of legal processes. Such efforts could make the issues more relevant to people across the world, she said. The human rights groups also had to recognise there were new groups which had to be tackled in new ways as power dripped away from state governments. Al-Qaeda, for example, was not going to be impressed by a traditional Amnesty letter writing campaign. More also needed to be done to develop a human rights framework for international business corporations. Amnesty International members voted in 2001 to extend the organisation\'s work from political and civil rights to cover social and economic rights too. Ms Khan said the human rights movement would make itself irrelevant if it turned away from the suffering caused by economic strife. "We would be an elitist bunch working for the elites, for those who cannot read the newspaper of their choice rather than those who cannot read," she said. Despite her concerns, Ms Khan dubbed herself a "hope-monger", saying she was confident the passions of the human rights movement could overcome the new challenges. ', 'UK', 'Kennedy\'s cautious optimism Charles Kennedy is far too canny to make any grand claims about how his party may fare at the general election. In his 22 years in the Commons, he has seen his fair share of such claims dashed on the rocks of bitter experience and, he might say, the UK\'s political and electoral system. But even his caution cannot hide the fact that this is a party and a leader that believes it may well be on the way to something special in a few months\' time. "Look, I have already said I am not going to put any artificial limits on our ambitions this time around," he said. He still seems to accept that the most likely outcome is another Labour victory of some sort. And his general election pitch is designed around the notion of the Lib Dems as the "real" opposition. But doesn\'t that lead to the jibe that his is a party actively bidding to come second? He is prepared to go this far: "A clear conclusion has been reached, including by Conservatives, that the Conservatives are not going to win this election. "Therefore the potential is there for the Liberal Democrat advance to be one of the big stories of the election, given that we have the capacity to take on Labour and win as well as take on the Conservatives and win. "This is really going to be the first modern three party UK election that we have all experienced". But haven\'t we been here before, with suggestions in the 1980s that Labour was finished. Won\'t voters looking for an alternative to Labour still naturally gravitate to the Conservatives? "The problem is that, geographically, the Conservative party has melted away in about a third of Britain. "We have supplanted them as the main alternative to Labour in whole tracts of mainland Britain. And they are a party with an ageing and declining membership base and they just do not look vibrant or vital or in touch any longer with contemporary Britain". Mr Kennedy is also eager to dispel any impression his party is the new party of the left and is likely to attract mostly disillusioned Labour voters. He insists his three headline commitments, to be financed from a 1% tax increase on those earning over £100,000 a year, will appeal right across the political spectrum. They are to replace the council tax with a local income tax, provide free long term care for the elderly and scrap student fees. He also believes being the only major party promising to increases taxes will not land him in the same trouble a similar policy did to Old Labour. "I think the tax argument has moved on a lot in British politics particularly in the context of the forthcoming general election," he said. Under a Labour government the tax burden would have to rise, while the Tories\' plans to increase spending in some areas while also reducing taxes is just incredible, he claims. "We are being straightforward with people, saying you know there is likely to be an increase in the tax burden, we are only recommending one specific tax rise for the top end of income scale earners to fund three specific policies". "That is a clear cut choice for people, one I am very comfortable with and I think will distinguish us from the others". As to his own future, he is clear. If, as expected, his party increases its showing at the election, he intends to go into the next parliament "on the front foot with a view to leading it right through that parliament into the next election because I see that as the decisive opportunity for us". That last remark reflects a view gaining ground in Westminster that, if the Tories do as badly as some fear, the election after next might really see that historic breakthrough by the third party. Perhaps then Mr Kennedy will be ready to put some of the caution to one side. ', 'EU', 'UKIP candidate suspended in probe Eurosceptic party UKIP have suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed. John Houston, 54, was due to stand in the East Kilbride seat in Lanarkshire at the next election. But he was suspended after his reported views, including the return of the British Empire, were sent to two Scottish newspapers. UKIP spokesman Mark Croucher said those who selected Mr Houston knew nothing of his views. The episode comes at a difficult time for UKIP, soon after the high-profile departure of MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk. Mr Houston is alleged to have said that the organs of the criminally insane should be "made available to law-abiding members of the community" and proposed the legalisation of drugs and the sex trade. The document reportedly said: "We\'re looking for the resurrection of the British Empire. "The problems for the human race - environmental and others - can only be dealt with on a global scale, and that calls for a radical alliance of the English-speaking nations, which they are uniquely able to do." Mr Croucher said the main issue would be that Mr Houston\'s reported views had been presented as UKIP policy, which they were not. He said they might have been submissions to a committee working on the party\'s manifesto, but would not have been matched to Mr Houston when he was standing to become a candidate. He told BBC News: "He appears to have said these things. We have suspended him as a member and as a candidate. "By all accounts none of this was mentioned at his selection meeting. "It is simply a distraction from the task in hand, the EU constitution, not individual idiocies." Mr Houston was quoted in the Herald newspaper saying: "I feel UKIP have over-reacted and overshot the runway." Peter Nielson, who is UKIP Scotland chairman, said he had suspended Mr Houston on Friday night. "He will remain suspended while the matter is being investigated and then we will decide if and what further action will be taken." He said that any evidence would be looked into and Mr Houston may be interviewed by the party. He added: "I can\'t comment too much at the moment, I have one version from him but I haven\'t seen the papers yet." ', 'UK', 'New UKIP defection to \'Veritas\' The UK Independence Party has lost one of its two London Assembly members to Robert Kilroy-Silk\'s new political party, expected to launch on Wednesday. Damian Hockney said ex-chatshow host Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a eurosceptic party. He said Mr Kilroy-Silk had made him deputy party leader of Veritas, Latin for truth. Sources close to Mr Hockney said around eight other members of London UKIP were also planning to jump ship. Details of the coming week\'s events were hammered out at a meeting at Mr Kilroy-Silk\'s Buckinghamshire home on Sunday, the BBC News Website was told. The news came after UKIP suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed. John Houston, 54, was due to stand in the East Kilbride seat in Lanarkshire at the next election. A spokesman for UKIP called on Mr Hockney to quit the London Assembly. UKIP asserts that Mr Hockney "has a moral obligation, if not a legal one" to stand down. Mr Hockney meanwhile told the BBC: "I believe that Robert Kilroy-Silk can deliver better as a leader of a eurosceptic party than the current leadership of the UK Independence Party." On the suspension of Mr Houston, UKIP said those who selected him knew nothing of his views. Mr Houston is alleged to have said that the organs of the criminally insane should be "made available to law-abiding members of the community" and proposed the legalisation of drugs and the sex trade. The document reportedly said: "We\'re looking for the resurrection of the British Empire. "The problems for the human race - environmental and others - can only be dealt with on a global scale, and that calls for a radical alliance of the English-speaking nations, which they are uniquely able to do." UKIP spokesman Mark Croucher said the main issue would be that Mr Houston\'s reported views had been presented as UKIP policy, which they were not. ', 'UK', 'Civil servants in strike ballot The UK\'s biggest civil service union is to ballot its 290,000 members on strikes in protest at government plans to extend their pension age to 65. The Public and Commercial Services Union will co-ordinate any action with up to six other public sector unions. Unions have already earmarked 23 March for a one-day strike which could involve up to 1.4 million UK workers. The government says unions will be consulted before any changes are made to the pension system. PCS leader Mark Serwotka warned there could be further walkouts unless there was a government rethink. "For a government that lectures everyone on choice - choice on public service, choice on this and choice on that - isn\'t it ironic that they\'re saying to public sector workers there is no choice," he said. "If you want the pension you were promised when you started you must work for an extra five years - that is working until people drop. "In the 20th century, it\'s completely unacceptable." BBC correspondent Stephen Cape said the combined unions represented "a formidable force" which could embarrass the government in the run-up to the General Election. A stoppage involving civil servants, in particular, could seriously disrupt or close government departments, agencies and museums, he said. Opposition to raising the retirement age is "one thing all the unions are agreed on", our correspondent added. Unison\'s 800,000 workers, the Transport and General Workers\' Union\'s 70,000 and Amicus\' 20,000 are among those being balloted about a 23 March walkout. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures on Thursday night. Our correspondent said that he understood no deal had been offered in that meeting but that there was room for further negotiations. There was "some possibility" of the strike action being avoided, he added. ', 'Europe', 'Conservative MP defects to Labour A Conservative MP and former minister has defected to Labour. Robert Jackson, 58, MP for Wantage in Oxfordshire, said he was disillusioned with the party\'s leadership and its "dangerous" views on Europe. Prime Minister Tony Blair declared himself "delighted", saying Mr Jackson would be warmly welcomed by Labour MPs. Mr Jackson, who has clashed with his leaders over tuition fees and Europe in the past, served as higher education minister between 1987 and 1990. In a letter to his constituency chairman he wrote: "It is in the country\'s best interest that Tony Blair rather than Michael Howard should form the next government." While saying he admired Mr Blair\'s "courageous" leadership of the country, he bitterly criticised the Conservatives stance on Europe. "The Conservative Party\'s hostility to Europe has now hardened to the point at which it advocates the unilateral denunciation of Britain\'s treaty obligations," he wrote. Mr Blair said Mr Jackson was a "decent, fair-minded and dedicated public servant... who will be warmly welcome by Labour MPs and members". "As he rightly says, [the Conservatives] have learned nothing from their two election defeats and are, if anything, drifting further rightwards," he added. A spokesman for Michael Howard said Mr Jackson\'s views on policy issues were "very different" from those of the party leadership. "He believes students should pay tuition fees, that Tony Blair should not be criticised over his handling of the Iraq war and that more powers should be given to Europe," the spokesman said. He added that it was not surprising Mr Jackson had chosen to leave the Conservatives. Mr Jackson is due to stand down at the next election. He is the third Conservative MP to defect to Labour since 1997. ', 'Europe', 'Tory \'stalking horse\' Meyer dies Sir Anthony Meyer, the Tory backbencher who challenged Margaret Thatcher for the party leadership in 1989, has died. He was 84, had been suffering from cancer for many months, and died at his London home. That failed "stalking horse" leadership challenge made it easier for Michael Heseltine to mount his own bid. That in turn paved the way for John Major to move into 10 Downing Street, after the second ballot. Meyer\'s constituency party, Clwyd North West, which he had represented as an MP for more than 20 years, deselected him as a result of that challenge. Sir Anthony John Charles Meyer was born on 27 October, 1920. Educated at Eton, and at New College, Oxford, he served in the Scots Guards from 1941 to 1945 and was wounded in tanks in Normandy. He worked under Edward Heath on Europe at the Foreign Office and subsequently won the Eton and Slough seat for the Tories in 1964 - by 11 votes. Labour regained the seat two years later, and Meyer had to wait until 1970 before he could re-enter Parliament. His prospects of a front bench slot remained remote because he tended to defy the party line. ', 'UK', 'UK youth \'interested\' in politics The majority of young people are interested in politics, holding "strong opinions" on policies and have a "keen appetite" for direct action. Research undertaken for voting watchdog the Electoral Commission suggests 81% of 16 to 20-year-olds feel strongly about issues like crime and education. The survey findings are being released to coincide with the launch of the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 initiative. Mock elections are planned to take place in schools across the UK. Electoral Commission boss Sam Younger said: "We know that young people often feel disengaged from democratic life and we believe in working creatively to encourage their interest and participation. "Mock elections can play an extremely valuable role in helping young people understand how the democratic process works and why it matters," he said. The survey of a sample of 500 British 16 to 20-year-olds and 500 21 to 25-year olds "showed Britain\'s young people are far from apathetic about issues that matter to most of their lives". The Y Vote initiative is being run jointly by the Electoral Commission, the Hansard Society and the Department for Education and Skills in the run-up to local elections and the general election, possibly on 5 May. Michael Rafferty, who is mock elections project manager at the Hansard Society, said he looked forward to seeing schools and colleges across the UK participating in the mock votes. ', 'UK', 'Parties warned over \'grey vote\' Political parties cannot afford to take older UK voters for granted in the coming election, says Age Concern. A survey for the charity suggests 69% of over-55s say they always vote in a general election compared with just 17% of 18 to 24 year olds. Charity boss Gordon Lishman said if a "decisive blow" was struck at the election it would be by older voters who could be relied on to turn out. A total of 3,028 adults aged 18 or over were interviewed for the study. Mr Lishman urged the next government to boost state pension. He also called for measures to combat ageism and build effective public services to "support us all in an ageing society". "Older people want to see manifesto commitments that will make a difference to their lives," Mr Lishman said. "Political parties must wake up to the fact that unless they address the demands and concerns of older people they will not keep or attract their vote." In the survey carried out by ICM Research, 14% of people aged between 18 and 34 said they never voted in general elections. Among the over-65s, 70% said they would be certain to vote in an immediate election, compared with 39% of people under 55. Age Concern says the over-55s are "united around" key areas of policy they want the government to focus on. For 57%, pensions and the NHS were key issues, while the economy was important for a third, and tax was a crucial area for 25%. The report was welcomed by Conservative shadow pensions secretary David Willetts. "The pensioners\' voice must certainly be heard in the next election as they have never fitted into Blair\'s cool Britannia," he said. "Labour\'s continued refusal to admit the true extent of the pensions crisis will be one of the monumental failures of this government." He pointed to Tory plans to increase the basic state pension to reduce means testing, strengthen company pensions and encourage savings. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said the party took the issues raised in the report very seriously. He highlighted the party\'s promises to raise the basic state pension, provide free long-term care for the elderly and replace council tax, seen as a particular problem for pensioners on fixed incomes. Labour has said it wants to use savings reforms to Incapacity Benefit to improve the basic state pension and has set up a review of the council tax system. ', 'UK', 'Labour in constituency race row Labour\'s choice of a white candidate for one of the UK\'s most multi-racial seats proves the need for all-black short lists, says a race group. Local councillor Lyn Brown was selected for West Ham, east London, in a contest between two white and five ethnic minority women. An Operation Black Vote spokesman said they now wanted to meet Labour party chairman Ian McCartney for discussions. Mr McCartney recently announced party consultation on all-black shortlists. However, Labour has so far unable been unable to comment on the implications of the West Ham result. Ashok Vishwanathan of Operation Black Vote, which aims to increase ethnic minorities\' participation in the political process and their representation, said the result again showed all-women shortlists were not effective in getting minority women selected. "I think all-black shortlists are the only way to cut to the chase and address the lack of minority candidates," Mr Vishwanathan said. Last month the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) also called for ethnic minority shortlists in certain circumstances. A CRE spokesman said the organisation had nothing to add on the shortlist issue specifically but would be working with all the political parties to address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in Parliament. "We will be raising it with each of the party leaders on a formal basis and helping them find the most appropriate way forward," the spokesman said. Ethnic minorities make up 8% of the United Kingdom population but only 2% of MPs - 13 out of 659 - are from a visible minority group. Twelve of them represent Labour, and one is a Liberal Democrat. If ethnic minorities were represented in the House of Commons in proportion to their numbers in the population, there would be 42 ethnic minority MPs. ', 'Mexico', "Hague's six-figure earnings shown The rewards of leaving front-bench politics are shown in the latest annual register of members' interests. The register shows former Tory leader William Hague earning up to £820,000 on top of his MPs' salary, much of it from speaking fees. His former shadow chancellor Michael Portillo makes up to £560,000 a year - partly because of speeches and TV work. Ex-health secretary Alan Milburn earned up to £85,000 from speeches, articles and advice while not in the Cabinet. Mr Milburn was away from the frontbench for just more than a year between stepping down as health secretary and becoming Labour's election supremo. His declared interests include £20,000 from newspaper articles and fees of up to £35,000 for four speeches. He also commanded a salary of between £25,000 and £35,000 for being on investment company Bridgepoint Capital's European advisory committee. His time out of office will, however, have lost him his £71,433 minister's salary. Mr Hague's work outside Parliament included two one-man shows, which with other speaking fees netted him up to £480,000. He also earned up to £195,000 for a weekly column in the News of the World, and between £5,000 and £10,000 for presenting BBC'2's Have I Got News for You. Mr Hague was also paid an undisclosed amount for the newspaper serialisation of his biography of William Pitt the Younger and up to £135,00 for work as an adviser to various companies. Former Defence Secretary Michael Portillo makes some of his money as a non-executive director of BAE Systems. He is to stand down as an MP at the next election. And former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook was paid between £45,001 and £50,000 for the paperback edition of his book about his resignation from government. His declared income of up to £205,000 also includes payments for being a consultant to the Tote and for his regular column in the Guardian newspaper. The register also shows former Home Office Minister Ann Widdecombe declaring a £100,000 advance for her third and fourth novels. She also received up to £30,000 for acting as the Guardian's agony aunt and between £5,001 and £10,000 for appearing on ITV's Celebrity Fit Club. David Blunkett has become a paid adviser to Indepen Consulting Limited now he is not home secretary - he helps them with seminars about the relationship between government and business. He earns between £5,001and £10,000 for the work. Tony Blair's entry confirms that King Abdullah of Jordan paid for him to fly from a holiday in Egypt to official discussions - and for a sightseeing tour to Wadi Rum. Tory leader Michael Howard's only fresh entry is a Christmas hamper from the Sultan of Brunei. He also declares a trip to Mexico last year to address executives of News International, and helicopter and private jet travel paid for by supporters. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy registered donations to his office from supporters, a free ticket to last year's Bafta awards and rent from a single-bedroom flat in London. The register only contains new information for December 2004 - but Monday saw the publication of the annual review of the register, with the year's details. The payments are shown in bands of up £5,000, making it difficult to calculate the exact earnings. ", 'UK', 'Schools to take part in mock poll Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government. Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. Pupils in the schools taking part will learn the skills of speech writers, canvassers and political candidates. Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said engaging young people\'s interest was "essential" to the future of democracy. He added: said "Young people who are engaged and motivated by the political process are essential to the future health of our democracy. "The mock elections initiative provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their own understanding of how the democratic process works and why it matters. "By experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future." The Hansard Society, the Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills are running the programme. Pupils will stand as party candidates, speech writers and canvassers. Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy." The mock votes will take place around 5 May, widely expected to be the date of the general election. Information packs, including ballot papers and manifesto guides, with elections happening in early May were sent out to the 3,000 schools invited to take part. ', 'UK', "Parties build up poll war chests The Labour Party received more than £5m in donations in the final quarter of 2004, new figures show. This is nearly half of the £11,724,929 received by 16 political parties listed by the Electoral Commission. The Conservatives were in second place with donations totalling £4,610,849, while the Liberal Democrats received just over £1m. The majority of Labour's donations came from affiliated trade unions. There were also large sums from individuals. Lord Drayson, whose company PowderJect won multi-million pound contracts to provide smallpox vaccine to the government after the 11 September terror attacks, gave £500,000 to the party just days before Christmas. This followed an earlier donation of the same amount earlier in 2004. He was made a lord by Tony Blair last year. Other significant donations came from retired millionaire businessman and philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje who gave the party a sum of £500,000, and refrigerator magnate William Haughey OBE who gave £330,000. The totals for the fourth quarter were well up on the same period of 2003, as the parties built up their war chests for the general election campaign. The largest donation to the Conservatives was a bequest from Ruth Beardmore of nearly £400,000. The joint founder of merchant bank Hambro Magan gave £325,417. There were also donations topping £250,000 for the Conservatives from Scottish Business Groups Focus on Scotland and the Institute of International Research, the world's largest independent conference company. Also among the gifts to the Tories were 24 donations totalling £161,840 from Bearwood Corporate Services. This company is controlled by the party's former treasurer Lord Ashcroft which has directed almost £300,000 to specific marginal constituencies over the past two years. The Liberal Democrats' largest donor was the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, a company which promotes political reform and constitutional change, which gave a sum of £250,000. And fast food giants McDonald's are listed as donating a sum of £10,575. This was a fee the firm paid for a room for an event held with the work and skills foundation during the party's conference. The UK Independence Party, which lost its main donor Paul Sykes amid the row over Robert Kilroy-Silk's bid for the leadership last autumn, took in £63,081. Just £8,170 of this was cash and the remainder came in gifts in kind, such as office space and printing. Registered political parties are required to set out each quarter all donations over £5,000 to their headquarters and over £1,000 to local constituency parties they receive. It is an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly make a false declaration about party donations. ", 'UK', 'Iraq advice claim sparks new row The Tories say ministers must respond in Parliament to claims that the legal advice used to justify the Iraq war was drawn up at Number 10. Downing Street has denied the claims, made in a new book about the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith\'s advice. Lord Goldsmith also denied them, saying he was not "leaned on" in any way. But the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say they want the publication of the full legal advice given by the Attorney General. The government has consistently refused to publish Lord Goldsmith\'s advice on the legality of the war - saying such papers have always been kept confidential. But a short statement about Lord Goldsmith\'s position was presented in a written parliamentary answer on 17 March 2003 - just before a crucial Commons vote on the military action. It said it was "plain" Iraq continued to be in material breach of UN resolution 1441. In his new book, Lawless World, Philippe Sands, a QC and international law professor, suggests the parliamentary answer was written in Downing Street. According to Mr Sands, Lord Goldsmith had warned Tony Blair in a document on 7 March 2003 that the use of force against Iraq could be illegal and that it would have been safer to seek a second UN resolution sanctioning military action. Mr Sands told Newsnight the government had prepared a legal team to be able to defend its case, in case legal action was taken against the UK over the war. On 10 March, military chiefs reportedly asked for an unequivocal statement about the legality of the war to make sure troops could be defended in a court of law. The book, being serialised in the Guardian newspaper, says on 13 March Lord Goldsmith met then Home Office Minister Lord Falconer and Downing Street adviser Baroness Morgan. "After that Downing Street proceeded to set out his [Lord Goldsmith\'s] view in a parliamentary answer which was then published on 17 March," said Mr Sands. Tory leader Michael Howard reiterated calls for the publication of the full legal advice given by the Attorney General, warning: "This issue will not go away." "These revelations throw an intensive spotlight on to the cavalier way in which this government operates - even on an issue as important as peace and war. "The government needs to act to restore public confidence and trust." Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell repeated his party\'s calls for Lord Goldsmith\'s first piece of legal advice to be made public. "The public interest, which the government claims justifies non-publication of the whole of the advice, can only be served now by the fullest disclosure." In a statement to Newsnight, Lord Goldsmith said: "In my parliamentary answer on March 17 2003, I explained my genuinely held independent view, that military action was lawful under the existing Security Council resolutions. "It was certainly not a view that I expressed as a result of being leaned on in any way, nor as I have already made clear, was it written by or at Number 10." The prime minister\'s official spokesman also rejected the claims, saying: "The attorney general made it clear the words and the judgement were his." But ex-foreign secretary Robin Cook says all the advice should now be published. He said the claims suggested Parliament had only received a précis of Lord Goldsmith\'s second opinion - and that it was actually drafted in No 10. This would be wrong even if Lord Goldsmith had signed the statement, Mr Cook said, because the attorney general\'s advice should be an "independent legal opinion", not subject to "political negotiation of this kind". ', 'Australia', 'Tory expert denies defeat warning The Conservatives\' campaign director has denied a report claiming he warned Michael Howard the party could not win the next general election. The Times on Monday said Australian Lynton Crosby told the party leader to focus on trying to increase the Tories\' Commons presence by 25 to 30 seats. But Mr Crosby said in a statement: "I have never had any such conversation... and I do not hold that view." Mr Howard later added there was not "one iota" of truth in the report. The strategist helped Australia\'s PM, John Howard, win four elections. Mr Howard appointed Mr Crosby as his elections chief last October. Mr Crosby\'s statement said: "The Conservative Party has been making an impact on the issues of lower tax and controlled immigration over the past week." It added: "The Labour Party will be wanting to do all they can to distract attention away from the issues that really matter to people." ', 'UK', 'Kilroy names election seat target Ex-chat show host Robert Kilroy-Silk is to contest the Derbyshire seat of Erewash at the next general election. Labour\'s Elizabeth Blackman won the seat in 1997 and has a 6,932 majority. She says she will fight on her record "as a hard-working constituency MP". Mr Kilroy-Silk announced his plans a day after launching his new party, Veritas, the Latin for truth. The East Midlands MEP, who quit the UK Independence Party, wants his new group to "change the face" of UK politics. His choice of election constituency quashes speculation that he would stand against Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. UKIP won 31% of the vote in Erewash in last June\'s European elections - with Mr Kilroy-Silk among their candidates for the region. Until 1997, Erewash had been held by the Tories since 1970. Ms Blackman said she was proud of the government\'s achievements in the area. She declined to give her view of Mr Kilroy-Silk at this point. On Thursday, he told a London news conference that Veritas would avoid the old parties\' "lies and spin". He said "our country" was being "stolen from us" by mass immigration and promised a "firm but fair" policy on immigration. Veritas says it hopes to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election but plans to announce detailed policies on crime, tax, pensions, health and defence over the next few weeks. UKIP leader Roger Knapman says he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy-Silk. Labour campaign spokesman Fraser Kemp said Veritas was joining "an already crowded field on the right of British politics". Mr Kilroy-Silk was joined in the new venture by one of UKIP\'s two London Assembly members, Damien Hockney, who is now Veritas\' deputy leader. UKIP\'s chairman Petrina Holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left. Mr Kilroy-Silk quit UKIP last week after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. He said he was ashamed to be a member of a UKIP whose leadership had "gone AWOL" after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last June\'s European elections. UKIP\'s leader, Roger Knapman, has said he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy-Silk. "He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the [European] election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy-Silk Party than the UK Independence Party so it was nice knowing him, now \'goodbye\'," he said. UKIP officials also argue Mr Kilroy-Silk has not been "straightforward" in attacking the party he once wanted to lead. ', 'UK', 'Immigration to be election issue Immigration and asylum have normally been issues politicians from the big parties have tiptoed around at election time. But no longer. Both Labour and the Tories have signalled their intention of making them central to their election campaigns. They have been struck by the level of concern amongst voters about the issues, with internal surveys showing they have the potential to swing large numbers of votes. That was also true at the last general election and the issue did briefly become a campaigning issue. But it sparked the probably predictable furore with claims politicians were either stoking up xenophobia or, alternatively, running scared of addressing the problem. But this time around it looks set to be one of the core battlegrounds with both the big parties competing to set out tough policies. The Tories are already committed to imposing annual limits on immigration, with a quota for asylum seekers and with applications processed outside the UK. Labour has already branded the proposal unworkable but party strategists have seen the Tories seizing a poll advantage over the issue. Now Home Secretary Charles Clarke has come up with alternative proposals for a points system to ensure only immigrants who can benefit the economy will be granted entry, and to kick out more failed asylum seekers. That has been attacked by the Tories as too little, too late and for failing to tackle the key issue of the numbers entering the UK. The Liberal Democrats have not been drawn too deeply into the argument but have called for a Europe-wide policy on immigration. But, while all the parties appear to agree the time has come to properly debate and address the issue, there are already signs they will run into precisely the same problems as before. Former union leader Sir Bill Morris has already accused both the big parties of engaging in a "bidding war about who can be nastiest to asylum seekers". "My concern is that, whilst the Labour Party and the Conservative Party will take a constructive approach to the debate, right-wing political parties, picking up on statements like `burden to Britain\' will exploit this and create a lot of fear and uncertainty". It is precisely that concern - and the possible suggestion the issue is playing to the far right\'s racist agenda - that will provoke strong reactions from many concerned with this issue. The challenge for the big parties is to ensure they can engage in the debate during the cut and thrust of a general election while also avoiding that trap. ', 'Europe', 'Kennedy begins pre-election tour Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has begun a week-long tour to persuade voters they are the "real opposition". Mr Kennedy is visiting constituencies in Somerset and Hampshire on Monday - rural seats where his party is hoping to make gains from the Conservatives. Later he will visit places, such as Liverpool, where Labour is targeted. Labour say a Lib Dem vote could "let the Tories in", while the Tories say the Lib Dems would mean "higher taxes, soft crime laws, more power to Europe". Mr Kennedy\'s tour comes as he, Labour leader Tony Blair and Conservative leader Michael Howard all step up campaigning ahead of the next General Election, widely expected to be held on 5 May. On Tuesday Mr Kennedy will visit Leicester South, where Lib Dem MP Parmjit Singh Gill overturned a big Labour majority to win the seat in last year\'s by-election. Stops in Shrewsbury, North Dorset, Liverpool, Manchester, Basingstoke and west London are planned for later in the week. The Liberal Democrats say in the northern cities, the race is between them and Labour, while in southern seats - particularly the south west - it is between them and the Tories. Speaking to the BBC\'s Westminster Hour on Sunday, Mr Kennedy said the upcoming general election - widely tipped for 5 May - would be much more unpredictable than any others in "recent experience". Asked whether it was realistic to assume the Liberal Democrats could win the general election, he said: "There\'s no limit to the ambitions we have as a party. "But we have got to be responsible, we have got to be credible, we have got to demonstrate to people that we are up to that task." Mr Kennedy said the British public felt let down by Labour on issues from Iraq to top-up fees and the Conservatives were not "asking the critical questions". And he said people were "highly sceptical" about Labour and Conservative promises on tax. But he brushed off Labour suggestions a vote for his party would mean letting the Tories in "by the back door". "If you look at the four previous parliamentary by-elections, the Liberal Democrats have demonstrated that, not only can we leapfrog the Conservatives where we start in a third place position, but we can go on to defeat the government. "That\'s going to be the story, I think, of this coming general election." ', 'EU', 'Campaign \'cold calls\' questioned Labour and the Conservatives are still telephoning the millions of people who have signed up to make sure they do not get marketing "cold calls". The parties say they can stick to the rules by ensuring that their calls are not marketing - for instance by asking about people\'s voting intentions. The Lib Dems are asking the watchdog overseeing the rules to stop the calls. The information commissioner\'s office says surveys are allowed but people had to be told if personal data was kept. Telephone call centres are expected to be used as never before by all the three major parties in the run-up to the general election. But seven million telephone numbers are on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) lists, which ban unsolicited sales and marketing calls. Both schemes are run by the Direct Marketing Association and backed by EU directives on privacy and electronic communications. The rules on marketing calls apply as much to politicians as to private sector companies. But that does not mean Labour and the Tories are not calling people signed up to the TPS. A Labour Party spokesman told the BBC News website the party avoided those on TPS lists when telephoning people about membership or fundraising. But that did not happen for "voter identification" calls. "When we ask which party they will vote for, that is not marketing and we have very clear legal advice that it is not," he said. "So it is not covered by the Telephone Preference Service." He said the party always asked people if they would be happy to be contacted again and if they said no, they were not rung again. A Conservative spokeswoman said the party stuck to the rules when it rang TPS subscribers. She said: "We do apply TPS but in line with the law. We would not do things that are not allowed in the law." Assistant information commissioner Phil Jones said it was classed as marketing if political parties telephoned people to encourage them to vote for them. But "classic market research", such as a poll of voter intentions, did not constitute direct marketing, he said. "If a party is calling someone who is registered on TPS and records their voting intention with a view to using this information in the future, this should be clear to the voter concerned," said Mr Jones. "If a party rings a person who is registered on TPS to ask about their voting intention and goes on to encourage that voter to support them, the party may well be in breach of the regulations. "In summary, whether a party calling TPS registered voters to check their voting intentions will breach regulations will depend on the script used and whether the script is followed." Mr Jones said the watchdog received "very few complaints" on the issue. Earlier, Lib Dem chairman Matthew Taylor wrote to the watchdog saying: "The advice we have received on several previous occasions is that such phone calls are illegal." He says evidence from local Lib Dem parties around the country suggests there are "significant" numbers of such calls. "I hope you can therefore take swift and efficient action to ensure that this ceases," he tells the commissioner. Mr Taylor argues there should be new guidelines so all parties can act in the same way if the watchdog believes the rules allow parties to ring TPS numbers about voting intentions and later urge those people to vote for them. ', 'UK', 'Lib Dems target first-time buyers The Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans to build 100,000 new "affordable" homes on publicly owned land. The party\'s scheme would allow people to buy a share in a home through a mutual home ownership trust, as a way of getting onto the housing ladder. The Lib Dems would also encourage the conversion of existing buildings in an effort to protect greenfield sites. Labour has already announced plans to help first-time buyers and the Tories would extend right-to-buy schemes. All the major parties are focusing on the issue in the run-up to the election after a survey suggested first-time buyers could not afford a home in 92% of UK towns. The Lib Dems say their "mutual homes" would let people buy a share of a property, usually worth about 5% of the building costs. Party leader Charles Kennedy said the homes would be affordable because they would be built on surplus public sector land, donated by central or local government. People would also only have to pay for the cost of the building and not the land, he added. They would spend about 30% of their monthly salary on rent and buying extra shares in the property. When they moved house, they would be able to cash in on any rise in property prices by selling their share. It would also allow councils to vary discounts to tenants given the right to buy their council homes so local needs were taken into account. Mr Kennedy said: "Mutual homes will offer people the opportunity to build up an equity stake in a home gradually, investing only as much as they can afford." There are also plans to prevent high house prices forcing people out of their local communities. The kind of "golden share" used by the Lib Dems in South Shropshire could be rolled out more widely. Under the plan, councils secure deals with developers where they keep a 1% share in a property scheme so properties cannot be sold on the open market. Instead, they are sold at "build cost" to people who the local council decides have local needs. The party says its help for first-time buyers can be funded at no extra cost to the taxpayer. But the plans involve changing the VAT system, which the party says often makes it too expensive to renovate existing buildings. The Conservatives claimed the plans would amount to an extra tax of up to £11,000 on every new house. "This is typical of Lib Dem hypocrisy," said Tory shadow local government secretary Caroline Spelman. "They claim that they want to help people on to the property ladder, but the small print of their policies reveal how they intend to price even more people out of the housing market." The flagship Tory proposal on housing policy is to give a million more housing association tenants the right to buy their homes. Labour has said it will allow 300,000 council and housing association tenants to buy a share in their homes. Housing Minister Keith Hill said much of the Lib Dem plans mimicked the government\'s strategy. "However, as usual, the Lib Dems\' proposals are completely uncosted," he said. Mr Hill said he also asked whether the Lib Dems would match Labour\'s promise to spend £42bn on making refurbishing and repair council homes by 2010. ', 'US', 'TV debate urged for party chiefs Broadcasters should fix a date for a pre-election televised debate between the three main political leaders, according to the Hansard Society. It would then be up to Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy to decide whether to take part, the non-partisan charity said. Chairman Lord Holme argued that prime ministers should not have the right of veto on a matter "of public interest". "The broadcasters should make the decision to go ahead," he said. Lord Holme\'s proposal for a televised debate comes just four months after millions of viewers were able to watch US President George W Bush slug it out verbally with his Democratic challenger John Kerry. He said it was a "democratically dubious proposition" that it was up to the incumbent prime minister to decide whether a similar event takes place here. If Mr Blair did not want to take part, the broadcasters could go ahead with an empty chair or cancel the event and explain their reasons why, Lord Holme said. "What makes the present situation even less acceptable is that although Mr Howard and Mr Kennedy have said they would welcome a debate, no-one has heard directly from the prime minister," he said. "It has been left to nudges and winks, hints and briefings from his aides and campaign managers to imply that Mr Blair doesn\'t want one, but we haven\'t heard from the prime minister himself." Lord Holme, who has campaigned for televised debates at previous elections, said broadcasters were "more than willing to cooperate with the arrangements". Opinion polls suggested that the idea had the backing of the public who like comparing the personalities and policies of the contenders in their own homes, he said. Lord Holme argued that as part of their public service obligations, broadcasters "should make the decision to go ahead" as soon as the election is called. An independent third-party body such as the Hansard Society or Electoral Commission could work out the ground rules so they were fair to participants and informative to the public, he said. "It would be up to each party leader to accept or refuse," said Lord Holme. "If the prime minister\'s reported position is true and he does want to take part, he would then be obliged to say why publicly. "The broadcasters would then have the option of cancelling the event for obvious and well-understood reasons, or going ahead with an empty chair. "Either way would be preferable to the present hidden veto." The Hansard Society has long campaigned for televised debates and has published reports on the issue in 1997 and 2001. Tony Blair has already ruled out taking part in a televised debate during the forthcoming election campaign. Last month he said: "We answer this every election campaign and, for the reasons I have given before, the answer is no," he said at his monthly news conference." ', 'UK', 'Fox attacks Blair\'s Tory \'lies\' Tony Blair lied when he took the UK to war so has no qualms about lying in the election campaign, say the Tories. Tory co-chairman Liam Fox was speaking after Mr Blair told Labour members the Tories offered a "hard right agenda". Dr Fox told BBC Radio: "If you are willing to lie about the reasons for going to war, I guess you are going to lie about anything at all." He would not discuss reports the party repaid £500,000 to Lord Ashcroft after he predicted an election defeat. The prime minister ratcheted up Labour\'s pre-election campaigning at the weekend with a helicopter tour of the country and his speech at the party\'s spring conference. He insisted he did not know the poll date, but it is widely expected to be 5 May. In what was seen as a highly personal speech in Gateshead on Sunday, Mr Blair said: "I have the same passion and hunger as when I first walked through the door of 10 Downing Street." He described his relationship with the public as starting euphoric, then struggling to live up to the expectations, and reaching the point of raised voices and "throwing crockery". He warned his supporters against complacency, saying: "It\'s a fight for the future of our country, it\'s a fight that for Britain and the people of Britain we have to win." Mr Blair said that whether the public chose Michael Howard or Mr Kennedy, it would result in "a Tory government not a Labour government and a country that goes back and does not move forward". Dr Fox accused Mr Blair and other Cabinet ministers of telling lies about their opponents\' policies and then attacking the lies. "What we learned at the weekend is what Labour tactics are going to be and it\'s going to be fear and smear," he told BBC News. The Tory co-chairman attacked Labour\'s six new pledges as "vacuous" and said Mr Blair was very worried voters would take revenge for his failure to deliver. Dr Fox refused to discuss weekend newspaper reports that the party had repaid £500,000 to former Tory Treasurer Lord Ashcroft after he said the party could not win the election. "We repay loans when they are due but do not comment to individual financial matters," he said, insisting he enjoyed a "warm and constructive" relationship to Lord Ashcroft. Meanwhile Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy is expected to attack Mr Blair\'s words as he begins a nationwide tour on Monday. Mr Kennedy is accelerating Lib Dem election preparations this week as he visits Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Somerset, Basingstoke, Shrewsbury, Dorset and Torbay. He said: "This is three-party politics. In the northern cities, the contest is between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. "In southern and rural seats - especially in the South West - the principal contenders are the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, who are out of the running in Scotland and Wales." The Lib Dems accuse Mr Blair of making a "touchy-feely" speech to Labour delegates which will not help him regain public trust. ', 'UK', 'Brown names 16 March for Budget Chancellor Gordon Brown will deliver his Budget to the House of Commons on 16 March, the Treasury has announced. The Budget, likely to be the last before the General Election, will be at about 1230 GMT on that Wednesday, just after Prime Minister\'s question time. The annual event is when the chancellor outlines the government\'s taxation and broader economic predictions. The Tories say it is likely the Budget will contain measures to attract votes. The election is expected on 5 May. Next month\'s Budget will be Mr Brown\'s ninth since Labour came to power in 1997. If a May election is called, there could be as little as 18 days between the Budget and the announcement of a date for the election. A shortened Finance Bill would have to be rushed through Parliament with all-party support to allow the Government to continue collecting revenue. The full Finance Bill, with the Budget measures in it, would then be returned to the Commons after the election, if Labour secures another term in office. Tory shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said: "We can be sure of two things: the Budget will contain measures to attract votes, and it will not contain the £8 billion of tax rises which independent experts say are inevitable if Labour wins the election." As Mr Brown announced the Budget date in a short ministerial statement, accountancy firm Ernst & Young urged him to put politics aside and focus on the long-term requirements of the economy. "In the Budgets that were given immediately before the last six elections, taxes were cut by the incumbent chancellor and, in many cases, taxes were increased soon after the election result," said Aidan O\'Carroll, E&Y\'s UK head of tax. ', 'UK', 'Lib Dems stress Budget trust gap Public trust in the handling of the economy can only be restored if Gordon Brown opens up his books for unbiased inspection, say the Lib Dems. City experts say there is a £10bn "black hole" in the public finances, a claim denied by the chancellor. Lib Dem spokesman Vince Cable said the public did not know who to believe and the National Audit Office should judge. Responding to the pre-Budget report, Mr Cable also attacked Labour\'s "unfair" and over-complicated taxes. In his report, Mr Brown insisted he was on course to meet his "golden rule" of borrowing only to invest, rather than for day-to-day spending, over the course of the economic cycle. Mr Cable said people did not know whether to believe the chancellor or the consensus among experts which said the rule would be broken. "There is an issue of credibility and trust," he said. "We cannot have a continuation of a situation where the chancellor sets his own tests and then marks them. "What we need is the equivalent of a thorough Ofsted inspection of the government\'s accounts." He asked what the government had to hide. Mr Cable also accused the chancellor of ducking tough choices. He argued: "There are serious challenges ahead from the falling dollar and from the rapid downturn in the UK housing market and rising personal debt. But they have not been confronted." Mr Brown confirmed he was setting aside another £520m for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr Cable compared that new cost with the £500m needed for Britain\'s role in the entire first Gulf War - when 80% of the bill had been met through help from European and Arab nations. He suggested keeping British troops in Iraq could cost another £1bn with the government also planning to spend at least £3bn for identity cards. The current economic climate meant Britain could not afford the "reckless, George Bush-style tax cutting spree" planned by the Tories, he said. Instead, what was needed was simple and fair taxation rather than the "complete mess" produced by Mr Brown\'s endless tinkering. Mr Cable said 40% of all pensioners were now paying marginal tax rates of 50%. And one-and-a-half million hard working families were paying 60% marginal tax rates. With that record, he asked why ministers attacked Lib Dem plans for a new 50% tax rate for the "very rich" - those earning more than £100,000 a year. Mr Brown earmarked £1bn to help keep down council tax rises next year. But the Lib Dem spokesman questioned whether that money was being found from cuts to education and health. He urged the government to scrap the "grossly unfair" tax completely. The Lib Dems want it replaced with a local income tax. In response, Mr Brown stressed the Iraq money came from a reserve funds. It was because he had rejected previous Lib Dem proposals, such as scrapping the New Deal, that Britain\'s economy was successful, claimed Mr Brown. ', 'UK', 'Blair backs \'pre-election budget\' Tony Blair has backed Chancellor Gordon Brown\'s pre-Budget report amid opposition claims he was too bullish about the state of the UK economy. In a speech in Edinburgh, the prime minister said Thursday\'s report reinforced stability and opportunity. And that would be central to Labour\'s next election campaign, planning for which was already well advanced. Mr Brown earlier denied his economic forecasts were too optimistic - but refused to rule out future tax rises. He told BBC Radio 4\'s Today programme: "No politician should make the mistake that John Major and his colleagues made in 1992 of saying no matter what the circumstances are, they can make all sorts of guarantees on every individual thing. "That is not what politicians should do, it would not be responsible to do." Mr Brown insisted his spending plans were "affordable" and he could afford to be optimistic because Britain was now a stable, low-inflation economy and house prices were now stabilising. Mr Blair praised his chancellor for his role in creating economic stability, which he said was the "cornerstone" of Labour\'s programme. In a speech at Edinburgh\'s Napier University, he said Labour would publish over the next few months "a rich agenda for future policy in any possible third term". "In every area of work there is a detailed plan for the future, much clearer than those in 1997 or 2001. All of it fits together around common themes of opportunity, security and stability for all," Mr Blair said. In his pre-Budget report, Mr Brown surprised some City experts by forecasting UK growth at between 3% and 3.5% for next year. Many believe the figure is more likely to be under 3% - and fear tax rises or spending cuts, saying tax receipts have been overestimated. Carl Emmerson, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, told BBC News: "He thinks everything will come out in the wash and it will, in fact, be OK. We\'re not so sure." David Page, of Investec Securities, said: "His forecast that he will meet the golden rule with a margin of £8bn is way too optimistic. "It\'s going to take a significant turnaround in the economy to meet these targets." Conservative Shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said: "I can\'t find a single economic forecaster from the IMF to the Institute of Fiscal Studies who believes anything other than the chancellor has got a black hole in his finances. "In order to deal with that he will have to raise taxes after the next general election." Mr Letwin accused the chancellor of using "fancy statistics" to hide public service failures. Vincent Cable, for the Liberal Democrats, called on Mr Brown to open up the government\'s books to the National Audit Office, to see if he had met his "golden rule". "It is very clear that there are some serious loose ends in government public spending," Mr Cable told MPs. ', 'UK', 'Budget to set scene for election Gordon Brown will seek to put the economy at the centre of Labour\'s bid for a third term in power when he delivers his ninth Budget at 1230 GMT. He is expected to stress the importance of continued economic stability, with low unemployment and interest rates. The chancellor is expected to freeze petrol duty and raise the stamp duty threshold from £60,000. But the Conservatives and Lib Dems insist voters face higher taxes and more means-testing under Labour. Treasury officials have said there will not be a pre-election giveaway, but Mr Brown is thought to have about £2bn to spare. - Increase in the stamp duty threshold from £60,000 - A freeze on petrol duty - An extension of tax credit scheme for poorer families - Possible help for pensioners The stamp duty threshold rise is intended to help first time buyers - a likely theme of all three of the main parties\' general election manifestos. Ten years ago, buyers had a much greater chance of avoiding stamp duty, with close to half a million properties, in England and Wales alone, selling for less than £60,000. Since then, average UK property prices have more than doubled while the starting threshold for stamp duty has not increased. Tax credits As a result, the number of properties incurring stamp duty has rocketed as has the government\'s tax take. The Liberal Democrats unveiled their own proposals to raise the stamp duty threshold to £150,000 in February. The Tories are also thought likely to propose increased thresholds, with shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin branding stamp duty a "classic Labour stealth tax". The Tories say whatever the chancellor gives away will be clawed back in higher taxes if Labour is returned to power. Shadow Treasury chief secretary George Osborne said: "Everyone who looks at the British economy at the moment says there has been a sharp deterioration in the public finances, that there is a black hole," he said. "If Labour is elected there will be a very substantial tax increase in the Budget after the election, of the order of around £10bn." But Mr Brown\'s former advisor Ed Balls, now a parliamentary hopeful, said an examination of Tory plans for the economy showed there would be a £35bn difference in investment by the end of the next parliament between the two main parties. He added: "I don\'t accept there is any need for any changes to the plans we have set out to meet our spending commitments." For the Lib Dems David Laws said: "The chancellor will no doubt tell us today how wonderfully the economy is doing," he said. "But a lot of that is built on an increase in personal and consumer debt over the last few years - that makes the economy quite vulnerable potentially if interest rates ever do have to go up in a significant way." SNP leader Alex Salmond said his party would introduce a £2,000 grant for first time buyers, reduce corporation tax and introduce a citizens pension free from means testing. Plaid Cymru\'s economics spokesman Adam Price said he wanted help to get people on the housing ladder and an increase in the minimum wage to £5.60 an hour. ', 'UK', 'Kennedy criticises \'unfair\' taxes Gordon Brown has failed to tackle the "fundamental unfairness" in the tax system in his ninth Budget, Charles Kennedy has said. How was it right that the poorest 20% of society were still paying more as a proportion of their income than the richest 20%, the Lib Dem leader asked. The new £200 council tax rebate for pensioners did nothing to fix the "unfair tax", he added. The government could not go on "patching up" the system, he added. Speaking in the Commons after Mr Brown had delivered what is widely thought to be the last Budget before the general election, Mr Kennedy acknowledged that the UK was one of the most successful economies in the world. But he criticised both the chancellor and the Tories for failing to address the "ticking bomb" of council tax revaluation. He said the recent experience of Wales indicated seven million households in England would pay significantly more after revaluation. The chancellor\'s announcement that he was to offer a £200 council tax rebate paid by pensioner households was merely a "sticking plaster" to a much bigger problem. The Lib Dem plan for a local income tax would benefit the typical household by more than £450 a year, with half of all pensioners paying no local tax and about three million being better off. On pensions, Mr Kennedy said it was a "scandal" that the system discriminated against women who had missed making National Insurance payments when they were having children. He said a residency criteria would end "at a stroke this fundamental iniquity". Mr Kennedy added his party\'s priorities of free long-term care for the elderly, abolishing top-up fees and replacing the council tax would be funded by charging 50% income tax to those earning more than £100,000 per annum. He contrasted his approach with Mr Brown\'s pledge in 2001 not to increase income tax. The chancellor went on to put up National Insurance contributions after the election. "For most individuals, most families, most households, it adds up to exactly the same thing," said Mr Kennedy. "And they wonder why people get cynical about their politicians when they give one impression before an election and do exactly the opposite after that election." ', 'UK', 'UK heading wrong way, says Howard Tony Blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing Britain and has failed, Michael Howard has said. "Britain is heading in the wrong direction", the Conservative leader said in his New Year message. Mr Blair\'s government was a "bossy, interfering government that takes decisions that should be made by individuals," he added. But Labour\'s campaign spokesman Fraser Kemp responded: "Britain is working, don\'t let the Tories wreck it again". Mr Howard also paid tribute to the nation\'s character for its generous response to the Asian quake disaster. The catastrophe was overshadowing the hopes for the future at this usually positive time of the year, Mr Howard said. "We watched the scenes of destruction with a sense of disbelief. The scale, the speed, the ferocity of what happened on Boxing Day is difficult to grasp. "Yet Britain\'s response has shone a light on our nation\'s character. The last week has shown that the warm, caring heart of Britain beats as strong as ever." He went on to reflect on the values that "most Britons hold dear". Looking ahead to the coming general election, he pledged to "turn these beliefs into reality" and set out the choices he says are facing Britain. "How much tax do people want to pay? Who will give taxpayers value for money, the clean hospitals and good, disciplined schools they want? "Who can be trusted to get a grip on the disorder on our streets and the chaos in our immigration system?" Mr Blair has failed to tackle these problems, he claimed, saying he has the "wrong solution" to them. "The result is big government and higher taxes eroding incentives, undermining enterprise and denying people choice. "Worst of all, it is a government that has wasted people\'s money and failed to tackle the problems families face today." The Tories, he said, can cut crime and improve public services without asking people to pay more taxes. "We can have progress without losing what makes Britain great - its tolerance, the respect for the rule of law, the ability of everyone to fulfil their potential. "We simply need to change direction. The election will give Britain the chance to change." This is the record Mr Blair will have to defend in the coming months, he said, urging voters to hold him to account. But Labour spokesman Mr Kemp said: "It would be more appropriate for this message to come out on 1 April, not 1 January." "Let us never forget that when Michael Howard was in government Britain suffered mass unemployment, 15% interest rates, record home repossessions, and the introduction of the poll tax. "With Labour Britain is working. Rather than alluding to false promises Michael Howard should be starting 2005 with an apology to the British people for the misery that the government, of which he was a member, inflicted upon the country. ', 'UK', 'BAA support ahead of court battle UK airport operator BAA has reiterated its support for the government\'s aviation expansion plans to airports throughout the country. The comments come a day ahead of a High Court challenge by residents\' groups and local councils to the government\'s White Paper. The judicial review will centre on government plans for expansion at Heathrow, Stansted and Luton airports. BAA, which operates all three, said it was consulting with local communities. "We are...consulting on voluntary compensation schemes which go beyond our statutory obligations," a BAA spokesman said. Groups challenging the plans include Stop Stansted Expansion, Heathrow anti-noise campaigners HACAN Clearskies and the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Wandsworth. At Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, BAA launched a series of consultations on blight to properties from the proposed expansion in September 2004, which will close next week. The company is also offering to buy noise-hit properties for an index-linked, unblighted price. Among other measures, BAA has set up a homeowner support scheme for people living near Stansted, and has launched a special scheme for those close to the airport but far enough away not to be covered by the homeowner scheme. At Heathrow, BAA said it was working closely with all interested parties to see how the strict environmental, air quality and noise targets for a third runway can be met. At Gatwick, the company has written to homes and business likely to be affected by any extra runway. Stop Stansted Expansion said the White Paper, published in December 2003, was "fundamentally flawed" and did not follow the proper consultation process. "We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge before us because the courts have never before overturned a government White Paper," said Stop Stansted Expansion chairman Peter Sanders said. HACAN chairman John Stewart said: "Almost exactly a year ago the government published its 30-year aviation White Paper with much fanfare. "It hoped that would be the end of the debate and it could proceed with its plans for a massive expansion of aviation. "Yet, a year later the protesters are still here, and stronger than ever. " A judgement from Mr Justice Sullivan is expected early in February. ', 'UK', 'Howard pitches for UK ethnic vote Michael Howard is to make a pitch for Britain\'s ethnic vote urging people who feel "taken for granted" by Tony Blair to vote Conservative. He will say Conservatives "share the same values" as the UK\'s minorities. And that he wants to build a "better Britain" where everyone, whatever the colour of their skin or religion, can "make the most of their talents". But the Tory leader will argue against positive discrimination saying it is "outdated and unjust". "It sets family against family and it leads ethnic communities to doubt their own abilities," he will argue. Mr Howard - himself the son of immigrants - will acknowledge that racial discrimination still exists in the UK. "People from ethnic communities, for example, still earn less than their white counterparts," he will say before arguing the answer to helping everyone to get on was "free enterprise, free trade, free speech". The Tory leader will also call for religious tolerance arguing that Hindus and Sikhs as well as Muslims got "caught in the downdraft of Islamaphobia which was one of the terrible side effects of 9/11". Mr Howard will make his speech during a visit to support Tory Parliamentary hopefuls Robert Light and Sayeeda Warsi - "the first British Muslim woman" selected to run for MP as a Conservative candidate. He will attack Labour\'s record in government over issues such as tax and he will set out Tory plans for an immigration quota to be set by MPs. Mr Howard will also attack the Lib Dems for wanting to abolish faith schools, introduce compulsory sex education from the age of seven, and "give contraceptives out in schools from the age of 11". "So I say to all those people from ethnic minorities who feel Mr Blair and the Liberal Democrats take their votes for granted - come join us," he will say. Lib Dem president Simon Hughes branded Mr Howard "arrogant and wrong" for claiming the Tories were the "natural party" for Britain\'s ethnic minorities. "Given the Tories\' considerably reduced support in urban areas, where many black and Asian Britons live, during their time in power, the evidence simply does not support his claims that the Conservatives are the party for these communities," he said. ', 'UK', 'Observers to monitor UK election Ministers will invite international observers to check the forthcoming UK general election is fairly run. The move comes amid claims the poll could be marred by electoral fraud. A report by two MPs committees called on Thursday for urgent changes to the electoral registration system to combat vote rigging and boost turnout. But in a written response to Labour MP Gordon Prentice, the government said it would normally invite observers to any UK election. Junior constitutional affairs minister Christopher Leslie said: "I fully expect us to repeat our previous practice of doing so once the date for the next general election is announced." The government has looked at ways of boosting voter turnout, which fell to 59% in the last general election in 2001. But trial all-postal ballots in four English regions last summer were hit by delays and some fraud allegations. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Greaves called last week for international observers at the general election - saying otherwise there could be months of court challenges "on a scale not seen since the 19th Century". Thursday\'s report was drawn up by two committees scrutinising the work of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). It said that, with the growth of postal voting, there was a strong case to tighten up fraud protection by requiring voters to register individually, rather than by household. It also said about three million people eligible to vote are not registered to do so. Figures for the 2001 general election suggest 29% of people aged between 18 and 24, and 19% of black voters were not on the electoral roll. Young people in shared accommodation are thought to miss out because no one acts as head of the household to fill in the form. ODPM committee chairman Andrew Bennett said individual voter registration, as opposed to registration by household, should be quickly introduced as it could "dramatically reduce the chances of fraud". But his counterpart on the DCA committee, Alan Beith, said it should be delayed "until measures likely to increase registration have been put in place and proved effective." Shadow Constitutional Affairs Secretary Oliver Heald accused the government of "dragging its feet" over "this badly needed measure". "It is vital that we move ahead with the Northern Ireland system of individual electoral registration to safeguard the integrity of the Britain\'s electoral system," he said. The report said individual registration should be treated carefully as 12% of voters disappeared from the electoral roll in Northern Ireland when it was introduced in 2002. The report said the government should consider fines for unregistered voters, but accepted many experts said it would be an expensive system that would be hard to enforce. It said incentives to register, such as £20 council tax rebate, were likely to be seen as "gimmicks" and risked undermining the integrity of the system, MPs said. Instead they called for "imaginative campaigns" to boost interest. ', 'UK', 'UK needs tax cuts, Tories insist A major change of direction is needed in Britain if it is to prosper, the shadow chancellor said as the Tory Party spring conference began. Oliver Letwin said the UK could not compete with other countries without the £4bn tax cuts he was promising. Tory co-chairman Liam Fox had opened the forum in Brighton with an attack on Labour\'s record and party leader Michael Howard is due to speak later. Tony Blair has said Conservative policies would cause economic failure. But Mr Letwin said Britain had fallen from fourth to 11th in the international economic competitiveness league. "Can this country compete, can this country prosper, unless we do something about the burden of regulation and tax on our economy?" he said. "If we are going to take on the great challenges, the challenges like those posed by the Chinese and the Indians, we have got to do something about getting down the burden of regulation and getting down the burden of tax," he said. "The fact is the very carefully costed, fully funded plans we have laid out for saving £12bn by 2007-2008 are absolutely crucial to delivering an economy that will prosper and provide people with jobs and indeed provide the public services with the money they need on a sustainable long-term basis." Mr Letwin said voting for Labour meant choosing higher taxes, borrowing and waste. Earlier, Dr Fox had said Labour\'s rule had been characterised by "lost trust and failure to deliver". He also attacked the government\'s "failure" to control immigration and asylum and criticised its record on the NHS, telling delegates Labour cannot be trusted on education or crime. A Tory government would sort out the "shambles" of immigration, put patients before statistics and bring discipline to schools, he said. Michael Howard, who had been due to welcome delegates to the conference on Friday, will address them in a lunchtime speech. His welcome address had to be postponed after he stayed in London to lead the party\'s opposition to the Prevention of Terrorism Bill in its lengthy progress through Parliament. The bill was finally passed on Friday evening, after more than 30 hours of debate. Mr Howard is likely to defend his party\'s handling of the bill, which was only passed after the Conservatives accepted Prime Minister Tony Blair\'s promise that MPs would be able to review it within a year. ', 'UK', 'Brown targets OAPs and homebuyers Gordon Brown has doubled the level at which house buyers pay stamp duty to £120,000 as he put the economy at the heart of Labour\'s election campaign. The chancellor also unveiled a one-off £200 council tax refund for pensioners and a rise in child tax credit. Mr Brown put 1p a pint on beer, 4p on a bottle of wine and 7p on 20 cigarettes but froze petrol duty until September. The Tories called it a "vote now, pay later" Budget. The Lib Dems branded it a "sticking plaster" for the election. Tory leader Michael Howard predicted the Budget would do nothing to help Labour\'s "faltering" election campaign. "This government and this chancellor have run out of solutions to the problems Britain faces," Mr Howard told MPs. "Their only answer is to tax, to spend and to waste - to get people to vote now and pay later." He ended his response with an election challenge to Labour, saying "bring it on". Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy attacked Mr Brown for failing to mention the environment and for his record on social justice. "How can it be right in Britain today that the poorest 20% pay more in tax, as a proportion of their income, than the richest 20%?" he asked. Mr Kennedy criticised Mr Brown for failing to mention the "ticking bomb" of council tax revaluation, saying it was "high time" the system was replaced by a "local tax based on the ability to pay". During his 49 minute speech Mr Brown told MPs he had defied the pundits by hitting his growth target of 3.1% for 2004. He said his Budget struck a balance "between tax cuts that are affordable, investments that are essential and stability that is paramount". He rejected across-the-board tax cuts in favour of targeted help for families. The child tax credit will rise in line with earnings, giving families an extra £5 a week. In contrast, the personal income tax allowance will rise only in line with inflation from £4,745 to £4,895 next month. Mr Brown told MPs child benefit would rise to a maximum of £63 a week for the first child and £111 for two children. Despite his giveaways, Budget documents show Mr Brown clawed back £265m through a clampdown on tax avoidance and increased revenue from a windfall tax on oil companies. He also scrapped stamp duty relief for commercial property in disadvantaged areas - a measure brought in just over three years ago. BBC political editor Andrew Marr suggested the sweeteners were not big enough to have a transforming effect on voters. But trust in Mr Brown\'s economic stewardship would be a central election issue, he said. Mr Brown also unveiled plans for a memorial to the Queen Mother, funded through a special coin to celebrate the Queen\'s 80th birthday. Other measures include equal tax status for same-sex couples and a deal with the Council of Mortgage Lenders to boost low cost home ownership. The level where people start paying inheritance tax will also rise from £263,000 to £275,000 from April. Mr Brown said he had met his financial "golden rule" with a £6bn surplus and he said public borrowing would continue to fall over the next five years. The economy had grown for 50 consecutive quarters, he said, and was forecast to continue doing so over the next year, with a forecast of 3% to 3.5% in 2005 and 2.5% to 3% in 2006. The first £2bn of value-for-money savings identified in the Gershon Review have been achieved, the chancellor said. Some 12,500 civil servant posts have been axed, and 7,800 relocated out of the south east of England, he added. SNP leader Alex Salmond said Mr Brown had failed the "tartan test" as there were no measures to boost the Scottish economy. Simon Thomas, of Plaid Cymru, called it a budget for Middle England. UK Independence Party leader Roger Knapman attacked the plans for pensioners saying they needed "more money and the dignity of being allowed to spend it how they want," not "free bus rides". The Green Party said the Budget was a "wasted opportunity" for environmental protection, adding: "Brown obviously has an eye on the coming election, and has taken his eye off the needs of the planet." ', 'UK', 'Blair defends terror law changes The prime minister has defended measures to allow house arrest without trial, saying "several hundred" people in the UK are plotting terror attacks. The government is facing opposition from Tory and Lib Dem MPs and its own backbenchers as it prepares for the final Commons debate on the changes. But Tony Blair said there could be no concession on the "basic principle". Mr Blair told the BBC the "control orders" would only be used in the most limited circumstances. Critics in the opposition and civil rights activists are worried that the home secretary will have the power to issue the detention orders. But the government has so far resisted pressure for judges to be responsible for making the orders, instead saying judges will be able to quash them. An explanation is being sent by Home Secretary Charles Clarke to all MPs and peers ahead of the final debate in the House of Commons. On Sunday, Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis claimed judges would get the powers to issue detention orders. And Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said some concessions had already been offered by the government during last-minute negotiations. Some 32 Labour MPs voted against the legislation last week. Barbara Follett, whose first husband was killed while under house arrest in South Africa during the apartheid era, confirmed she would vote against the government. But the government is continuing to insist that "control orders" must be issued by the home secretary. Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4\'s Woman\'s Hour: "We are being advised by the police and the security services... "What they say is you have got to give us powers in between mere surveillance of these people - there are several hundred of them in this country who we believe are engaged in plotting or trying to commit terrorist acts - you have got to give us power in between just surveying them and being able, being sure enough of the proof, to prosecute them beyond reasonable doubt. "And these will be restrictions on their liberty that we will use only in the most limited circumstances." A YouGov poll in the Daily Telegraph suggested 75% of respondents thought action was sometimes necessary against people who had not committed an offence but who had been found by intelligence services to be planning a terrorist attack. But Tory leader Michael Howard told BBC News that the government was again making a mistake in "rushing" anti-terrorism legislation. "I very much hope it would be possible to reach a compromise on this." He said after meeting Tony Blair he had been left with the impression that "he really wasn\'t interested in any of the various proposals we have put forward". Mr Clarke wants house arrest and other powers to replace indefinite jail for terror suspects - something the law lords have ruled against on the basis that it breaches human rights. BBC political correspondent Vicky Young said some form of concession on the measures was likely to be needed to get the legislation through the House of Lords, where Labour does not have a majority and would require support from other parties. Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil liberties pressure group Liberty, said who was able to issue the control orders was not the main issue. She said the legislation was "a travesty and a perversion of justice" and would remain "unpalatable" even if a judge was involved early in the process. ', 'UK', 'Hunt ban support is \'in decline\' Support for a ban on hunting has fallen in the past six years, a poll suggests. Less than half the UK wants a ban compared to almost two-thirds in 1999, the Mori survey of 2,000 adults for BBC One\'s Countryfile programme suggests. The number opposed to a ban remains constant, but those "neither supporting nor opposing" has increased by 11%. Most city-dwellers support the ban but rural people were evenly split between supporters, opponents and undecided. Polling company Mori carried out both surveys. In July 1999 they asked 801 adults if they supported the ban for the Mail on Sunday. For Countryfile they asked 2,234 adults across the country the same question. The Mail on Sunday survey found that 63% supported a hunting ban compared with 24% against. In the Countryfile survey, 47% said they supported the legislation, with 26% against. But the programme makers suggest the British public are becoming "increasingly neutral" to the issue because around one quarter said they "neither support nor oppose" a ban. ', 'UK', 'Pre-poll clash on tax and spend Labour and the Tories have clashed over tax and spending plans as the row over Gordon Brown\'s Budget turned into a full scale pre-election battle. Tony Blair claimed a Tory government would "cut" £35bn from public services hitting schools, hospitals and police. Tory chairman Liam Fox accused Labour of "at best misrepresentation at worst a downright lie" and said the "smear" tactics were a sign of desperation. The Lib Dems accused Mr Brown of ducking the issue of council tax rises. Appearing together at a Labour poster launch, the prime minister hailed his chancellor\'s "brilliant" performance. And he claimed the Tories would cut £35bn from public services, which was the equivalent of sacking every doctor and teacher in the UK. The Tories said they would not cut spending but agreed public spending would increase more slowly under their plans - leading to a total of £33.5bn less spending than that anticipated by Labour by 2011. But they say not a single doctor, teacher or nurse will be cut. Dr Fox said: "We have said we will be spending more, year on year over and above inflation. "And to call that a cut is at best a misrepresentation, at worst a downright lie." Tory shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin also predicted Mr Brown would have to raise taxes by £10bn or £11bn if Labour was re-elected because he was borrowing and spending too much. For the Lib Dems, Vince Cable said the chancellor had failed to deal with the "looming problems" of revaluation of council tax bands which he argued would result in "massive increases" for some. Mr Brown and Mr Blair staged a show of unity on Thursday morning, the day after the chancellor delivered a record-breaking ninth Budget. Mr Cable said taxation as a share of the economy would go up under all three of the main parties. The chancellor meanwhile insisted his spending plans were "affordable". In Wednesday\'s Budget, Mr Brown doubled the level at which homebuyers pay stamp duty, unveiled a rise in child tax credit and a £200 council tax refund for over-65s. Defending the plans, he told Today: "I will take no risks with the stability of the economy. "All our spending plans announced yesterday [Wednesday], including what we can do for pensioners, as well as for young families and on stamp duty and inheritance tax, all these are costed and affordable." In a further sign, if any were needed, that the election is approaching, the House of Commons authorities have formally told MPs their offices will be "deep cleaned" during the three-week poll campaign. Mr Blair has yet to name the day - but it is widely expected to be 5 May. ', 'UK', '\'EU referendum could cost £80m\' It could cost £80m to run a UK referendum on the European constitution, ministers have revealed. In a written parliamentary answer, Constitutional Affairs Minister Chris Leslie said the poll was likely to cost the same as a general election. Mr Leslie said the cost could not be compared with the only previous British referendum, held 30 years ago. Ministers say the constitution would make the European Union work better but critics fear creating a "super state". Labour MP John Cryer, whose question revealed the price estimate, said the cost surprised him but was not a central factor as it was important people had their say. But he said it would have been better to have rejected the constitution so avoiding the need for a referendum. The 2001 election cost £80m. No date for the vote has been set but Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has suggested it is unlikely to be held until early 2006 - after the predicted date for the next election. Most voters said the UK should stay in the Common Market in the 1975 referendum. ', 'UK', '\'No UK apology\' for colonial past The days of Britain having to apologise for its colonial past are over, Gordon Brown has said. The chancellor, speaking during a week-long tour of Africa, said it was time to talk about enduring British values of liberty and tolerance. Mr Brown has signed a debt relief deal with Tanzania which could cost the UK £1 billion. South African president Thabo Mbeki has attacked British imperialists, saying they treated Africans like savages. Mr Brown said that missionairies had come to Africa because of their sense of duty. He added that the history of internationalism and enterprise had given Britain a greater global reach than any other country. BBC political correspondent Mark Mardell said Britishness had long been a theme of the chancellor\'s but "never before has he been so outspoken in defending Britain\'s past history". The UK has pledged to pay 10% of the developing world\'s foreign debt bill in an attempt to fight poverty. On top of the relief deal with Tanzania Mr Brown said the UK would make similar offers to 70 poorer nations around the world. Under the plan - which could cost the UK £1bn - countries must spend the cash saved on health, education and welfare. "We make this offer unilaterally but we are now asking other countries to join us," the chancellor said. Mr Brown, on a week-long tour of Africa, spent two days in Tanzania before heading on Friday evening to Mozambique, a country where more than half of the 17-million population lives below the poverty line. There he is expected to strike a similar debt relief pact. The chancellor said he hoped other G8 and European countries would follow suit. The UK has already cancelled its bilateral debts - money the UK alone is owed - with the world\'s poorest nations including Tanzania. Former international development secretary Clare Short questioned the effectiveness of debt relief as a means of tackling poverty. ', 'UK', 'Parliament\'s record of scandal In a locked room at the heart of Parliament there is a hive of scandal. Sex, betrayal and custody of children are all there in this affair but this time it has nothing to do with the recent troubles of David Blunkett or Boris Johnson. Few realise that Westminster in effect has its own divorce den. For sprinkled among 12 floors of archives are blow-by-blow accounts of marital break-ups - and now you can search what\'s there online. Until 1857, the only way in England to get a full divorce which allowed re-marriage was to obtain an Act of Parliament by proving adultery or life-threatening cruelty. The legacy is pages of testimonies used in the hearings, dating back to 1670, all recorded among the 325,000 items which fill the 12 floors of the parliamentary archives in Parliament\'s Victoria Tower. Most people researching their family history want to discover some tale of illicit love. This gives them the chance. Divorce by Parliament was an expensive process open really only to the rich but the records also include the testimony of maids, butlers and coachmen about their masters and mistresses. Among the records is the story of Jane Campbell, the first woman ever to divorce her husband. That happened in 1801 after she had discovered her husband, Edward Addison, had committed adultery with her sister Jessy. A transcript of evidence from Jessy\'s maid, Amelia Laugher, shows her telling how Addison frequently passed by her on the way to the room where she had just put her mistress naked to bed. It must have been a killer blow to Addison\'s case - he had already fled abroad rather than pay the £5,000 damages ordered by a civil court. As well as making divorce history, Jane Campbell won custody of her children - unusual for a woman at the time. But divorces are by no means the only documents in the archives which hold personal details of people often far removed from politics and Parliament. There are the protestation returns from 1642 - lists of the Protestants who pledged to "maintain the true reformed Protestant religion". There are details of foreign nationals made British citizens by act of Parliament, including composer George Frideric Handel in 1727. And the mass of private bills which, for example authorise the building of railways and roads, contain both the names and addresses of those involved and testimonies giving people a unique perspective on how their ancestors opposed them. Tax bills may be an extra source for pedigree hunters - the longest stretches for about 300m and is longer than the Palace of Westminster itself, listing the names of appointed tax collectors. This wealth of material has long been open to the public at the House of Lords Record Office, with visitors able to phone ahead when they want to view particular items in the search room. But now five years of work has produced an online catalogue. David Prior, assistant clerk of the archives, says the catalogue opens up new possibilities for research. "Before, you just could not do it, you faced trawling through pages and pages of printed material," he says. Mr Prior sees the changes as part of a wider revolution in archives generally. "The archive profession may look fairly staid but is in an enormous period of change, mainly motivated by the potential of IT, which is opening up all sorts of vistas for us," he says. The archives do, of course, hold records of high (and low) politics too for both Houses of Parliament, including copies of all acts passed since 1497 - the oldest dealing with the employment of workers in the woollen industry in Norfolk. Records for the Commons only date back to 1834 - anything earlier was wiped out by the fire which destroyed most of the Parliament buildings in 1834. But that still leaves some of the most important documents of UK political history - parts of the Bill of Rights from 1689, the death warrant for Charles I, the private papers and diaries of major politicians such as David Lloyd George and Andrew Bonar Law. There is also the 1606 act establishing 5 November as a thanksgiving day - the year after the Gunpowder Plot. That document is likely to feature in the exhibition the archives will put on next year as part of a series of events across London to mark the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes\' conspiracy. As Mr Prior remarks as we walk by shelf after shelf of vellum (parchment made from goat\'s skin): "All human life is here." ', 'UK', 'Ex-PM Lord Callaghan dies aged 92 Former Labour prime minister Lord Callaghan has died on the eve of his 93rd birthday. He passed away at home in East Sussex, just 11 days after his wife Audrey died aged 91. Lord Callaghan, who leaves a son and two daughters, was the longest living former British PM in history. He entered Downing Street in 1976 after the resignation of Harold Wilson. Prime Minister Tony Blair called him a "giant" of the Labour movement. He held each of the major offices of chancellor, home secretary, foreign secretary and prime minister during his career and became Lord Callaghan of Cardiff in 1987. Chancellor Gordon Brown said the former PM would be "mourned throughout the world". "It was a commitment to public service that brought Jim Callaghan into Parliament in 1945, and while Jim rose to the top he never forgot his roots." Former cabinet colleague Lord Hattersley said his first reaction on hearing the news was "immense sadness". "It was not a major surprise - I knew what a blow the death of his wife Audrey was a few days ago," he said. "He was a decent kindly man who helped me and my generation of politicians immensely. "The Labour party and the country will be poorer without him." Conservative peer Lord Heseltine said that despite their political differences, he and Lord Callaghan became friends. "You don\'t get to the premiership unless you have a streak of determination," he said. "But I saw the other side of Jim Callaghan, he became a personal friend in a way, and my family and I were very fond of him." Tory leader Michael Howard said he would be remembered with "affection and respect". Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said: "When I was first elected in 1983 as the youngest MP, he was the "Father of the House" and as such took a very keen interest in my early days in Parliament. "He was always full of warmth and wisdom." Born in 1912 and educated at Portsmouth Northern Secondary School, Lord Callaghan became a clerk at the Inland Revenue. He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1942 and rose to the rank of lieutenant. Elected for a Cardiff constituency at the 1945 general election, he represented Cardiff seats for more than 40 years. After serving as a junior minister in the Attlee government, he became chancellor of the exchequer when Labour returned to power in 1964. With sterling under pressure, he resisted devaluation for three years, before being forced into it in 1967. His political career was not without controversy. When he refused to support prime minister Harold Wilson and Dame Barbara Castle over the latter\'s trade union manifesto, In Place of Strife, in 1968, he said: "I am not going to resign. They will have to throw me out". When home secretary, he ordered British troops to march into the streets of Belfast to protect Catholic civilians amid rising violence - a decision that has dominated British politics into the 21st century. As foreign secretary in the early 1970s, Lord Callaghan kept an open mind about the UK\'s entry into the Common Market, seeing the advantages of the UK\'s entry. He once travelled to Idi Amin\'s Uganda in 1975 to plead for the life of a British lecturer, Dennis Hills, who was under a death sentence for treason. His political life was often tempered by battles against the hard left of the party. In the autumn of 1978, before the "Winter of Discontent" when trade unions carried out strikes that brought the country to a standstill, Lord Callaghan refused to hold an early election which may have delivered a Labour victory. As garbage lay uncollected in the streets and hospital staff, council workers and even gravediggers stayed off work, Lord Callaghan failed to predict the mood of the country. When Britain went to the polls in 1979, Tory leader Margaret Thatcher was swept into power in a landslide victory, and Lord Callaghan resigned as Labour leader. ', 'Australia', 'Howard\'s unfinished business "He\'s not finished yet," whispered the Conservative Party person as your reporter attempted to slip quietly from the hall. And indeed he wasn\'t. Michael Howard had already broken away from the printed text of his speech, at his party\'s spring conference in Brighton, to deliver a smart rebuff to Peter Hain\'s description of him as an "attack mongrel", claiming such personal abuse meant Labour was "rattled" by the Tory challenge. And here he was again, moving to the front of the stage as the party faithful rose to their feet in applause, to make a personal, ad-libbed appeal to them to go out and fight for victory. "One day you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren as I will tell mine, \'I was there. I did my bit. I played my part. I helped to win that famous election - the election that transformed our country for the better\'." The speech, which was peppered with references to Mr Howard\'s humble beginnings as the "child of immigrants", had been introduced by his son Nick, a trainee vicar, who praised his father\'s honesty. "I always know where I am with him because all my life he has meant what he has said to me," he said. Mr Howard was also joined on stage by his wife Sandra, daughter Larissa and stepson Sholto. The audience\'s reaction to all of this was a little muted by party conference standards. But Mr Howard\'s overall message - that the Tories have Labour on the run and that they can win the next election - did not sound quite as hollow as it might have done six months ago. Mr Howard claimed, with some justification, that the Tories\' campaign has got off to a "great start". They have had Labour on the back foot over immigration, with Tony Blair hastily adding a sixth promise on the issue to his latest pledge card, and have even managed to score points in traditional Labour territory such as health and education. The stunts involving Margaret Dixon with her postponed operation and Maria Hutchings with concerns about her son\'s special needs education may not have been to everyone\'s taste, but they succeeded in bringing the issues alive and forcing Labour to react. Senior Tories believe they are, at long last, starting to tap into the public mood, cutting through the background noise to connect with the ordinary voter. Their latest poster campaign flags up a range of policies from better school discipline, cleaner hospitals ("I mean, how hard is it to keep a hospital clean?") and immigration ("It\'s not racist to impose limits on immigration") - under the headline "are you thinking what we are thinking?" This, they say, contrasts with Labour\'s negative campaigning, such as its now infamous "flying pigs" poster. Oliver Letwin, one of the men lampooned in the Labour poster, affects bewilderment at what he believes is Labour\'s loss of its once sure footing on the campaign trail. The Peter Hain "mongrel" attack, he says, is just the latest example of the party getting the tone wrong - a by-product, he claims, of the Tories setting the agenda. "I have to say I don\'t understand what they are doing. The Labour machine appears to be in some kind of state of shock, it doesn\'t seem to know what to do." A few weeks of positive headlines have also done wonders for Tory activists\' morale - likely to be a crucial factor at an election which, most analysts seem to agree, will hinge on which party can get their core support out. "It has been a fantastic few weeks," said 20-year-old politics student Nick Vaughan. "Our policies have been getting in the media and there is a sense that we can win. I wouldn\'t be here if I didn\'t think we could." Some delegates even spoke of the next election being like 1970, when Ted Heath, behind in the polls and written off by the pundits, snatched victory from Harold Wilson\'s Labour Party. They all insisted it was not going to be a re-run of 2001. "We thought in 2001 we were going to dent that massive majority but it just didn\'t happen," said John Murray, of Aldridge Browhills Conservatives. "It was very disappointing. This time it really is different. "Whoever is running our strategy from the top has got it bang on. Blair is on the back foot." Much of the credit for the Tories\' recent change of fortune must go to Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist who succeeded in turning political veteran and apparent no-hoper John Howard, of Australia\'s Liberal Party, into a serial election winner. The Tories still have a mountain climb if Michael Howard is to walk through the doors of Number 10. Even allowing for the natural bias against the Tories in some opinion polls, they are still behind, when to have a chance of overturning Labour\'s whopping majority, they should really be ahead. But as they gear up for the start of the campaign proper, the party at least has reason to hope that, like his Australian namesake, Mr Howard really isn\'t finished yet. ', 'UK', '\'Last chance\' warning for voters People in England, Scotland and Wales must have registered by 1700 GMT to be able to vote in the general election if it is held, as expected, on 5 May. Those who filled in forms last autumn should already be on the register - but those who have moved house or were on holiday may have been left off. There will also be elections for local councils and mayors in parts of England on 5 May. The deadline for voters to register in Northern Ireland expired on Thursday. Completed registration forms can be handed into local authorities throughout the day on Friday, and some will accept them by fax. As well as for English county councils, polls for unitary authorities at Bristol, Isle of Wight and Stockton-on-Tees and mayors at Doncaster, Hartlepool, North Tyneside and Stoke-on-Trent are also scheduled for 5 May. Last week Preston City Council reported that more than 14,000 of its voters were not registered. Its electoral roll fell by 17.5% in a year - the biggest dip in the UK. An Electoral Commission spokeswoman said: "Political decisions are made on your behalf every day but only by using your right to vote at an election can you really have a say on the issues you care about. "If you want your voice to be heard on 5 May you will need to have registered by Friday 11 March." Council tax payers are not eligible to vote without registration, officials have stressed. ', 'Europe', 'Top Tories on Lib Dem \'hit list\' The Liberal Democrats are aiming to unseat a string of top Tories - including leader Michael Howard - at the next general election. Mr Howard\'s seat is at the top of the Liberal Democrats\' list. Others targeted include Oliver Letwin, David Davis and Theresa May, Lib Dem\'s elections chief Lord Rennard said. He said it was "nothing personal" but that "very many of the prominent Conservatives" had slender leads in seats where the Lib Dems were second. In 2001, Michael Howard won the Folkestone & Hythe seat with 20,645 votes, compared to 14,738 for the Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Carroll, giving the Tory leader a majority of 5,907. Asked if this amounted to the party\'s much vaunted "decapitation strategy" Lord Rennard said it was not a term he had ever used. But he urged Labour supporters to vote tactically to remove prominent Conservatives. "I just don\'t think Labour voters in these sort of seats could resist the temptation to use their votes effectively to remove a Conservative." He denied this strategy was opportunism, insisting the Lib Dem\'s policies on issues such as tuition fees, the council tax and free care for the elderly appealed "to all sides of the political spectrum". "We are in favour of tactical voting as long as the tactic is to vote Liberal Democrat," he added. A Conservative spokesperson said: "The Liberal Democrats can talk all they like about strategy. The problem the Liberal Democrats face is that a large number of Lib Dem voters do not agree with their policies. "We will be pointing out how they are soft on crime, how they support higher taxes, their opposition to controlled immigration and support for giving Europe more control over our lives". ', 'Europe', 'Lib Dems unveil election slogan The Liberal Democrats will present themselves as "the real alternative" in the forthcoming general election campaign, Charles Kennedy has said. Unveiling the slogan at the party\'s spring conference, he said there was no "glass ceiling" to its ambitions. He told delegates that Labour had abused the public\'s trust and that the Tories had failed to oppose them. In response, the Conservatives insisted that theirs was the party that understood the "forgotten majority". Speaking in Harrogate Mr Kennedy said: "People want a credible, principled political party which offers a different vision of what Britain can be." Only the Liberal Democrats stood against the Iraq war, he said, and they had also provided strong opposition to the government\'s plans on ID cards, anti-terror measures and taxation. He said: "If you voted Conservative in 2001 ... what good did it do you? Your vote was wasted. "What people needed was ... a party which was listening to their concerns; a party which was prepared to stand up and say so; a party which said no to the prime minister." Responding to the claims Tory Party co-chairman Liam Fox said: "Like Labour, the Lib Dems are soft on crime, support higher taxes, oppose controlled immigration and support giving Europe more control over our lives." Mr Kennedy also outlined his party\'s plan to impose a 50% income tax rate on earnings over £100,000 a year. The money would be used to help pay for key policies such as abolishing university tuition fees, scrapping council tax in favour of local income tax, and providing free care for the elderly, he said. Labour and the Tories claim the sums do not add up, and that working families would be hardest hit. Mr Kennedy said: "Britain is the fourth-largest economy in the world. We have world class businesses and a world class workforce. "So why are two million of our pensioners living below the poverty line?" All the parties are campaigning hard for an expected election in May, although Prime Minister Tony Blair has not confirmed any timing. Earlier, Mr Kennedy told Radio 4\'s Today programme there was no possibility of forming a coalition with Labour in the event of a hung Parliament. "We go into the election as an independent party and we come out as an independent party," he said. Mr Kennedy has been under fire in recent days for missing Monday\'s Commons vote on the government\'s controversial anti-terrorism laws, along with 16 other Lib Dem MPs. On Saturday, the Lib Dem chief executive said it was "just a cock-up" that Mr Kennedy and his colleagues missed the vote, which the government won by a majority of only 14. "Nobody had any idea that was going to happen," Lord Rennard told reporters at the party conference. He said he was certain MPs would get another chance to vote against the plans. ']
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['France', 'Greene sets sights on world title Maurice Greene aims to wipe out the pain of losing his Olympic 100m title in Athens by winning a fourth World Championship crown this summer. He had to settle for bronze in Greece behind fellow American Justin Gatlin and Francis Obikwelu of Portugal. "It really hurts to look at that medal. It was my mistake. I lost because of the things I did," said Greene, who races in Birmingham on Friday. "It\'s never going to happen again. My goal - I\'m going to win the worlds." Greene crossed the line just 0.02 seconds behind Gatlin, who won in 9.87 seconds in one of the closest and fastest sprints of all time. But Greene believes he lost the race and his title in the semi-finals. "In my semi-final race, I should have won the race but I was conserving energy. "That\'s when Francis Obikwelu came up and I took third because I didn\'t know he was there. "I believe that\'s what put me in lane seven in the final and, while I was in lane seven, I couldn\'t feel anything in the race. "I just felt like I was running all alone. "I believe if I was in the middle of the race I would have been able to react to people that came ahead of me." Greene was also denied Olympic gold in the 4x100m men\'s relay when he could not catch Britain\'s Mark Lewis-Francis on the final leg. The Kansas star is set to go head-to-head with Lewis-Francis again at Friday\'s Norwich Union Grand Prix. The pair contest the 60m, the distance over which Greene currently holds the world record of 6.39 seconds. He then has another indoor meeting in France before resuming training for the outdoor season and the task of recapturing his world title in Helsinki in August. Greene believes Gatlin will again prove the biggest threat to his ambitions in Finland. But he also admits he faces more than one rival for the world crown. "There\'s always someone else coming. I think when I was coming up I would say there was me and Ato (Boldon) in the young crowd," Greene said. "Now you\'ve got about five or six young guys coming up at the same time." ', 'France', 'Isinbayeva claims new world best Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own indoor world record by clearing 4.89 metres in Lievin on Saturday. It was the Russian\'s 12th world record of her career and came just a few days after she cleared 4.88m at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham. The Olympic champion went on to attempt 5.05m at the meeting on France but failed to clear that height. In the men\'s 60m, former Olympic 100m champion Maurice Greene could only finish second to Leonard Scott. It was Greene\'s second consecutive defeat at the hands of his fellow American, who also won in Birmingham last week. "I ran my race perfectly," said Scott, who won in 6.46secs, his best time indoors. "I am happy even if I know that Maurice is a long way from being at his peak at the start of the season." ', 'Australia', 'O\'Sullivan commits to Dublin race Sonia O\'Sullivan will seek to regain her title at the Bupa Great Ireland Run on 9 April in Dublin. The 35-year-old was beaten into fourth at last year\'s event, having won it a year earlier. "I understand she\'s had a solid winter\'s training down in Australia after recovering from a minor injury," said race director Matthew Turnbull. Mark Carroll, Irish record holder at 3km, 5km and 10km, will make his debut in the mass participation 10km race. Carroll has stepped up his form in recent weeks and in late January scored an impressive 3,000m victory over leading American Alan Webb in Boston. Carroll will be facing stiff competition from Australian Craig Mottram, winner in Dublin for the last two years. ', 'France', 'Kenya lift Chepkemei\'s suspension Kenya\'s athletics body has reversed a ban on marathon runner Susan Chepkemei after she made an official apology. Athletics Kenya (AK) had suspended the two-time London Marathon runner-up for failing to turn up to a cross-country team training camp in Embu. "We have withdrawn the ban. Chepkemei has given a reason for her absence," said AK chief Isaiah Kiplagat. "She explained she had a contract with the organisers of the race in Puerto Rice and we have accepted her apology." The Kenyan coaching team will now decide whether Chepkemei can be included in the team for this month\'s world cross country championships. The 29-year-old would be a strong contender at the event in France and is hopeful she will be granted a place in the 32-strong squad. "I am satisfied that the whole saga has been brought to an end," Chepkemei said. "I am ready and prepared to represent my country. "I will be disappointed if I am not given a chance to compete at the world cross country championships." AK had insisted it was making an example of Chepkemei by banning her from competition until the end of 2005. But the organisation came under intense international and domestic pressure to reverse its decision. The 29-year-old took part in the 2002 and 2003 London Marathons and was edged out by Radcliffe in an epic New York Marathon contest last year. The two-time world half-marathon silver medallist will be back to challenge Radcliffe at this year\'s London event in April. AK also dropped its harsh stance on three-time world cross country 4km champion Edith Masai. Masai missed Kenya\'s world cross country trials because of an ankle problem but AK insisted it would take disciplinary action unless she could prove she was really injured. "Subject to our doctor\'s confirmation, we have decided to clear Masai," added Kiplagat. ', 'UK', 'McIlroy aiming for Madrid title Northern Ireland man James McIlroy is confident he can win his first major title at this weekend\'s Spar European Indoor Championships in Madrid. The 28-year-old has been in great form in recent weeks and will go in as one of the 800 metres favourites. "I believe after my wins abroad and in our trial race in Sheffield, I can run my race from the front, back or middle," said McIlroy. New coach Tony Lester has helped get McIlroy\'s career back on track. The 28-year-old 800 metres runner has not always matched his promise with performances but believes his decision to change coaches and move base will bring the rewards. McIlroy now lives in Windsor and feels his career has been transformed by the no-nonsense leadership style of former Army sergeant Lester. Lester is better known for his work with 400m runners Roger Black and Mark Richardson in the past but under his guidance McIlroy has secured five wins this indoor season. McIlroy now claims he is in his best shape since finishing fourth for Ireland at the outdoor European Championships in 1998. "That was my last decent year," said McIlroy, who temporarily retired last August before returning to the sport under Lester\'s shrewd guidance. "Before, every race was like trying to climb Mount Everest and I now know you can\'t do it on your own. "Trying to succeed saw me sometimes standing half-dead and terrified on the starting line, which became a bit too much." McIlroy, who was compared to the likes of Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett in his younger days, is now competing without the benefit of National Lottery funding. That situation could change if he maintains his current form and repeats the world-class times he produced in the 800m and 1000m at major races in Erfurt and Stuttgart earlier this season. Russian Dmitriy Bogdanov won at the same Madrid venue last week and then claimed the European Championship race would be between himself, Dutchman Arnoud Okken and Antonio Reina of Spain but McIlroy is unfazed. He admitted: "He looked quite good in his win and fair enough everyone has the right to their own opinion. "I never write myself off and let\'s face it, I haven\'t or looked like being beaten this season." And McIlroy, whose time of one minute 46.68seconds in Erfurt elevated him to sixth place on the UK All-Time list, is also already looking beyond Madrid. He said: "I\'ve been much more focused this year about my career and having such a good team around me has been very important. "Ultimately of course, this weekend is a means to an end and that is getting prepared for the summer\'s world championships. "That ambition has meant that I\'ve had only two nights out since last August. The rest of my time has seen me just concentrating on rebuilding my career." ', 'UK', 'UK Athletics agrees new kit deal UK Athletics has agreed a new deal with adidas to supply Great Britain squads of all ages with their kit for the next four years. The German-based firm kitted out Team GB at the 2004 Olympics and has deals with 20 other national Olympic bodies. UK Athletics chief David Moorcroft said: "The Athens experience can now be extended to more major championships. "In the year ahead these include the European indoor and World outdoor championships. We are delighted." Moorcroft added: "It is hugely beneficial to the sport that the adidas commitment will also provide for officials and other personnel at our world-class series of live televised events." This week, UK Athletics also agreed a four-year deal with energy drink company, Red Bull, who will be supplying the product to athletics at major domestic meetings and in high performance centres. ', 'Germany', 'Call for Kenteris to be cleared Kostas Kenteris\' lawyer has called for the doping charges against the Greek sprinter to be dropped. Gregory Ioannidis has submitted new evidence to a Greek athletics tribunal which he claims proves the former Olympic champion has no case to answer. Kenteris and compatriot Katerina Thanou were given provisional suspensions in December for failing to take drugs tests before the Athens Olympics. The Greek tribunal is expected to give its verdict early next week. Kenteris and Thanou withdrew from the Athens Olympics last August after missing drugs tests on the eve of the opening ceremony. They were also alleged to have avoided tests in Tel Aviv and Chicago before the Games. But Ioannidis said: "Everything overwhelmingly shows that the charges should be dropped." Ioannidis also said he has presented evidence that will throw a different light on the events leading up to the pair\'s sensational withdrawal from the Athens Games. The lawyer added that he has proof the authorities "knew" Kenteris was in Germany at the time he was alleged to have missed a test in Chicago. Nick Davies, spokesman for athletics\' ruling body the IAAF, which handed out the provisional bans, said: "We can\'t comment because we were not present at the hearing and don\'t know what was said behind closed doors. "We expect a verdict from the Greek Athletics Federation before the end of February and will obviously be making a statement then." Kenteris won 200m gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, while Thanou won silver in the 100m. ', 'Canada', "Merritt close to indoor 400m mark Teenager LaShawn Merritt ran the third fastest indoor 400m of all time at the Fayetteville Invitational meeting. The world junior champion clocked 44.93 seconds to finish well clear of fellow American Bershawn Jackson in Arkansas. Only Michael Johnson has gone quicker, setting the world record of 44.63secs in 1995 and running 44.66secs in 1996. Kenyan Bernard Lagat missed out on the world record by 1.45secs as he ran the third quickest indoor mile ever to beat Canada's Nate Brannen by almost 10secs. The Olympic silver medallist's time of three minutes 49.89secs was inferior only to the 1997 world record of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj and former world record holder Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland's 3:49.78. Lagat was on course to break El Guerrouj's record through 1200m but could not maintain the pace over the final 400m. Ireland's continued his excellent form by winning a tight 3,000m in 7:40.53. Cragg, who recently defeated Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele in Boston, held off Bekele's Ethiopian colleague Markos Geneti by only 0.19secs to secure his victory. Mark Carroll, who will join Cragg in the European Indoor Championships next month, finished a solid third in 7:46.78. Olympic 200m gold medallist of Jamaica ran the fastest women's 60m in the world this year as she equalled her personal best of 7.09secs. World indoor 60m hurdles champion also won, improving his season-leading time to 7.51secs. ", 'France', 'El Guerrouj targets cross country Double Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj is set to make a rare appearance at the World Cross Country Championships in France. But the Moroccan, who has not raced over cross country for 15 years, will not decide until two weeks before the event which starts on 19 March. "If I am to compete in it, it is only if I feel I can win," said the 30-year-old, who is retiring in 2006. "Otherwise there is not much point in me going." El Guerrouj achieved a lifetime ambition last August when he clinched his first Olympic titles over 1500m and 5,000m. But the four-time world 1500m champion is still hungry for more success before calling time on his career. The 30-year-old has set his sights on clinching the world 5,000m crown in Helsinki this summer. And he is aiming to break 10,000m Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele\'s 5,000m and 10,000m world records. El Guerrouj could meet Bekele in March as the Ethiopian is the defending world cross country champion over both the long and short courses. But the Moroccan will not commit himself to the St Galmier event until he assesses how well his winter training is going. "The return to training was very difficult because I accepted a lot of invitations these past few months," said El Guerrouj. "I am almost a month behind but I am on the right track." - Britain\'s Paula Radcliffe has also not ruled out competing in the World Cross Country Championships. "I haven\'t quite decided what events I will compete in prior to London but the World Cross Country is an event which is also special to me and is a definite possibility," said the two-time champion. ', 'US', 'Collins appeals against drugs ban Sprinter Michelle Collins has lodged an appeal against her eight-year doping ban with the North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The 33-year-old received the ban last month as a result of her connection to the federal inquiry into the Balco doping scandal. She is the first athlete to be banned without a positive drugs test or an admission of drugs use. CAS has said that a ruling is normally given within four months of an appeal. Collins was suspended by the US Anti-Doping Agency based on patterns observed in her blood and urine tests as well as evidence in the Balco investigation. As well as being hit with the ban, Collins was stripped of her 2003 world and US indoor 200m titles. The San Francisco-based Balco laboratory is at the centre of the scandal which has rocked the sport. The company has been accused of distributing illegal performance-enhancing drugs to elite athletes. ', 'Europe', "2004: An Irish Athletics Year 2004 won't be remembered as one of Irish athletics' great years. The year began with that optimism which invariably and unaccountably, seems to herald an upcoming Olympiad. But come late August, a few hot days in the magnificent stadium in Athens told us of the true strength of Irish athletics - or to be more accurate, the lack of it. Sonia O'Sullivan's Olympic farewell apart, there was little to stir the emotions of Irish athletics watchers. But after the disastrous build-up to the games, we shouldn't have been surprised. At the start of the year, an O'Sullivan had been earmarked as Ireland's best medal prospect but as it turned out, walker Gillian never even made it to the start line because of injury. Less than a week before the Olympics, the sport was rocked by news that 10,000m hope Cathal Lombard had tested for the banned substance EPO. Lombard's shattering of Mark Carroll's national 10,000m record in April had already set tongues wagging but even the most cynical of observers, were surprised when he was rumbled after an Irish Sports Council sting operation. The Corkman quickly held his hands up in admission and was promptly handed a two-year ban from the sport. Back at pre-Olympic ranch in Greece, it must have seemed that things couldn't have got any worse but they very nearly did with walker Jamie Costin lucky to escape with his life after being involved in a car crash near Athens. Once the track and field action began in Athens, a familiar pattern of underachievement emerged although Alistair Cragg's performance in being the only athlete from a European nation to qualify for the 5,000m final did offer hope for the future. Our beloved Sonia scraped into the women's 5K final as a fastest loser and for a couple of days, the country attempted to delude itself into believing that she might be in the medal shake-up. As it happened, she went out the back door early in the final although there was nothing undignified about the way that she insisted on finishing the race over a minute behind winner Meseret Defar. It later transpired that Sonia had been suffering from a stomach bug in the 48 hours before the final although typically, the Cobhwoman played down the effects of the illness. Amazingly, she was back in action a couple of weeks later when beating a world-class field at the Flora Lite 5K road race in London and while her major championship days may be over, it's unlikely that we have seen the last of her in competition. At least Sonia managed to make it to Athens. At the start of the year, several Northern Ireland athletes had genuine hopes of qualifying for the Games but come August, an out-of-form and injured Paul Brizzel was the lone standard bearer for the province. The Ballymena man gave it a lash but his achilles problem, and a bad lane draw, meant a time of 21.00 and an early exit. James McIlroy, Gareth Turnbull, Zoe Brown and Paul McKee all had to be content with watching the Athens action on their television screens. 800m hope McIlroy never got near his best during the summer and a fourth place in the British trials effectively ended his hopes of making the plane. The injury-plagued Turnbull gamely travelled round Europe in search of the 1500m qualifying mark but 3:39 was the best he could achieve, after missing several months training during the previous winter. A lingering hamstring probem and a virus wrecked McKee's Athens ambitions and both he and Turnbull deserve a slice of better fortune in 2005. Pole vaulter Brown had hoped for a vote of confidence from the British selectors after she had achieved the Athens B standard but the call never came. As the summer ended, stalwarts Catherina McKiernan and Dermot Donnelly hung up their competitive spikes. McKiernan had to candidly acknowledge that time had crept up on her after several injury-ravaged years. Donnelly and his Annadale Striders team-mates later suffered tragedy when their friend and clubman Andy Campbell was found dead at his home on 18 December. A large turnout of athletics-loving folk turned out in west Belfast to offer their respects to the Campbell family and Andy's many friends. As only death can, it put the year's athletics happenings in a sharp perspective. ", 'Italy', 'Athens memories soar above lows Well, it\'s goodbye to another Olympic year and as usual there were plenty of highs and lows in Athens. Obviously, there\'s no getting away from the differing fortunes of Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe. But I want to remind you of a few more events that made 2004 another year to remember - or forget - for athletics. One of my favourite Olympic moments was Kelly\'s success in the 800m. Winning that race was the key to her success because if she won that then the 1500m would be a bit of a formality. Kelly had been full of "should I, shouldn\'t I?" thoughts about going for the double in Athens. I thought why wouldn\'t you do the 800m, it\'s your best event? It was such good fun to commentate on her 1500m and it was nice to be able to be part of her Athens story. The victory for the British men\'s 4x100m relay team was a bit of a surprise but a great climax to the Games. I think the four of them - Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis - knew deep down that it was their best chance of a medal. The lads had run poorly in the individual sprints so maybe they did lift their game when they knew something was really at stake. Hicham El Guerrouj\'s Olympic double is a much bigger achievement than Kelly\'s on a global scale. He was the first man since for 80 years to win both the 1500m and 5,000m titles. As soon as he had added the 5,000m crown and I had finished commentating, I jumped up, ran down the stairs, pushed everyone out the way and just gave him a big hug. He is one of the few African runners who has embraced the tradition of the mile and he loves to hear all the Roger Bannister stories. Hicham is someone I enjoy having a bit of time with, even though my French and his English are not very good. What happened to Paula in Athens this year is the obvious low on a personal level and for the expectations of the nation as well. There were a set of circumstances around Athens that conspired to produce a very dramatic ending which I think has been greatly misunderstood. Dropping out of the marathon was the right thing to do but starting in the 10,000m five days later was not wise. That was her heart and not her head reacting. Paula had a lot of little things going wrong in her preparation and on the day. Things like niggling injuries, not being able to do all her running sessions and feeling the pressure of the race looming ahead of her. I think she came to the start line in Athens physically and emotionally drained. And if even the smallest thing doesn\'t feel right when you are preparing to race a marathon, 10 miles down the road it will hit you like a brick wall. The positive thing to take from Paula\'s Olympics it that she will have learned a lot from it and so will a lot of people - including me. Purely as a race, Paula\'s victory in the New York Marathon has to go down as one of the most thrilling. It was so nip-and-tuck between her and Kenya\'s Susan Chepkemei and you don\'t usually get that kind of excitement in marathons. It was also a real delight for all athletics fans because, to use one of my favourite words, Paula showed real "bouncebackability". And it was a bit of a rarity for me too because I genuinely did not have an inkling how the race was going to pan out. Kelly and the 4x100m boys\' victories papered over the cracks in the general performance of the British team. We should be concerned that we\'re not producing enough people who are capable of reaching finals at senior level. The only individual men\'s finalist on the track was Michael East in the 1500m. I am beginning to look down and wonder where are the new breed? And that\'s where things begin to look even gloomier for British athletics as we did not win any medals at the world junior championships in Italy. Dani Barnes came fourth in the 1500m and she was the highest finisher for Team GB. The thing is if we don\'t have athletes getting into the finals at junior level then it really doesn\'t look good for the Beijing Olympics and beyond. I tell you what I really enjoyed this year, Benita Johnson winning the world cross country championships back in March. In the absence of Paula, we tend to think of the event as something of an African preserve. So to have an Australian come up and deliver such a surprise was something special. To be honest, I\'m getting bored with all the drug scandals, especially Balco. I just wish the whole thing would come to a head so we can move on. Having said that, I\'m always pleased when drugs cheats are caught because it shows the sport is standing up to it and not turning a blind eye anymore. And one of the positive things to come out of Balco is people are starting to blow the whistle. We need more people to come forward and help the authorities kick out the cheats. As regards the case against Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, well suspicions have been hanging over Kenteris for a while. The bottom line is we cannot keep letting drugs damage the sport because if we do then it stops everyone enjoying it. ', 'US', 'Collins banned in landmark case Sprinter Michelle Collins has received an eight-year ban for doping offences after a hearing at the North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). America\'s former world indoor 200m champion is the first athlete to be suspended without a positive drugs test or an admission of drugs use. Collins\' ban is a result of her connection to the federal inquiry into the Balco doping scandal. The 33-year-old was found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) decided to press charges against Collins in the summer. The sprinter has consistently protested her innocence but the CAS has upheld USADA\'s findings. "The USADA has proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Collins took EPO, the testosterone/epitestosterone cream and THG," said a CAS statement. "Collins used these substances to enhance her performance and elude the drug testing that was available at the time." So far a total of 13 athletes have been sanctioned for violations involving drugs associated with the Balco doping scandal. World record holder Tim Montgomery is also facing a lifetime ban after being charged by the USADA. His hearing before the CSA has been rescheduled for June next year. Drug enforcement chiefs in the US have vowed to crack down on cheats. USADA chief executive officer Terry Madden said the action taken against Collins was further proof of that. "The CAS panel\'s decision confirms that those who violate the rules will be sanctioned as part of USADA\'s ongoing efforts to protect the rights of the overwhelming majority of US athletes that compete drug-free," said Madden. The USADA has built its cases on verbal evidence given to the federal investigation into Balco rather than test results. The San Francisco-based Balco laboratory faces steroid distribution and money laundering charges. The trial is expected to open next March. ', 'US', 'Jones medals \'must go if guilty\' World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Dick Pound says Marion Jones should be stripped of all her medals if found guilty of taking banned substances. Victor Conte, of Balco Laboratories, claims the American sprinter regularly used drugs to enhance her performance. "If she is found guilty she should be stripped of all her medals and banned for two years," said Pound. Asked if there was a timescale as to what medals could be taken, Pound said: "That is not an issue at all." However, under International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules, athletes can only be stripped of their medals if caught within three years of the event. Jones, who won five medals at the 2000 Olympics, denies using drugs and says she will take legal action over Conte\'s allegations. Balco Laboratories is the firm at the centre of a wide-reaching investigation into doping in the US. Pound continued: "If she has indeed taken drugs it is going to be a big disappointment for a lot of people." ', 'US', 'Gatlin and Hayes win Owen awards American Olympic stars Justin Gatlin and Joanna Hayes have been named the winners of the 2004 Jesse Owens Awards, USA Track & Field\'s (USATF) top honour. Gatlin, 22, won the closest 100m final in Games history with a career-best time of 9.85 seconds in Athens. He also won bronze in the 200m and silver in the 4x100m relay, becoming the only male athlete to win three athletics medals this summer. Hayes, 27, set an Olympic record of 12.37 in winning the 100m hurdles. Established in 1981, the Jesse Owens Awards - named in honour of the late Olympic great who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Games - are presented annually to the outstanding US male and female track and field performers. The 2004 awards will be presented on 3 December in conjunction with the USATF annual meeting in Portland. "It is such a great honour to win the Jesse Owens Award," said Gatlin. "It is one of the biggest honours in track and field and it is a great end to a great year. " Hayes said: "Knowing some of the great people who have won this award before me and knowing what it represents, I feel a sense accomplishment and pride which lets me know that everything that I have worked for is and always will be worth it." ', 'US', 'Trial date is set for Balco case A US judge has set a preliminary trial date for the Balco steroid distribution case which has rocked athletics. US district court judge Susan Ilston rejected an attempt by the defence team to have the case dismissed at a pre-trial hearing in San Francisco. And she set a March date for the case of the four men accused of distributing illegal performance-enhancing drugs to elite athletes to be heard. A firm decision on whether the trial takes place is expected in January. The judge said that she may conduct hearings in January into whether federal agents illegally searched the Balco headquarters and wrongfully obtained statements from the company\'s founder Victor Conte and its vice-president James Valente. The two men - along with personal trainer Greg Anderson and athletics coach Remy Korchemny - were all indicted earlier this year but have pleaded their innocence. The outcome of those hearings could result in some or all of the charges being dismissed. Conte said that he would be telling his side of the story on an American TV show on Friday. "The world deserves to know the truth about performance-enhancing drugs," he said. Balco (The Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative) is the company at the centre of the scandal. The company has been accused by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of being the source of the banned steroid THG and modafinil. The USADA claims that 10 athletes have received sanctions for testing positive for THG and modafinil. Former double world champion Kelli White and Olympic relay star Alvin Harrison have both been banned on the basis of materials discovered during the Balco investigation. Britain\'s former European 100m champion Dwain Chambers is currently serving a two-year ban after testing positive for THG in an out-of-competition test in 2003. ', 'US', 'Jones files Conte lawsuit Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Balco boss Victor Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs. The Sydney Olympic gold medallist says Conte damaged her reputation and she is seeking $25m (£13m) in the suit. Conte, whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation, made the claims in a US television programme. He and three others were indicted in February by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offences. In an email to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Conte said: "I stand by everything I said". Jones won three gold medals and two bronzes in Sydney in 2000. Her lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in San Francisco, said the sprinter had passed a lie detector test and that she "has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs". Conte\'s statements, the suit added, were "false and malicious". After the ABC television program earlier this month, Jones\' lawyer Richard Nicholls said: "Marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs. "Victor Conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment, while Marion Jones is one of America\'s most decorated female athletes. Mr Conte\'s statements have been wildly contradictory. "Mr Conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television, while Marion Jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination. "Mr Conte is simply not credible. We challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that Marion Jones passed." The sport\'s ruling body, the IAAF, is taking a cautious approach to Conte\'s allegations but contacted the US Anti-Doping Agency. Communications director Nick Davies said the IAAF would seek to contact Conte "for further information". But Davies stressed it would be up to the American authorities to decide whether they will take action against Jones in light of Conte\'s television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely. "If it is felt there is case to answer, it would be for its national governing body (USA Track and Field) to take the appropriate disciplinary action," he added. "The US Anti-Doping Agency has proved itself to be very diligent in its anti-doping war. "And I am sure, like ourselves, they will be watching the television programme with great interest." Jones, who is under investigation for steroid use by the US Anti-Doping Agency, has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the Balco scandal, although she praised a zinc supplement Conte marketed. Jones, who did not win any medals in Athens in August, has never failed a drugs test. Meanwhile, Conte, who has been charged along with three other men of distributing illegal steroids and money laundering, is due to face trial in March. ', 'US', 'What now for Kelly Holmes? Last April, Kelly Holmes spoke to the BBC Sport website about her loneliness, her fight to stay fit and her decision not to contest both the 800m and 1500m at the Olympics. It just goes to show even the most meticulous and measured athletes cannot predict what fate has in store for them. Four months later, Holmes stormed to double Olympic gold and has since been made a Dame, won the BBC Sport Personality of the Year and written a book whilst still finding time to coach aspiring athletes. With so much time spent in the spotlight, Holmes has increasingly dropped hints that her ambition on the track has begun to wilt. And when asked about her plans for both the indoor and outdoor seasons ahead, the 34-year-old has repeatedly chosen to tick the "don\'t know" box. Holmes has now pulled out of this weekend\'s European Indoor Championships, where she was selected for both the 800m and 1500m, because of a hamstring injury. But should we be surprised if the Olympic champion over both those distances decides she just does not feel like racing anymore? "Well, it\'s a lot easier being the double Olympic champion, being feted by everybody, than training to be at the top in middle distance running," points out former Olympian and BBC pundit Steve Cram. "You have to have a real strong desire to carry on doing it even if you\'re very talented." Holmes\' drive and determination have always been unquestionable - that is the reason she has battled back from a string of injuries that threatened to see her finish her career empty-handed. But alarm bells start ringing when the Kent athlete begins questioning herself. "Will I have as much commitment, desire and energy to go through a major championship?" Holmes asked in the New Year. "That is what I don\'t know." At 34, Holmes will also be aware that time is running out. US 400m and 200m legend Michael Johnson, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, retired shortly after his 34th birthday as did Britain\'s double Olympic champion decathlete Daley Thompson. The physical demands of the day-to-day grind will only get harder for Holmes, who has already admitted she "doesn\'t like the training anymore." Whilst out on the circuit the allure of defeating a double Olympic champion will spur her opponents on. Holmes will not want to needlessly suffer the indignity of being beaten. Unless she is certain she has a strong chance of winning any race, she will not step onto the track. But if the Kent athlete finds the form that fuelled her ambitions last summer, there are more prizes up for grabs. The day after completing her double in Athens, the 34-year-old revealed she would still like to win her first indoors title. Holmes\' wish could easily be met in Madrid before she goes on to prepare for the outdoor season where there are still scores to be settled, such as a first gold at the World Championships in Helsinki. There is just one small truth which could gnaw away at Holmes\' motivation - the realisation that no matter how hard she trains, nothing she wins now can surpass her achievements in Athens. On the other hand, if those achievements cannot be matched shouldn\'t they be at least shared and celebrated? "You don\'t get the chance very often in your career to step onto the track as the double Olympic champion," agreed Cram. "You want to be able to take your bow in front of the fans because it\'s a fantastic feeling. "I think deep down Kelly wants to run. I think she will compete and run races on the circuits but whether or not she runs in the major championships is much less certain." Athletics fans had every reason to believe they would see the new-look Kelly Holmes tearing up the track again. After her Olympic glory she emphatically denied she planned to retire. So, why is Holmes dragging her heels about making a decision on where, when or whether to even bother competing again? "That\'s just Kelly," explains Cram. "She\'s always been like that. "She enjoys people trying to guess what she is going to do next. She knows every time she makes a pronouncement now it\'s headline news. "Kelly has to figure out for herself what it is she wants and that will be based on athletics decisions, whether she can be competitive, if she is fit enough to put her neck on the line. "And if she decides not to run again, no-one is going to turn round and say \'you\'re making the wrong decision.\'" ', 'Australia', 'Gardener battles to narrow win Jason Gardener fought all the way to the line to narrowly claim the men\'s 60m title at the Norwich Union Indoor trials and AAAs Championships. The world 60m champion got off to a rolling start and had to dig deep to dip ahead of Mark Findlay and Darren Chin, who both set personal bests. "It was a close race," admitted Gardener. "I stumbled out the blocks but my experience told through. "I still feel there\'s more life in me and I believe I can go faster." Gardener\'s performance in Sheffield could have been affected by the news, which he heard before his semi-final, that his European record had been broken Frenchman Ronald Pognon, who will be a real threat at the European Championships, set a new time of 6.45, one-hundreth of a second faster than Gardener\'s previous mark. Favourite delivered a powerful performance to take the women\'s 60m title in 7.27 seconds. "You\'ll see me in Madrid and I feel there is a lot more to come along," said the 22-year-old. Katherine Endacott battled hard to take second and dip under the European qualifying mark. Defending champion Joice Maduaka had pulled out of the final with a chest infection. was on record-breaking form as she stormed to the women\'s 60m hurdles crown. The 25-year-old set a new British record for the second time in seven days, clocking 7.96 seconds to finish ahead of rival Diane Allahgreen. "I\'m so happy," a tearful Claxton told BBC Sport. "All the years I\'ve been running and I\'m getting recognition." Claxton\'s time was also good enough to qualify for the European Championships. The men\'s 800m went to form in Sheffield as dominated the race from start to finish. The Northern Ireland athlete went off at a startling pace but had to hold off the challenge of Welshman Jimmy Watkins over the final 200m to win in one minute, 47.96 seconds. Both McIlory and Watkins, who set a life-time best of 1:48.32, had already booked their places in Madrid and were again well within the qualifying time. "I had to go out and go through all the gears before the Europeans and I won\'t run again until then," said McIlroy. could not reach the European mark in the women\'s race as she crossed the line to win in 2:04.45. Olympic bronze heptathlon medallist rounded off a useful weekend with two more personal bests in Sheffield. The 28-year-old reached 1.80m in the high jump and clocked 8.47secs in the heats of the 60m hurdles. "I\'ve surprised myself," said Sotherton. "I\'m starting to thrive on the pressure but if I don\'t perform then it\'s not the end of the world." Pole vaulter made a winning return to major competition after a drugs ban. The Trafford athlete, who has served a two-year ban after testing positive for anabolic steroids, clinched the title with a championship record 4.25m. also set a new championship mark in the men\'s triple jump title in Sheffield. The 26-year-old, who has been training in Australia over the winter, landed 17.30m with his final effort - the longest leap in the world this year. "I didn\'t have a clue," said Idowu. "I\'ve not jumped indoors before and I just wanted the qualifying mark. "But this isn\'t a bad start and hopefully I\'ll come back from Madrid with a gold medal." Nathan Douglas continued his steady progress this season as he set a life-time best of 16.76m in second while Jonathan Moore took third. and resumed their rivalry in the long jump competition, both achieving the European standard. Commonwealth champion Morgan reached a personal best of 7.96m on his very first jump and then promptly retired with a bruised heel. Olympian Tomlinson tried to play catch up with his six jumps but had to settle for a season\'s best jump of 7.91m. "I was advised not to jump by my doctor and so I\'m pleased to come here and get the qualifying mark," said Tomlinson. , now based at Loughborough, sprinted past front runner Catherine Murphy in the final 100m to steal the women\'s 400m title. The 21-year-old ran a personal best of 53.45 seconds to win her first indoor title. Wall\'s time was just short of the qualifying mark - something Murphy already has. Ireland\'s took the men\'s title in 46.46 ahead of promising Channel Islands decathlete Dale Garland. Sudanese 18-year-old Rabah Yusuf, who is seeking British citizenship, showed his raw talent as he burst through in third. cleared the required 1.90m to qualify for the European championships and claim the AAAs title in the women\'s high jump. In the men\'s 3,000m, powered to a new personal best of seven minutes, 56.86 seconds to defend his AAAs title in style. It was the first time in 11 years the eight-minute barrier has been broken at the championships and was just within the European mark. took the women\'s 1500m AAAs title in the absence of Kelly Holmes. Her time of 4:19.11 was not good enough to qualify for Madrid but Ovens had already opted out of the championships. The men\'s race was won by , who had to fight off a closing pack to claim the title in 3:45.87. ', 'Europe', "Johnson edges out rival Sotherton Jade Johnson edged out rival Kelly Sotherton with her last effort to claim the AAAs long jump title at the Norwich Union European Indoor trials. Olympic heptathlon bronze medallist, Sotherton, led the event with her first leap of 6.43m - a personal best. But Johnson, who has not competed indoors for five years, leapt to a life-time best of 6.50m in her last jump, after four fouls. Both Johnson and Sotherton passed the European Championships qualifying mark. Although Sotherton's main aim in Madrid next month will be the pentathlon where she will take on Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft. Ireland's delivered a shock in the men's 200m as he stormed to his first major title in 21.01 seconds. British favourite Chris Lambert had to settle for second place while defending champion Ireland's Paul Brizzel took third. There was some consolation for Lambert as he set a personal best of 20.94 in the first round - good enough to qualify for Europe. Two-time AAAs champion Allyn Condon and Ian Mackie had no such luck as they were disqualified in the heats. There was plenty of hot action in the men's 60m hurdles where Scotland's was vying for top spot with Olympian Andy Turner. Scott, 22, smashed his personal best on the way to the final, where he broke it again to win the AAAs title in 7.58 seconds. Turner finished second in 7.82 after previously setting a personal best on the 7.83 in the semi-finals, while Damien Greaves did not finish the final. The trio of athletes have reached the European qualifying mark this season though one of them is set to miss out on a call-up to the British squad. comfortably defended her 3,000m title, clocking eight minutes, 49.87 seconds to easily surpass the European qualifying mark. The European cross country bronze medallist is ranked number one in Europe this season and will go to Madrid with high hopes. Helen Clitheroe was agonisingly close to the 9:05.00 qualifying mark as she claimed the runners-up spot in a personal best of 9:05.73. In the men's 800m heats, qualified fastest in the 800m heats to lay down a challenge to in-form . The Welsh runner attacked the last 200m to come through ahead of James Thie in one minute, 49.87 seconds. McIlroy, who is third in the European rankings, eased across the finish in 1:50.87 to set up a showdown in Sunday's final in Sheffield. Both Watkins and McIlroy have already achieved the European qualifying mark. Scotland's Susan Deacon stole 's thunder in the final of the women's 200m. Fraser became the fastest British woman over the distance this season when she qualified for the final in 23.68 seconds - though that time is outside the European standard. But Deacon claimed her first AAAs title over the distance, edging Fraser into second in 23.67. In the women's shot put veteran claimed her fourth AAAs title with a throw of 15.27m. But that mark was not good enough for the 39-year-old to book her place at next month's European Indoor Championships in Madrid. Sotherton finished fifth after producing two throws of 13.77m. In the absence of injured British number one Carl Myerscough, claimed the men's shot put title with a throw of 17.64m, which was below the qualifying mark. Sale's Robert Mitchell climbed to a season's best of 2.20m - just 3cm short of the European standard - to claim the British indoor high jump title. could only clear 2.16m to finish in fourth but the 27-year-old's disappointment will be tempered as he had already achieved the qualifying mark at a meeting in Slovenia on Tuesday. There was bad luck for British number one in the pole vault as he failed to clear the bar after deciding to come in at 5.45m. The AAAs indoor title went instead to Ashley Swain, who climbed to a season's best of 5.25m And Ireland's Taniesha Scanlon set a new national record of 13.28m in the women's triple jump. ", 'Germany', 'Holmes urged to compete at Worlds Jolanda Ceplak has urged Britain\'s Kelly Holmes to continue competing at the major championships. Double Olympic gold medallist Holmes has strongly hinted she will not run in this year\'s Worlds and is undecided about next month\'s European Indoors. But World Indoor 800m record holder Ceplak said: "There is never an easy race when she is in the field. There is only excitement at what might happen. "It is good for the sport. She always fetches the best out of everyone." Ceplak has been a great rival of Holmes\' during the Briton\'s career and the pair fell out when Holmes questioned the manner of the Slovenian\'s runaway 800m victory at the 2002 European Championships. But the controversy has since been forgotten, with Ceplak acting as pacemaker for Holmes\' failed attempt on the British Indoor 1500m record at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham in 2003. Ceplak added: "I like running against her - you know the race is always going to be fast. "That is the sort of competition that I like. She is special to me. She was like my idol from the beginning of my career." Meanwhile, Ceplak will be looking to follow up last Saturday\'s win in Boston with a fast time and victory in Friday\'s Night of Athletics in Erfurt, Germany. Britain\'s Jason Gardener had been expected to defend his 60m title in Erfurt but instead he will save himself for a competition in Leipzig on Sunday. Gardener\'s decision means Scotland\'s 400m man Ian Mackie will carry British hopes in what looks sure to be a tough preparation for next weekend\'s Norwich Union European trials in Sheffield. ', 'US', "Britain boosted by Holmes double Athletics fans endured a year of mixed emotions in 2004 as stunning victories went hand-in-hand with disappointing defeats and more drugs scandals. Kelly Holmes finally fulfilled her potential by storming to double gold on the track at the Olympic Games. Holmes helped erase the gloom hanging over Team GB after their biggest medal hope, Paula Radcliffe, dropped out of the marathon and then the 10,000m. Britain's men's 4x100m relay team also did their bit by taking a shock gold. Holmes had started the year in disappointing style, falling over in the final of 1500m at the World Indoor Championships where she was favourite. Her Olympic build-up was clouded by self doubt but that proved unfounded as she overhauled rival Maria Mutola to win the 800m - her first global title. Just five days later, the 34-year-old made it double gold in the 1500m. It was the first time in 84 years a Briton has achieved the Olympic middle-distance double. While Holmes left Athens as the star of Team GB, it was Radcliffe who carried expectations before the August Games. The 30-year-old marathon world record holder went into the Athens event as favourite but an exhausted Radcliffe dropped out after 23 miles in tears. Her decision to enter the 10,000m five days later also backfired as she again pulled out with eight laps remaining. But Radcliffe helped put her Olympic trauma behind her with a thrilling win in November's New York Marathon. The 4x100m team grabbed some last-gasp glory for the British men's Olympic squad after a poor start to the Games. It seemed as though Athens would be the first Games where the men would fail to win a medal with Michael East the only individual track finalist in the 1500m. But Darren Campell, Jason Gardener, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis made amends in the sprint relay. The quartet held off favourites the USA to win Britain's first relay medal since 1912 in 38.07 seconds. Gardener added the Olympic relay crown to his World Indoor title over 60m and, just like Holmes, finally lived up to his promise in 2004. Kelly Sotherton completed Team GB's athletics medal haul in Athens with a surprise bronze in the heptathlon. The 28-year-old won her first championship medal since becoming a full-time athlete in 2003. But it was a different story for Britain's defending champion Denise Lewis, who withdrew on day two of the competition after some poor results. Lewis, who was troubled by injury, has ruled out retiring while Sotherton is tipped to build on her success. The Athens Olympics proved to be a landmark occasion for Steve Backley, who retired from competition after finishing fourth in the javelin. The battling 35-year-old leaves the sport with a vast medal haul including two silvers and one Olympic bronze. And Backley's departure was balanced by the return of injury-hit decathlete Dean Macey, who came fourth in Athens. The continued improvement of sprinter Abi Oyepitan and long jumper Chris Tomlinson also boosted Team GB. Sadly, the 2004 Olympics did not escape the problems of drugs misuse. On the eve of the Games, Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou missed a drugs test and claimed to have been involved in a road crash. Kenteris, the 200m champion in 2000, and Thanou have since been charged by the Greek authorities and await trial. At the Games, Adrian Annus (hammer), Robert Fazelas (discus) and Irina Korzhanenko (shot) were all stripped of their titles because of doping issues. Hungarian compatriots Annus and Fazelas both refused to give urine samples while Russian Korzhanenko tested positive for the steroid stanozolol. The fallout from the THG scandal, which rocked the sport in 2003, continued to impact in Olympic year. Britain's 4x100m team took gold without the services of Dwain Chambers, who was handed a two-year ban in February after testing positive for steroid THG. American Kelli White was suspended and stripped of her world 100m and 200m titles after failing a drugs test. And world 400m champion Jerome Young landed a life ban from US chiefs after a second doping offence. Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva provided some light relief by smashing the world record seven times on her way to the World Indoor and Olympic titles. Her rivalry with compatriot Svetlana Feofanova livened up the field events. Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj also delighted fans by racing to a historic Olympic double in the 1500m and 5,000m. And though there was no Paula Radcliffe in the London Marathon, there was plenty of drama as Kenyans Evans Rutto and Margaret Okayo took the titles. Rutto held on to win despite slipping on some cobblestones and tumbling into a barrier. Okayo also had to battle back after mistiming her tactics but clinched victory on her debut. ", 'UK', 'GB select Holmes for double bid Kelly Holmes has been chosen for both the 800m and 1500m at next month\'s European Indoor Championships - despite not yet confirming her availability. The double-Olympic champion is still undecided about whether to compete in her first European Indoors in Madrid. But UK Athletics chief Max Jones believes it is likely Holmes will race. He said: "It\'s worth a punt, isn\'t it? She\'s gone back to training. If she\'s confident she will pick one (distance). The programme does not permit both." If Holmes does take her place in the GB side, she has already indicated that 1500m will be her favoured distance. Under championship rules, she does not have to decide until 24 hours before the event begins in Madrid on 4 March. Jones added: "She was pleased with her run in Birmingham (at last weekend\'s Grand Prix). "I am inclined to think she will (compete). It could depend on how training goes and she will have to be close to top form." And he admitted Holmes\' presence would be a great boost to the rest of the Norwich Union GB team. "She is a very good team member and is very good to have there," he added. Meanwhile, there is no surprises in the rest of the Great Britain team announced on Tuesday. Defending 60m champion Jason Gardener is included and will be chasing his third successive gold medal. He will be joined in the event by Mark Lewis-Francis - runner-up behind him three years ago in Vienna - and new boy Darren Chin. Kelly Sotherton has been invited by championship organisers to compete against Carolina Kluft in the pentathlon. Sotherton finished third in the Olympic heptathlon in Athens, where the Swede took gold. There are 16 newcomers at this level of competition in GB\'s 46-strong team. The championships will be the last to be attended by Jones before he retires to be succeeded by Dave Collins. Jones said: "The Olympic Games is the overwhelming target for UKA and therefore it is beneficial to start the next four-year cycle with a not-so-pressurised major games. "The European Indoor Championships always provide a chance for the young and inexperienced to make a name for themselves and the current indoor season has produced some exciting new talent. "Madrid is the first small step on a long journey to Beijing and the 2008 Olympics but for some of the emerging athletes, this will be a very important step." 60m: D Chin (Belgrave Harriers), J Gardener (Wessex and Bath), M Lewis-Francis (Birchfield Harriers). T Abeyie (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies), C Lambert (Belgrave Harriers). D Garland (Channel Islands AC). J McIlroy (Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC), Jimmy Watkins (Cardiff AAC). Ed Jackson (Aldershot, Farnham and District), N Speaight (Belgrave Harriers), J Thie (Cardiff AAC). A Baddeley (Harrow AC), M Farah (Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC), J Mayock (Barnsley AC). D Greaves (Newham and Essex Beagles), A Scott (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), A Turner (Notts AC). B Challenger (Belgrave Harriers). Pole vault: N Buckfield (Crawley AC). N Morgan (Birchfield Harriers), C Tomlinson (Newham and Essex Beagles). L Achike (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), N Douglas (Oxford City AC), P Idowu (Belgrave Harriers). D Cossins (Birchfield Harriers), R Davenport (Gloucester AC), D Garland (Channel Islands AC), R Preddy (Gloucester AC), G Warburton (Cardiff AAC). K Endacott (City of Plymouth AC), J Kwakye (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies), J Maduaka (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies). K Wall (Basildon AC). K Holmes (Ealing, Southall and Middlesex AC). H Clitheroe (Preston Harriers), K Holmes (Ealing, Southall and Middlesex AC). J Pavey (Exeter Harriers). D Allahgreen (Trafford AC), S Claxton (Belgrave Harriers). J Crane (Sale Harriers Manchester), S Jones (Trafford AC). J Whitlock (Trafford AC). J Johnson (Herne Hill Harriers). K Sotherton (Birchfield Harriers). D Fraser (Croydon Harriers), L McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), C Murphy (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies), M Purkiss (Southampton AC). ', 'France', "Record fails to lift lacklustre meet Yelena Isinbayeva may have produced another world pole vault record, but her achievement could not hide the fact it was not the best meet we have ever seen in Birmingham. And hey, there are not many meets that go by without the Russian breaking a world record. Apparently, Isinbayeva has cleared five metres in training and I would just love her to put us out of our misery and have a go at it rather than extending the indoor record by one centimetre at a time. Athletics to me is all about pushing the barriers and being the best you can, and I would like to see her have a go at 5m in competition. Mind you, every time she breaks the record she gets $30,000 so she can afford to be deliberate about it. World records aside, I thought it was a very encouraging evening's work for Kelly Holmes. She looked good and was very positive. Agnes Samaria, who came second, is in very good shape and is in the world's top three 800m runners this season. Yes, Samaria let Kelly get away, but there was no coming back over the last 200m as Kelly dominated the race, so beating Samaria is a bit of a benchmark for Kelly. My gut feeling is that Kelly would like to run in the European Indoor Championships, but she just hasn't convinced herself she is fit enough to do so. On the other hand, I think Jason Gardener is struggling to come near what is going to be required to win the men's 60m in Madrid. He started well in the final but still could not stay with the front-runners. Jason has a lot of experience indoors but for some reason he is struggling to maintain his pace through to the finish. It would have been nice to see what Mark Lewis-Francis could have done in the final, if only he hadn't got himself disqualified. He was blatantly playing the false-start game to his advantage, but it tripped him up and made him look a bit silly. My view is you're meant to go when the gun goes and not before. And if you try to unsettle your rivals by employing the false-start tactic you have to remember not to false start yourself again. Having said that, Mark is looking in much better shape. But I haven't seen anything from Mark or Jason yet which suggests France's Ronald Pognon - who has run 6.45 seconds - will be under threat at the Europeans. From a British point of view, Sarah Claxton's victory in the 60m hurdles was the best thing to come out of the meet. Something else that probably went unnoticed was Melanie Purkiss winning the women's national 400m race in a new personal best of 52.98 seconds. AAAs champion Kim Wall came second in another lifetime best so we have a very strong 4x400m squad going to the European Championships. Scotland's Lee McConnell is probably going to run too, so we have a real prospect of a medal. From an international perspective, I thought Meseret Defar was disappointing in the 3,000m, but I don't think the pace-making was great. Canadian Heather Hennigar set a fast early pace but could not maintain it and if Jo Pavey had been in last year's shape she would have given Defar a real run for her money. She had a go but just could not hang in there. We were also expecting a bit more from Bernard Lagat in the men's 1500m. But he has only just come over from the USA, so he may not be that sharp and I still think he is in great shape. As for Kenenisa Bekele, he was well beaten by Markos Geneti. But we only had half expectations for Bekele as he has been struggling this season. It was very hot in the National Indoor Arena and I felt uncomfortable in the commentary box. I think those conditions affected the distance runners and in fact Defar complained to her coach after the race that she could not get her breath properly. ", 'Europe', 'Tomlinson stays focused on Europe Long jumper Chris Tomlinson has cut his schedule to ensure he is fully fit for the European Indoor Championships. The 23-year-old has a minor injury and has pulled out of international meets in Madrid and Lievin this week as well as warm-weather training in Lanzarote. "It\'s nothing serious," said his coach Peter Stanley. "He strained a muscle in his abdomen at the Birmingham meeting but is back in full training." Sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis will also not compete in Madrid on Thursday. The Birmingham athlete, who clocked a season\'s best of 6.61 seconds over 60m in Birmingham last week, also prefers to focus his attentions on next month\'s European Indoor Championships. Lewis-Francis, who was runner-up to British team-mate Jason Gardener at the Europeans three years ago, will continue his training at home. Meanwhile, Tomlinson is still searching for this first major medal and this season he has shown he could be in the sort of form to grab a spot on the podium in Madrid. The Middlesbrough athlete jumped a season\'s best of 7.95m at the Birmingham Grand Prix - good enough to push world indoor champion Savante Stringfellow into second. ', 'Australia', "Running around the Olympics It was back to official duties last week in my role as an ambassador to London's 2012 Olympic bid. But I still managed to do all my marathon training. All the sporting people on the capital's bid team think I'm mad to be taking part in the London Marathon. The bid chairman, Lord Coe, admitted he would never dream of running a marathon, even though he was an Olympic middle-distance runner. Kelly Holmes, former hurdler Alan Pascoe and former sprinter Frankie Fredericks - who is now an IOC member - all wanted to know why anyone would want to run that far. You'd have thought all these athletes, who have been running for most of their lives, wouldn't think it would be that bad. But the only person who was positive about my intentions was Tanni Grey Thompson, who has won the London Marathon wheelchair race six times. Even though it was a very busy week entertaining the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Evaluation Commission, I actually found my running schedule easier to follow. When I'm at home, I get distracted by all sorts of things but for the five days I was in London, I was in a pressurised situation, but I found it easy to relax by running. On Wednesday, the presentations to the IOC team did not finish until the early evening, so I just managed to squeeze in a 45-minute run. We had an early start on Thursday because we had to visit all the Olympic sites around London, that was pretty shattering, but when we got back to the hotel, I got back on the treadmill. On Friday evening I went along to the special dinner at Buckingham Palace which was a nice occasion. I never feel guilty about eating, especially when I'm exercising. And because it was a rest day I didn't have to feel bad about missing my training either. Anyway, I managed to do another quick run on Saturday ahead of the final IOC presentations, before heading home for my daughter's birthday. When I was in London I did all of my runs on the treadmill, which isn't the same as exercising outdoors. One of the IOC's technical staff from Australia ran alongside me one day. We talked about the Sydney Olympics and that made the time go past more quickly. I do find it quite comfortable running in the gym because there is more cushioning. But when you're gearing up to running on the road you need your body to get used to that jarring feeling when your feet hit the pavement. It was good to get out on the road for my long run on Sunday. After the week I'd had I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to complete it. But I coped with it very well and, even though it was bitterly cold, I put in 15-and-a-half miles - only another 11 to go then. - This year Steve will donate all the proceeds from his London Marathon efforts to victims of the tsunami.Steve will be writing a regular column on the ups and downs of his marathon training for the BBC Sport website.He will be raising money through the Steve Redgrave Trust which supports the Association of Children's Hospices, the Children With Leukaemia charity, and the Trust's own project which aims to provide inner-city schools with rowing equipment. ", 'UK', "Yelling takes Cardiff hat-trick European cross-country champion Hayley Yelling completed a hat-trick of wins in the Reebok Cardiff Cross Challenge in Bute Park on Sunday afternoon. The part-time maths teacher beat Irish international Jolene Byrne by 40 metres in the six-kilometre race. Another Great Britain international, Louise Damen, finished third as part of the contingent representing England. Peter Riley, who secured bronze for the GB men's team at last month's European Championships, won the men's 9km race. Riley, representing England, moved away over the last two kilometres to win by 25 metres from Ireland's Gary Murray. Glynn Tromans - the reigning UK Inter-Countries and England Cross-Country champion - came in third place as he continues his comeback from a five-month injury lay-off. ", 'France', 'GB quartet get cross country call Four British athletes have been pre-selected to compete at the World Cross Country Championships in March after impressive starts to the season. Hayley Yelling, Jo Pavey, Karl Keska and Adam Hickey will represent Team GB at the event in France. Yelling clinched the women\'s European cross country title last month and Pavey followed up with bronze. Keska helped the men\'s team to overall third place while Hickey finished in 10th place on his junior debut. "Winning the European cross country title meant so much to me," said Yelling. "And being pre-selected for the Worlds means that I can focus on preparing in the best way possible." The 32-year-old will race alongside Olympic 5,000m finalist Pavey in the women\'s 8km race on 19 March. Keska, who has made a successful return from a long-term injury lay-off, contests the men\'s 12km race on 20 March, while 16-year-old Hickey goes in the junior men\'s 8km on the same day. The rest of the team will be named after the trials at Wollaton Park in Nottingham, which take place on 5 March. ', 'US', 'Jones files lawsuit against Conte Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Balco boss Victor Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs. The Sydney Olympic gold medallist says Conte damaged her reputation and she is seeking $25m (£13m) in the suit. Conte, whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation, made the claims in a US television programme. He and three others were indicted in February by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offences. In an email to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Conte said: "I stand by everything I said". Jones won three gold medals and two bronzes in Sydney in 2000. Her lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in San Francisco, said the sprinter had passed a lie detector test and that she "has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs". Conte\'s statements, the suit added, were "false and malicious". After the ABC television program earlier this month, Jones\' lawyer Richard Nicholls said: "Marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs. "Victor Conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment, while Marion Jones is one of America\'s most decorated female athletes. Mr Conte\'s statements have been wildly contradictory. "Mr Conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television, while Marion Jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination. "Mr Conte is simply not credible. We challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that Marion Jones passed." The sport\'s ruling body, the IAAF, is taking a cautious approach to Conte\'s allegations but contacted the US Anti-Doping Agency. Communications director Nick Davies said the IAAF would seek to contact Conte "for further information". But Davies stressed it would be up to the American authorities to decide whether they will take action against Jones in light of Conte\'s television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely. "If it is felt there is case to answer, it would be for its national governing body (USA Track and Field) to take the appropriate disciplinary action," he added. "The US Anti-Doping Agency has proved itself to be very diligent in its anti-doping war. "And I am sure, like ourselves, they will be watching the television programme with great interest." Jones, who is under investigation for steroid use by the US Anti-Doping Agency, has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the Balco scandal, although she praised a zinc supplement Conte marketed. Jones, who did not win any medals in Athens in August, has never failed a drugs test. Meanwhile, Conte, who has been charged along with three other men of distributing illegal steroids and money laundering, is due to face trial in March. ', 'US', "Balco case trial date pushed back The trial date for the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (Balco) steroid distribution case has been postponed. US judge Susan Illston pushed back a preliminary evidentiary hearing - which was due to take place on Wednesday - until 6 June. No official trial date has been set but it is expected to begin in September. Balco founder Victor Conte along with James Valente, coach Remy Korchemny and trainer Greg Anderson are charged with distributing steroids to athletes. Anderson's clients include Barry Bonds, and several other baseball stars have been asked to appear before a congressional inquiry into steroid use in the major leagues. The Balco defence team have already lost their appeal to have the case dismissed at a pre-trial hearing in San Francisco but will still argue the case should not go to trial. The hearing in June will focus on the admissibility of evidence gathered during police raids on Balco's offices and Anderson's home. Conte and Anderson were not arrested at that point but federal agents did obtain statements from them. The defence are expected to challenge the legality of those interviews and if Ilston agrees she could could reject all the evidence from the raids. Balco has been accused by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of being the source of the banned steroid THG and modafinil. Former double world champion Kelli White and Olympic relay star Alvin Harrison have both been banned on the basis of materials discovered during the Balco investigation. Britain's former European 100m champion Dwain Chambers is currently serving a two-year ban after testing positive for THG in an out-of-competition test in 2003. And American sprinter Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs. ", 'Europe', 'Gerrard plays down European hopes Steven Gerrard has admitted that Liverpool have little chance of winning the Champions League this season. The 24-year-old Reds skipper spoke out ahead of Tuesday\'s first leg at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, which he will miss through suspension. "Let\'s be realistic, there are some fantastic teams left in the Champions League," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "We are just going to try to stay in as long as possible but we realise that maybe it is not our year this year." Gerrard has made no secret of his desire to be involved in Europe\'s premier club competition. Last season he described qualification for the Champions League as the "be all and end all" - and rumours persist that he will leave Anfield if the Reds fail to secure a place in the competition. He has consistently been linked with a move away from Liverpool, with Chelsea the favourites to snap up the England midfielder. And Blues boss Jose Mourinho backed Gerrard\'s view that Rafael Benitez\'s team could struggle to progress this season. "Rafa has still time in front of him to build an even better team, maybe he\'s a little bit behind (right now)," he told BBC Radio Five Live. Gerrard, who fired Liverpool into the last 16 of this season\'s competition with a brilliant goal in December\'s win over Olympiakos, insisted he was still fully focused on helping Liverpool to glory this season. The Reds are currently fifth in the Premiership table, five points off the crucial fourth spot, which brings Champions League qualification - and they face Chelsea in Sunday\'s Carling Cup final. "It\'s big couple of months for Liverpool," he added. "We\'re fighting for the fourth spot for the Champions League for next season but we are still involved in two cup competitions, which are very important. "We are confident we can upset Chelsea in the Carling Cup final and get to the last eight of the Champions League because, financially, it is big for the club and, personally for myself, it is very good." ', 'France', 'Bridge could miss rest of season Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge could miss the rest of the season with a suspected broken ankle. The England international, 24, was hurt in an innocuous challenge with Alan Shearer during the Londoners\' FA Cup defeat at Newcastle on Sunday. "We think it\'s a big injury," said Jose Mourinho, whose Chelsea team this week meet Barcelona in the Champions League and Liverpool in the Carling Cup final. William Gallas and Damien Duff could also miss the Barcelona game. France defender Gallas and Ireland winger Duff both picked up their injuries in the closing stages of Chelsea\'s 1-0 defeat at St James\' Park. With Bridge having gone off after Mourinho used all three substitutes, those knocks plus Carlo Cudicini\'s red card meant Chelsea finished the game with seven able-bodied players. Cudicini would not have played against Barcelona, but had been promised a game in the Carling Cup final, although he will now miss the Cardiff showpiece through suspension. The manager is not planning to add any new names to his squad ahead of the trip to Barcelona, even though he has few options to replace Bridge at left-back. Celestine Babayaro left the club in January, ironically to join Newcastle, and although Gallas has deputised at left-back before, he is struggling to be fit himself. It could be that Paulo Ferreira, usually a right-back, is switched to left-back with Glen Johnson, who ended the Newcastle game in goal, playing on the right. Youngsters Ben Hudell, Joe Keenan and Sam Tillen would be options should Mourinho decide to call up a replacement, but it is unlikely he would risk an untried prospect in a Champions League tie. Bridge\'s injury also means Mourinho, who reportedly wants to sign Ashley Cole from Arsenal, will not have a specialist, senior left-back for the run-in to the season. "He (Bridge) has no chance of playing against Barcelona, probably will not play against Liverpool (in the Carling Cup final) and maybe not for the rest of the season," he said. "The medical department will try to do everything to recover Gallas and Duff. We will have to wait and see, but I won\'t cry about injuries because we will have 11 players to play on Tuesday." Shearer said he was unsure what caused Bridge\'s injury. "I don\'t know what happened." he said. "It was just a shame. I don\'t think we even touched each other. "By all accounts it\'s pretty serious. I went into the dressing-room after the game and wished him all the best." Mourinho, whose team are chasing three trophies, has already lost winger Arjen Robben to a serious injury. ', 'Japan', 'Robben sidelined with broken foot Chelsea winger Arjen Robben has broken two metatarsal bones in his foot and will be out for at least six weeks. Robben had an MRI scan on the injury, sustained during the Premiership win at Blackburn, on Monday. "Six weeks is the average time to heal this injury and then I need a few more weeks to be completely fit again," he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. "I had a feeling it was serious but because of the swelling it was impossible to make a final diagnosis." The 21-year-old missed the first three months of the season with a similar injury after a challenge with Roma\'s Olivier Dacourt. And he added: "It felt different then last summer when I had the same injury on my other foot. "Then I could walk already after three days but I stayed sidelined for a long period. I hope that it will now take me six to eight weeks." Chelsea physio Mike Banks was hopeful that Robben could return at some point in March. "The fractures are tiny and he could be playing next month," Banks told the club\'s website. "One is a chip on the side of his foot, the other is a small break on the third metatarsal. "But this is not the traditional metatarsal that has become so famous since the last World Cup and which has kept Scott Parker out for two months." David Beckham suffered a broken metatarsal in the build up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. Robben, who has been a key part of the Blues\' push for four trophies, claims he knew instantly something was wrong when he was felled by Blackburn midfielder Aaron Mokoena. "I felt my leg go," he said. "I felt it straight away after Mokoena hit me with a wild kick on my left foot." ', 'Germany', 'Giggs handed Wales leading role Ryan Giggs will captain Wales as he wins his 50th cap in Wednesday\'s friendly against Hungary in Cardiff. John Toshack, in his first game as coach after succeeding Mark Hughes, admits he is surprised that Giggs has only just reached the landmark. "With the games he\'s played for United, proportionately it doesn\'t seem that many for Wales," Toshack said. "But he\'s one of the greatest of all Welsh internationals and on his 50th cap it\'s appropriate he\'s captain." Giggs admits he had briefly considered retirement from the international game, but is now targetting playing for Wales in the 2008 European Championships. The Manchester United wing revealed how club manager Sir Alex Ferguson talked him into extending his Wales career. "I briefly discussed my international future with Sir Alex, but he urged me to carry on," Giggs said. "He feels, like myself, that I have no weight problems and keep myself fit, so in three or four years\' time I will be able to play in the European finals if we get there. "The manager has always wanted me to play for my club and country and he was keen for me to continue because I am fit enough." Giggs admits he was wavering and considering joining the likes of former Wales skipper Gary Speed and United team-mate Paul Scholes in committing the remaining years of his career to club football. But Giggs is now focussed on making the Toshack era even more successful than the time Hughes spent at the helm. The Manchester United winger won his first cap as a 17-year-old in 1991, an away loss to Germany, and now faces his landmark appearance at the age of 31. With Giggs leading Wales out against Hungary, there is every chance that he will become the permanent successor to Speed. However, Toshack refused to reveal whether he sees Giggs as a long-term option. "For this particular game I think it is appropriate that Ryan Giggs will be captain, it\'s his 50th cap and he\'s known for some time about that," Toshack said. On Wednesday night Toshack takes charge of his first match since replacing Hughes, and Giggs said: "It\'s my 50th cap and I am looking forward to it, and I hope to play a lot more times from here on in. "It\'s important to be here, all the players feel the same. It\'s a new start and all the top players certainly see it as important. "I see myself leading by example, it is something I have taken on for Wales as well as United these past few seasons. "The way John is looking at things, he is aiming to build his side around the experienced lads right up to the next tournament, the Euro 2006 event. "I have told John I will be around for the next European tournament, by then I will be 35 so hopefully I will still be okay. "A lot can happen, but I\'m hoping to be around." Giggs\' own personal future at Old Trafford is still up in the air as he has yet to reach agreement on a new contract, with Manchester United offering one extra year and Giggs seeking two. "I have put the contract thing to the back of my mind at the moment," said Giggs. "It is an important period for the club and I am just concentrated on that. "I\'ve heard the suggestions, hopefully there is a two-year deal about to be offered because that is what I am looking for, to get it sorted out. "I\'m enjoying my football, the way United have been playing and my own form, you have to enjoy it. "We have massive games coming up: Manchester City this week, then the Everton cup tie, followed by AC Milan in the Champions League, and my first Wales game under John Toshack, so it\'s an important time." ', 'Brazil', "Time to get tough on friendlies? For an international manager, a friendly provides an important opportunity to work with your players. The only problem is that the game itself can often be a farce. Some people have been saying it would be better to get the players together for the week, and do away with the 90 minutes at the end. I would say it's 50-50 whether you should have these games or not, and if you look at it that way you would probably say you're better not doing so. It would certainly keep club managers happy, as it would reduce the risk of players returning to domestic duty injured. But international bosses will tell you that scrapping friendlies is counterproductive because the only way for a team to get better is by playing. The more you play together, the easier it is when it comes to the crunch in games like World Cup quarter-finals against Brazil. Often in friendlies, though, a manager will play his strongest side for the first 45 minutes and then send out an entirely different one in the second half. And it's very difficult for any player to come on as substitute in a side with a few changes, let alone a whole team's worth. The debate will rage on, and I'm not sure there is a satisfactory solution. One manager who has got it right this week is Walter Smith. The new Scotland manager has decided to have a training camp instead of a friendly for his first international week since replacing Berti Vogts. It is the sort of move you would expect from Walter, who is a canny manager. The players have had such a hard time recently that he is better off getting them together in a relaxed atmosphere and trying to generate some team spirit before the next World Cup qualifiers. If he had sent them out on Wednesday and they had been badly beaten, it would have done them no good whatsoever. John Toshack has his first game in charge of Wales, and it will be important for him to get a decent result against Hungary. He will have his own ideas on individuals and how to play and will probably look more at the performance, but the public wants results. It's extremely difficult to get the balance for friendlies. If you win, people forget them, but if you lose it becomes a stat that can be used against you. England's game against Holland is a good example. It looks like a good opportunity to try out players like Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing or Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson. But you have got to remember Sven-Goran Eriksson's side were given a lesson by Spain in the last game they played. The injury problems in defence should at least give the likes of Wes Brown and Jamie Carragher a chance to impress. For the club managers, it will simply be a case of waiting at home with fingers crossed. ", 'Australia', "England's defensive crisis grows England's defensive worries have deepened following the withdrawal of Tottenham's Ledley King from the squad to face Holland. Chelsea's John Terry and Wayne Bridge are also out, leaving coach Sven-Goran Eriksson with a real problem for Wednesday's match at Villa Park. Injured Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell were both left out of the squad, and Matthew Upson has already pulled out. Wes Brown and Jamie Carragher are likely to be the makeshift partnership. Terry, the captain of Chelsea as they push for the Premiership title, would have been a certain starter in the absence of Campbell and Ferdinand. But now he has pulled out with a bruised knee and is likely to be replaced by Carragher, alongside Brown. Manchester United's Brown last played for England in the defeat by Australia at Upton Park in February 2003. The 25-year-old was only called into the squad on Sunday night as cover following the enforced withdrawal of Upson, who has a hamstring injury. And Brown now looks certain to add to his tally of seven senior appearances for England. King was forced to pull out after his groin injury was assessed by England's medical staff. Eriksson has still not decided whether to call up any further back-up, having already summoned Phil Neville after Bridge pulled out with a foot injury. ", 'Australia', 'Kewell waits as injury drags on Liverpool winger Harry Kewell is struggling to recover from his Achilles tendinitis problem and may not recover until March, claims his agent. Kewell, 26, had hoped to play against Fulham last weekend and to be ready for the Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen on 22 February. But Bernie Mandic said: "He\'s had scans which don\'t show anything substantial. "But despite his best efforts at the moment he simply can\'t shake off the discomfort and get back on the park." Mandic continued in the Sydney Morning Herald: "Harry\'s struggling a bit but the club are doing everything they can to get him right. "Harry was desperate to be fit for the Fulham game as part of his plan to play himself in for the Leverkusen match." Kewell has not played since December 19 and misses out on international duty this week, with Australia facing South Africa in Durban on Wednesday. ', 'France', 'Finnan says Irish can win group Steve Finnan believes the Republic of Ireland can qualify directly for the World Cup finals. After Saturday\'s superb display in the draw in Paris, Ireland face minnows the Faroe Islands in Dublin on Wednesday. The versatile Finnan, who starred against the French, is confident the group is Ireland\'s for the taking. "There is a chance for us now to go on, win our home games and why not win the group, even though it\'s a tough one," said the Liverpool player. Switzerland, Ireland, France and Israel are all now tied on five points from three matches - although the Republic look to have a slight edge after claiming away draws in Basel and Paris. "In Basel we did not play great football, but when you to go to these places the other teams are going to have the majority of the game. "In Paris, we looked good throughout the team and a point was the least we deserved because we had a number of chances. "Looking back, we had an opportunity to get the three points, but we are happy with a point and that will give us confidence going into Wednesday\'s game. "On paper, we have got the toughest matches out of the way and we have set standards for ourselves. "Automatic qualification is there. It would certainly be good to avoid a play-off, but on the back of a couple of good results I don\'t see why we can\'t win the group." Manager Brian Kerr was keen to mention the contribution of Stephen Carr and Finnan on Ireland\'s right flank at the Stade de France. Finnan\'s normal position is right-back but he looked assured in a more advanced position against the French. "As I play on the right for my club and being a natural right-back, it was something he (Kerr) looked at because France play strongly down the left-hand side. "So I was happy to play and Stephen Carr and I enjoyed the game, particularly as the defence and midfield held together well and nullified their attacks." ', 'France', 'Irish finish with home game Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has been granted his wish for a home game as the final World Cup qualifier. Ireland will close their bid to reach the 2006 finals by playing Switzerland in Dublin on 12 October 2005. The Republic met the Swiss in their final Euro 2004 qualifier, losing 2-0 away and missing out on a place in the finals in Portugal. The Group Four fixtures were hammered out at a meeting in Dublin on Tuesday. The Irish open their campaign on 4 September at home to Cyprus and wrap up the 10-match series on 12 October 2005, with the visit of Switzerland. Manager Brian Kerr and FAI officials met representatives from Switzerland, France, Cyprus, Israel and the Faroe Islands to arrange the fixture schedule. Kerr had hoped to finish with a clash against France, but got the reigning European champions as their penultimate home match on 7 September 2005. The manager got his wish to avoid a repeat of finishing their bid to qualify with too many away matches. Republic of Ireland v Cyprus; France v Israel; Switzerland v Faroe Islands. Switzerland v Republic of Ireland; Israel v Cyprus; Faroe Islands v France. France v Republic of Ireland; Israel v Switzerland; Cyprus v Faroe Islands. Republic of Ireland v Faroe Islands; Cyprus v France. Cyprus v Israel. France v Switzerland; Israel v Republic of Ireland. Switzerland v Cyprus; Israel v France. Republic of Ireland v Israel; Faroe Islands v Switzerland. Faroe Islands v Republic of Ireland. August 17 - Faroe Islands v Cyprus. France v Faroe Islands; Switzerland v Israel. Republic of Ireland v France; Cyprus v Switzerland; Faroe Islands v Israel. Switzerland v France; Israel v Faroe Islands; Cyprus v Republic of Ireland. France v Cyprus; Republic of Ireland v Switzerland. ', 'Germany', 'Legendary Dutch boss Michels dies Legendary Dutch coach Rinus Michels, the man credited with developing "total football", has died aged 77. Referred to in the Netherlands as "the General", Michels led the Dutch at the 1974 World Cup - when they reached the final only to lose 2-1 to Germany. However, he guided his side to the 1988 European Championship title with a 2-0 win over the Soviet Union in the final. Michels played for Ajax and coached the side to four national titles between 1965-71 and a European Cup in 1971. His 1970s Dutch team was built around Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens and introduced the concept of \'total football\' to the world. The strategy was to foster team coherence and individual imagination - with all players possessing the skills to play in any part of the pitch. Cruyff was the on-field organiser of a team whose players rotated in and out of defence at will and was encouraged to play creative attacking football. Michels had recently undergone heart surgery and Dutch football federation (KNVB) spokesman Frank Huizinga said: "He was one of the best coaches we had in history." The no-nonsense coach also enjoyed spells at Barcelona, who he took to a Spanish title in 1974, FC Cologne and Bayer Leverkusen. Michels, named coach of the century by world football\'s governing body Fifa in 1999, also won five caps for the Netherlands as a bruising centre forward. Dutch sports minister Clemence Ross-van Dorp said: "He was the man who, together with Cruyff, made Dutch football big." ', 'Germany', 'Benitez joy as Reds take control Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was satisfied after his team\'s 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen despite conceding a goal in the last minute. "Before the game if you had said the score will be 3-1 I would have happily accepted that," said Benitez. "But you must realise that you have to concentrate right to the very last seconds of a game at this level. "I have confidence that we can complete the task in Germany. I am always confident and we must be positive." Benitez defended goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, whose failure to hold on to Dimitar Berbatov\'s weak drive allowed Franca to score with the last kick of the game - and give the German team a lifeline for the second leg. "For me it was not Jerzy Dudek\'s fault," added Benitez. "He had played a very good game - and had we scored our other chances, nobody would be talking about about their goal. It would not have mattered. "If we had scored our other chances it would not have been worth remembering that last goal. "In my opinion Jerzy played well, made two very fine saves - and I am happy with him. "If we lose 2-0 we are out but I think we can score in Germany - certainly one, and that will make all the difference." And the Liverpool boss is looking forward to having skipper Steven Gerrard, who was suspended for the Anfield leg, back for the return in Germany. "Steven Gerrard is a key player for us," said Benitez. "When he is on the pitch he makes everyone else play better - and the opposition pay special attention to him - which gives space for others. "Steven is one of the best players in the world, but I need a team that is not about just one player. There must be 11 players on the pitch all doing well." ', 'Europe', 'Mourinho expects fight to finish Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expects the Champions League clash with Barcelona to be a fight to the finish. Mourinho is relishing the first leg of the tie against his former club in the last 16 in the Nou Camp. He said: "I wouldn\'t be surprised if nothing had been decided by the last minute of the return leg and the match had to go into extra time. "I have to defend what is mine and the Champions League is mine at the moment. I\'m the last manager to have won it." Mourinho never coached Barcelona, assisting both Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal. But he is not envious, insisting: "I don\'t have to be jealous about Barcelona because they have 100 years of history and have won the European Cup once. "I have been managing for five years and I have the same amount of Champions League trophies to my name." Barcelona star Ronaldinho admitted: "I think that it is going to be a difficult match for us because Chelsea have a good team full of big stars. "I have seen Chelsea a few times on television, tactically they are very good and they are very strong on the counter-attack. "They pressure very well and keep possession of the ball so it will be important that we play our own game. "I believe they are the two strongest teams in Europe. Nevertheless, Barcelona are accustomed to playing big games at the Nou Camp, where they have to face the likes of Real Madrid each season. "It is a special game, the atmosphere in the city changes, there are lots of journalists but inside the dressing room there is not a lot of difference," Ronaldinho added. "We are only thinking of winning the match with all respect to the opposition." ', 'France', 'Candela completes Bolton switch Bolton boss Sam Allardyce has signed Roma defender Vincent Candela on a five-month deal. The 31-year-old former France international gave his last press conference as a Roma player on Monday, anouncing his move to Bolton. "I have signed a five-month contract with Bolton," said Candela, who will travel to England on Tuesday. "In June I will decide whether to continue to play for Bolton or retire from professional football." Allardyce hopes Candela\'s arrival will relieve Bolton\'s injury crisis after defender Nicky Hunt limped out injured during Oldham\'s 1-0 win against Oldham in the FA Cup on Sunday. "In light of what has happened to Nicky Hunt, with his injury, it might be a blessing in disguise that we can bring in a highly-experienced full-back to help with our injuries at the back," Allardyce said. "He has an outstanding pedigree in the game and has won honours at the highest level including the World Cup in 1998. "He has not played regular football this year but is eager to impress in the Premiership. "He can play in any position at the back and despite him being predominately right-footed he has played the majority of his career at left-back." Candela, who was a member of the Roma side that won the title in 2001, has made only seven league appearances this season for Luigi del Neri\'s side. ', 'Italy', 'Campbell lifts lid on United feud Arsenal\'s Sol Campbell has called the rivalry between Manchester United and the Gunners "bitter and personal". Past encounters have stirred up plenty of ill-feeling between the sides and they meet again at Highbury on Tuesday. "It is just more bitter and personal against United," the defender told The Guardian newspaper. "There\'s an edge. "After all that has happened, if we beat them it will be one of our sweetest ever wins, especially because of how we lost to them up there." Last October, Arsenal lost 2-0 at Old Trafford, which ended a record 49-match unbeaten league run and sparked a mini-crisis, with the Gunners winning only three of their next 10 games. "It had a psychological impact on us, but again because of the way we were defeated," added the 30-year-old, referring to a controversial penalty award for United\'s first goal. "That was far more upsetting, losing like that, because they just seem to get away with it. You try and balance out over the course of a season but I\'ve had so many rough decisions against them you begin to wonder." With tensions spilling over afterwards - United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was allegedly pelted with pizza in the players\' tunnel - there is little surprise that so much is riding on the return encounter on. "Everyone at Arsenal has been waiting for this game," said Campbell. "We are up for this one." Speaking on his long-term plans, Campbell signalled his intent to move abroad before he turns 35. "I\'m 30 now and in five years\' time I won\'t be in this country - that\'s definite. "Italy looks good to me because it would suit my kind of football. Spain is an option but the idea of tasting a new culture and learning another language excites me the most. I\'m starting a little with French, of course." ', 'Germany', 'Klinsmann issues Lehmann warning Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann has warned goalkeeper Jens Lehmann he may have to quit Arsenal to keep his World Cup dreams alive. Lehmann is understudy to Oliver Kahn in the German squad, but has lost his place to Manuel Alumnia at Highbury. Klinsmann said: "It will be difficult for any of our players if he is not a first-choice at his club. "If Jens is not Arsenal\'s number one keeper, that is a problem for me. He must be playing regularly." Lehmann is desperate to keep his place in the Germany squad when the country hosts the World Cup in 2006. Klinsmann added: "If he is not playing regularly he cannot be Germany\'s number one keeper, or even number two keeper. "The situation for Jens is that he is currently the number two keeper at Arsenal. This could be critical if it remains the same during next season." ', 'Brazil', 'Juninho demand for O\'Neill talks Juninho\'s agent has confirmed that the player is hoping for talks with Martin O\'Neill as the Brazilian midfielder comes closer to departing Celtic. Brian Hassell says no official approach has been received from Manchester City but that the English club had been earmarked as a possible destination. But it was being stressed to BBC Sport that Juninho would prefer to remain with the Scottish champions. Juninho wants assurances that he will return to O\'Neill\'s first-team plans. He has become frustrated with his lack of first-team action since his move from Middlesbrough in the summer. Hassel says Juninho, who has just bought a new home, would "desperately like to stay at Celtic" but will seek a move if it is made clear that he is not wanted. The agent also stressed that nothing should be read into the 30-year-old\'s father being in Scotland and talk of a move back to Botafogo in Brazil. Juninho\'s father was simply in the country to see his son and grandchildren. "I know there is interest from a Brazilian club, but I know Juninho doesn\'t want to go there," said Hassel. "He wants to stay in Britain. In fact, he wants to stay at Celtic." Hassall made it clear that a move to Manchester City, who are badly in need of a midfield play-maker, was more of a possibility than Botafogo, or Mexican outfit Red Sharks Veracruz, who also expressed an interest. "It was a thought at one stage," he said. "If you are not going to get a game under one manager, you look for another whose style of play suits you. "He is a fan of Kevin Keegan\'s style of play. It would not be a bad move for him." Juninho had earlier told the Daily Record: "The manager has had a lot of chances to put me in his team but it hasn\'t happened. "If that is the case then this is the opportunity for me to go. That would be good for the club and good for me. "If I have no part in his plans, there is no point in remaining here waiting for a chance that never comes." The attacking midfielder also claims he has not had the backing of boss Martin O\'Neill since his move to Celtic Park. "I can\'t understand why I am in this situation," he continued. "When a manager brings a new player to the club, he gives that player support." ', 'Brazil', 'Edu describes tunnel fracas Arsenal\'s Edu has lifted the lid on the scenes that followed Manchester United\'s win over the Gunners. The Brazilian confirmed tempers had flared but could shed no light on reports that food was thrown at United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. "I saw people being pulled apart, people pushing, pointing and shouting," he told Uefa\'s official website. "The United players were trying to wind us up about the result but I didn\'t see any soup being thrown at anyone." However, Edu tried to play down the incidents, adding: "There was nothing that I haven\'t seen in Brazilian derbies. "Derby matches in Brazil are worse. I like to play in games like this with this intense rivalry." But Edu was highly critical of the ferocity of some of United\'s challenges during the game, particularly on Jose Antonio Reyes. "I think we were a lot fairer in the tackles than United," he said. "Reyes was being kicked all over the park - they were beating up the boy and Gary Neville was tackling in such a way that he should have been sent off." Following the game, the Football Association said it would look into events in the tunnel. It also charged Ruud van Nistelrooy with serious foul play while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been asked to explain comments he made about the referee. ', 'UK', 'Chelsea sack Mutu Chelsea have sacked Adrian Mutu after he failed a drugs test. The 25-year-old tested positive for a banned substance - which he later denied was cocaine - in October. Chelsea have decided to write off a possible transfer fee for Mutu, a £15.8m signing from Parma last season, who may face a two-year suspension. A statement from Chelsea explaining the decision read:"We want to make clear that Chelsea has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs." Mutu scored six goals in his first five games after arriving at Stamford Bridge but his form went into decline and he was frozen out by coach Jose Mourinho. Chelsea\'s statement added: "This applies to both performance-enhancing drugs or so-called \'recreational\' drugs. They have no place at our club or in sport. "In coming to a decision on this case, Chelsea believed the club\'s social responsibility to its fans, players, employees and other stakeholders in football regarding drugs was more important than the major financial considerations to the company. "Any player who takes drugs breaches his contract with the club as well as Football Association rules. "The club totally supports the FA in strong action on all drugs cases." Fifa\'s disciplinary code stipulates that a first doping offence should be followed by a six-month ban. And the sport\'s world governing body has re-iterated their stance over Mutu\'s failed drugs test, maintaining it is a matter for the domestic sporting authorities. "Fifa is not in a position to make any comment on the matter until the English FA have informed us of their disciplinary decision and the relevant information associated with it," said a Fifa spokesman. Chelsea\'s move won backing from drug-testing expert Michelle Verroken. Verroken, a former director of drug-free sport for UK Sport, insists the Blues were right to sack Mutu and have enhanced their reputation by doing so. "Chelsea are saying quite clearly to the rest of their players and their fans that this is a situation they are not prepared to tolerate. "It was a very difficult decision for them and an expensive decision for them but the terms of his contract were breached and it was the only decision they could make. "It is a very clear stance by Chelsea and it has given a strong boost to the reputation of the club." It emerged that Mutu had failed a drugs test on October 18 and, although it was initially reported that the banned substance in question was cocaine. The Romanian international later suggested it was a substance designed to enhance sexual performance. The Football Association has yet to act on Mutu\'s failed drugs test and refuses to discuss his case. ', 'France', 'Santini resigns as Spurs manager Tottenham manager Jacques Santini has resigned for "personal reasons". The former France manager moved to White Hart Lane this summer but now wants to return to France. Santini said: "My time at Tottenham has been memorable and it is with deep regret that I take my leave. I wish the club and the supporters all the best. "Private issues in my personal life have arisen which caused my decision. I very much hope that the wonderful fans will respect my decision." He added: "I should like to thank (sporting director) Frank Arnesen and (chairman) Daniel Levy for their understanding." Assistant coach Martin Jol has been put in temporary charge and will take care of team affairs for Saturday\'s Premiership match against Charlton. Arnesen said the club were sad to see Santini go: "We are obviously disappointed that Jacques is leaving us. We fully respect his decision. "I can assure you that the club will act swiftly to minimise the impact of Jacques\' departure. "Our priority is to ensure that this season\'s performance remains unaffected by this move. "I shall make a further statement on Monday, clarifying our position. We wish Jacques well." ', 'Mexico', 'Souness backs Smith for Scotland Graeme Souness believes Walter Smith would be the perfect choice to succeed Berti Vogts as Scotland manager. Souness\'s former assistant at Rangers is hot favourite to take over from Vogts, who resigned on Monday. "Walter is most definitely the ideal candidate for that job. He\'d be perfect for it," Souness told BBC Sport. The Scottish Football Association has appointed Tommy Burns as provisional caretaker-boss for the friendly against Sweden on 17 November. "He fits the bill because of his knowledge and understanding of the Scotland team and football. He is experienced and has been successful." Souness added: "Walter is a real football person, as I know from working with him at Ibrox. "On top of all that he is a proper human being who would command the instant respect of the players and everyone involved in Scottish football." Souness joined Sir Alex Ferguson in backing Smith\'s claims. The Scottish Football Association is about to embark on the search for Vogts successor after appointing Tommy Burns in a caretaker capacity. Ferguson said: "He (Smith) would be the outstanding candidate as far as I\'m concerned. "You need somebody who knows what they\'re doing and Walter would bring a wealth of experience to the job." The Man Utd boss continued: "I don\'t know what credentials are needed to do the job but it\'s a job that needs a lot of experience. "He was my assistant with Scotland and here at Manchester United and he has also managed Glasgow Rangers. "He would need to change the whole shape of Scottish football and radical changes are needed." Smith was assistant to Ferguson at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986. The former Everton and Rangers boss has been out of the game since a spell as Manchester United assistant last term. BBC Sport understands that Smith would be willing to discuss taking over if he was approached by the Scottish FA. If he is tempted to take over, it seems almost certain Smith\'s long-time right-hand man Archie Knox would also play a part in the national team set-up. Smith already has the backing of many pundits and fans, including former Scotland manager Craig Brown. Brown said: "Walter is an outstanding candidate without doubt. "He would be admirable choice. I spoke to him on Sunday and I got the impression he would take it. He was asking me about it and I was positive." Other candidates for the job include former Scotland midfielders Gordon Strachan and Gary McAllister and Vogts\' assistant Tommy Burns. ', 'Germany', "Can Smith work Scottish wonders? The worst kept secret in Scottish football was revealed on Thursday when Walter Smith was named as the new national manager. From the moment Berti Vogts' miserable tenure in charge of Scotland ended, the former Rangers and Everton boss has been the overwhelming favourite for the post. But is Smith the man for what must be one of the hardest jobs in football? The 56-year-old takes over at a time when the national side is in the doldrums. Scotland have not reached a major finals since the World Cup in 1998 and reaching Germany 2006 looks near impossible, having picked up just two points from the opening three games in the qualifying race. And the Fifa rankings see Scotland listed at an all time low of 77th, below the likes of Estonia, Ghana, Angola and Thailand. Scotland are not blessed with quality players with experience at the top level, so Smith will have to get the best out of meagre resources. Smith's track record make impressive reading and he is widely respected within the game. The man who was Alex Ferguson's assistant when Scotland played at the 1986 World Cup won seven league titles with Rangers. And his appointment has been widely endorsed by many of the games' top names, including Ferguson and Graeme Souness, who took him to Ibrox as his assistant in 1986. Characters like Souness, Ferguson and current Ibrox manager Alex McLeish all cite Smith's experience and his expansive knowledge of the Scottish game. Much was made of Vogts' inability to express himself to the players and media. That will certainly not be the case with Smith. The former Dundee United and Dumbarton full-back is from the managerial old school - straight talking and never slow to let players know when he expects better (often with the use of some colourful invective). But it should be remembered Vogts came to Scotland with an impressive curriculum vitae - a World Cup winner as a player and a European Championships winner as a manager. Smith will inherit the same problems Vogts had - a callow squad of players with no exceptional talents. And it remains to be seen if Smith will experience the rash of call-offs that blighted so much of Vogts' preparation work. A fresh start for the Scottish national team was imperative and Smith is widely regarded as a safe pair of hands. But will a safe pair of hands be enough when the adroit hands of a magician might be required... ", 'Europe', 'Mourinho plots impressive course Chelsea\'s win at Fulham - confirming their position at the Premiership summit - proves that they now have everything in place to mount serious challenges on all fronts this season. They have got strength in depth, great players, an outstanding manager in Jose Mourinho and finances no other club in the world can match. All they need to add now is the big prizes which, as we all know, is the most difficult part of all. One thing is certain - they have put themselves in a position to make that leap to success very impressively indeed. They beat a very tough Everton at Stamford Bridge, won at Newcastle in the Carling Cup, and then won 4-1 at Fulham, which was a great result given that they had been showing good form. As I said, winning the major honours is the hardest task of all, but in Mourinho they have a manager who will make it a whole lot easier to handle the anticipation and expectation that will come their way now. Mourinho has won the biggest club prize of all, the Champions League, and that track record and confidence transmits itself to top players. It is a priceless commodity. No-one can be anything other than highly-impressed by Mourinho. He is regarded as a touch arrogant by some people, and maybe he can appear that way, but he has the silverware to back up the talk. Mourinho doesn\'t simply talk a good game - he\'s won some very big games such as the Champions League final with Porto. Some may criticise his talk, but the words are backed up with actions. I\'ve also found him to be very realistic whenever I\'ve heard him. He\'s spent a lot of money and it seems to be working, and we should remember lots of managers have spent money and it has not worked. The buys are now integrating, and in Arjen Robben he has the player who is giving them that extra dimension. In the early games he was slaughtered for defensive tactics, and yet he was winning games. You cannot win titles early on in the season, but you can certainly lose them and those points on the board were vital. I also thought the criticism was very harsh, because even though they were not scoring goals they were creating chances by the hatful. Now they are taking those chances, have the double threat of Robben and Damien Duff, and things are looking good. I just wonder if they lack a predator, particularly with Didier Drogba injured. He was starting to look the part before he was sidelined, but you have to feel if Chelsea had a Ruud van Nistelrooy they would be even more of a safe bet for the title. Chelsea also have all the tools to go far in the Champions League. I felt they would never have a better chance than last season, but they have swept all before them in Europe so far this season. It will now be very interesting to see how Mourinho prioritises things, but his life will be made easier by the size of Chelsea\'s squad. I have said I believed Chelsea would win the league this season, even when Arsenal were flying at the start, and I have seen nothing to make me change me mind. If anything, what I have seen has confirmed my early impressions. And Chelsea would have taken encouragement from Arsenal\'s rocky defensive display at Spurs, even though they ran out 5-4 winners. Mourinho had his say on that game, complaining: "Five-four is a hockey score, not a football score. "In a three-against-three training match, if the score reaches 5-4 I send the players back to the dressing rooms as they are not defending properly. "So to get a result like that in a game of 11 against 11 is disgraceful." On a more serious note, it was a game that merely confirmed the importance of Sol Campbell to Arsenal. Much criticism has been aimed at Pascal Cygan, but I believe the problem lies with the absence of Campbell and its overall effect on Arsenal\'s defence. Confidence is a crucial factor in defending. When you start conceding goals, you suddenly get a chill in the bones every time the ball comes into the penalty area. You think "oh no" - then find your worst fears confirmed. Arsenal need to reverse the process, with or without Campbell, and get some clean sheets on the board. But the return of Campbell is key. He solidifies the unit, has pace and is powerful in the air and on the deck. He is vastly experienced and has a calming influence on all around him. Campbell pulls it all together at the back and gets the defence playing as a unit. Chelsea have no such problems at present, which is why I would still place my money on them to edge out Arsenal as champions this season. ', 'Europe', 'Lennon brands Rangers favourites Celtic\'s Neil Lennon admits Rangers could be considered "slight favourites" for the Old Firm CIS Cup clash, but insists his side can still win. Lennon concedes Rangers are in good form at the moment, but they have failed to beat Celtic in their last seven meetings. "Rangers are on the up and have been on a good run in recent weeks," he said. "But it\'s a game we believe we\'re capable of winning if we play our best," he told the Evening Times. "All the boys are looking forward to it because they are brilliant games to be involved in. "Without playing at the top of our game, we have still been winning matches. "At the minute, we are at the top of the league and still in with a chance of staying in Europe, so I don\'t think it is the crisis people have been trying to make out. "Of course, it is a concern when you are losing goals, because we have been notorious for being a team that is hard to beat and keeping clean sheets, but hopefully we are over that wee run. "Considering we lost Henrik Larsson at the end of last season, we have still been scoring a lot of goals, which is pleasing." ', 'Europe', 'McClaren hails Boro\'s Uefa spirit Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren has praised the way his side have got to grips with European football after the 2-0 Uefa Cup win against Lazio. Boro, who are playing in Europe for the first time in their 128-year history, are top of Group E with maximum points. "I think we have taken to Europe really well," said McClaren. "We got about Lazio, didn\'t let them settle or play. And in possession, we controlled it and looked threatening every time we went forward." Before the match, McClaren had said that a win over the Italian giants would put Boro firmly on the European footballing map. And after they did just that he said: "It was a perfect European night. For the team to give the fans a performance like that was the icing on the cake. "There have been many good performances but this was something special. "You can see that the experience we have in the squad is showing. To win in Europe you need to defend well, and we have done that because we have conceded only one goal in four games. "We can also score goals, and again that is something you can see from the performances we have had, so we have good balance. McClaren\'s only criticism of his side was that their dominance should have been resulted in more goals. "It should have been more convincing," said McClaren. "But I had watched Lazio in recent weeks and I saw them score a late equaliser against Inter Milan on Saturday so I knew we needed a second goal. "No matter what anybody says, Lazio are favourites to win this competition." Middlesbrough forward Boudewijn Zenden said he did not expect such a comfortable match after he scored both goals. "We didn\'t expect it to be that one-sided," said Zenden. "We did quite well in the first half, we pressured them and they didn\'t cope with that. "I think we played quite well and it was a very good game, especially in the first half." The Holland international said Boro are confident of progressing in the competition after winning their first two group games. "We\'ve got a very good feeling, there is a good spirit, all the lads work hard for each other and it\'s a squad of friendly players, which I think you can see on the pitch," he added. ', 'Europe', 'Benitez delight after crucial win Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez admitted victory against Deportivo La Coruna was vital in their tight Champions League group. Jorge Andrade\'s early own goal gave Liverpool a 1-0 win. And Benitez said: "We started at a very high tempo and had many chances. It is a very important win for us and we could have scored more goals. "We were very good defensively and also good on the counter attack. We are pleased but move on to the next game." Igor Biscan was outstanding in midfield after replacing injured Xabi Alonso, and Benitez said: "He played very well. "It is important to have all the players ready and a good squad so you can play more games at a high level." Benitez added: "It is all back in our own hands now, it was a great win for us and I was delighted with what I feel was the best Liverpool I have seen. "As far as my feelings about winning in Spain, that is really not important. "I want to see us win away matches in the Champions League, that it was in Spain was not my first consideration. "As far as I am concerned it is important for Liverpool to win, it is not important in what country it is in." Benitez added: Benitez said: "We had a problem before the start, it was decided that Xabi could not play more than 45 minutes. "But in the end because of the way that (Dietmar) Hamann and (Igor) Biscan performed, we did not need to change things until right at the end of the match. "Depor are a good team and if you allow them to keep possession they can be very dangerous indeed. "But we knew that if we hit them on the counter-attack it would make them nervous, and that is how it worked out." Deportivo coach Javier Irureta said: "Liverpool played very well and we just could not break them down. "I know we have now gone six games at home in Europe without scoring, but that does not reflect our overall performances. "But this time we did not play well and we lacked imagination. "The goal was a bad mistake and a big blow to our confidence. Players who usually want the ball at that stage did not want it. "I know we are bottom of the group, but as long as there is hope of qualifying, we will hang on to that." ', 'France', "Wolves appoint Hoddle as manager Glenn Hoddle will be unveiled as the new Wolves manager on Tuesday. The club have confirmed that the former England coach will be unveiled as the successor to Dave Jones at a news conference at Molineux at 1100 GMT. Hoddle has been linked with a return to former club Southampton but Wolves have won the race for his services. He has been out of the game since being sacked at Spurs in September 2003 and worked alongside Wolves caretaker boss Stuart Gray at Southampton. Hoddle began his managerial career as player-boss with Swindon before moving on to Chelsea and then taking up the England job. His spell in charge of the national side came to an end after the 1998 World Cup when he made controversial remarks about the disabled in a newspaper interview. The 47-year-old later returned to management with Southampton, where he again succeeded Jones - as he has now done at Wolves. He engineered an upturn in Saints' fortunes before being lured to White Hart Lane by Tottenham - the club where he made his name as a player. That relationship turned sour at the start of the last campaign and he left the London club early last season. Since then he has applied unsuccessfully for the post of France manager and had also been linked with a return to Southampton. Wolves are currently 17th in the Championship and have a home game against Millwall on Tuesday. ", 'Europe', 'Wenger keeping faith with Almunia Arsene Wenger has pledged to keep faith with stand-in keeper Manuel Almunia for the crunch week which could define Arsenal\'s season. Almunia will start Tuesday\'s Champions League group tie against Rosenborg and is likely to face Chelsea on Sunday. Wenger said: "You don\'t think I would take out one goalkeeper for just one game, do you? I don\'t do that. "I have to give him a run for a few games. It\'s just that I don\'t want to make this story bigger than it is." Wenger insists he has complete faith in the 27-year-old Spaniard, who was signed last summer from Celta Vigo as back-up to Jens Lehmann. "If you look at my career, you will see that I have left many big players out for a long time. I\'ve done it with Dennis Bergkamp, Kanu, everybody. "It\'s because it\'s a goalkeeper, that\'s all. It\'s a usual situation for me. You put your best team out, no matter who it is. "For me, it was not a big mistake at Old Trafford and I wasn\'t alarmed by what happened against Birmingham either. "It\'s nothing against Lehmann. I think he\'s a great keeper, as is Almunia. You can only play one of them. "These people are not robots - they have good periods and less good periods. Just because Lehmann doesn\'t play for two or three weeks, or longer or shorter, it doesn\'t mean I\'ve lost faith in him." But former Arsenal keeper David Seaman believes Lehmann has been harshly treated. Seaman told the Daily Mail: "Jens is a fantastic keeper. He deserves another chance. "He has made a few mistakes but on form he deserves to be the first-team choice." With Arsenal hit by injuries and suspension, inexperienced midfield pair of Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fabregas will line up against Rosenborg but Wenger is confident they will prove more than capable. "It puts a lot of pressure on them but it\'s a good learning process," said Wenger. "I\'m not worried as they are both mentally strong and will put in the needed workrate." The Gunners go into the game boosted by the news that defender Sol Campbell is on the verge of signing a new deal with the club. And the 30-year-old, whose current contract runs out in the summer, has made it clear he is determined to achieve Champions League success with Arsenal. Campbell said: "It means a lot to me to go through, it\'s everything. We want to carry on in this competition. "That\'s where the best teams in Europe are. To be in there, playing against these guys and trying to win the trophy, is the first thing in my mind." Meanwhile, Thierry Henry believes he will be blamed if Arsenal fail to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. Henry will captain the side in place of the suspended Patrick Vieira as the Gunners seek the required victory over Rosenborg. And the striker said: "If we don\'t win and we go out of the competition, like it or not, it\'s going to be my fault. That\'s the way it is. "If the team don\'t win I know I will be criticised, no matter how I play." ', 'France', 'Wolves appoint Hoddle as manager Glenn Hoddle has been unveiled as the new Wolves manager. The ex-England coach has been given a six-month contract to succeed Dave Jones, who was sacked after the club\'s poor start to the season. Wolves chairman Rick Hayward said: "We\'re delighted Glenn is here. He has a six-month contract so we can test each other out and see if it works." Hoddle, who will work alongside Stuart Gray, has been out of the game since he was sacked by Spurs in 2003. Gray, who has been caretaker manager, was assistant boss when Hoddle was manager at Southampton. "I\'m delighted to be here," said Hoddle. "I saw the massive potential that Wolves have got and their desire and amibition to get back into the Premiership parallels my ambitions. "Stuart Gray has done a fantastic job as caretaker manager. We\'ve worked together at Southampton and I\'m delighted to be back with him." Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey defended the decision to give Hoddle a short-term contract. "We hope it will work out for both parties and we extend it for the long term," he said. "Most managers want a four-year contract and then expect it to be paid off if it doesn\'t work out. "For somebody of Glenn\'s calibre to come in on a short-term contract and put his reputation on the line, it demonstrates his commitment and self-belief and the potential he thinks is here." Hayward revealed that Hoddle was one of the first to be approached after Jones\' departure. "He was not available at the time because he was looking at various other things," he explained. "Five weeks later we\'re back on track and this a tremendous opportunity for Wolves." Hoddle began his managerial career as player-boss with Swindon before moving on to Chelsea and then taking up the England job. His spell in charge of the national side came to an end after the 1998 World Cup when he made controversial remarks about the disabled in a newspaper interview. The 47-year-old later returned to management with Southampton, where he again succeeded Jones - as he has now done at Wolves. He engineered an upturn in Saints\' fortunes before being lured to White Hart Lane by Tottenham - the club where he made his name as a player. That relationship turned sour at the start of the last campaign and he left the London club early last season. Since then he has applied unsuccessfully for the post of France manager and had also been linked with a return to Southampton. Wolves are currently 17th in the Championship and have a home game against Millwall on Tuesday. ', 'Europe', 'Liverpool pledge to keep Gerrard Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry insists the club will never sell Steven Gerrard amid reports Chelsea will renew their bid to lure him from Anfield. Gerrard reiterated his desire to win trophies with the Reds after his superb Champions League winner on Wednesday. And Parry has moved to scotch claims that Chelsea could launch a £35m bid. "There is no chance of Stevie going in January," said Parry. "That just won\'t happen. Our intention is that we will never let him go." Gerrard scored a spectacular late goal to give Liverpool a 3-1 win over Olympiakos and book their place in the knockout stages. "Of course he is ambitious but so are we," Parry added. "We firmly believe that if we can satisfy his ambition he will remain a Liverpool player. "We have an open and straightforward relationship. We both know where we stand and that played a big part in his decision to stay last summer. If he was not so committed to Liverpool he would have gone by now." Gerrard had said before Wednesday\'s game he would consider leaving if the club was knocked out of Europe, with Real Madrid also believed to be monitoring his situation. "The main point I have made is I want to be in a Liverpool side which challenges for the Champions League and the title all the time," he said afterwards. "I want to be winning things with Liverpool, not somewhere else. "I am a fan as well and I think what I have said the supporters will agree with. "We have to build on wins like that, not just settle for a great win and then not progress any further. "My goal was one of the most important I have ever scored and I hope it turns out to be one of the most important for the club for a long time. "I know I put a lot of pressure on myself because of what I said, and I felt I needed a big performance, but I am not going to go around telling lies about how I feel." Reds manager Rafael Benitez believes Gerrard can win everything he wants to without moving clubs. "Steven can win all he wants with us and we need him. He has seen that we have a good team and we can do more things in the future," said Benitez. "But if we want to win more games, important games, we need Steven in the team. "We need his strength, the strong mentality he has and his quality. I think he likes and wants the responsibility of leading this team." ', 'Europe', 'McClaren eyes Uefa Cup top spot Steve McClaren wants his Middlesbrough team to win their Uefa Cup group by beating Partizan Belgrade. Boro have already qualified for the knockout stages alongside Partizan and Villareal, at the expense of Lazio. But boss McClaren is looking for a victory which would mean they avoid a team that has played in the Champions League in Friday\'s third-round draw. "To need a win to finish top is fantastic, but it is going to be a tough one," McClaren said. "When the draw was made, I thought it was the toughest group of them all - and so it has proved. "Lazio were favourites, Villarreal have been semi-finalists, and Partizan have fantastic experience in Europe. "The pleasing thing is we did the business in the first two games. "Winning those two has put us in a great position and it has been a fantastic experience playing these teams." ', 'Europe', 'Robertson out to retain Euro lure Hearts manager John Robertson hopes a place in the knock-out stages of the Uefa Cup could help keep some of his out-of-contract players at the club. "It could help. If we get through and have another European tie it may encourage players to stay at least until the end of the season," he said. "If we manage to get through it shows how well the club\'s progressing. "They have to think whether they are going to get other clubs like that should they decide to move on." A win for Robertson\'s side against Ferencvaros would put them through to the last 32 if Basle fail to beat Feyenoord. "It\'s very much the player\'s prerogative but the fact that we\'ve been playing European football for the last three or four years is obviously an incentive," added Robertson. "But we want players who want to play for the football club, who are committed and a run in Europe always helps a little bit." With the game being played at Murrayfield instead of Tynecastle because of Uefa regulations, Robertson sees both positive and negative aspects to the change of venue. "The pitch is not in the greatest condition. The Heineken Cup game was there at the weekend and the pitch is a bit threadbare," he said. "It\'s not ideal but it\'s the same for both teams so we just have to go out and there and perform. That\'s the most important thing." But he added: "If Tynecastle could have hosted 30,000 it would have been fantastic but that\'s one of the benefits of Murrayfield - it allows us to bring even more of our supporters into it. "There will be a good atmosphere and the Hearts fans have an important role to play. "We need their encouragement, we need them to get right behind the side and make it as good an atmosphere as possible. "Hopefully the players will respond to that and I know they will because it\'s a fantastic European night for the club." ', 'Germany', 'Henry tipped for Fifa award Fifa president Sepp Blatter hopes Arsenal\'s Thierry Henry will be named World Player of the Year on Monday. Henry is on the Fifa shortlist with Barcelona\'s Ronaldinho and newly-crowned European Footballer of the Year, AC Milan\'s Andriy Shevchenko. Blatter said: "Henry, for me, is the personality on the field. He is the man who can run and organise the game." The winner of the accolade will be named at a glittering ceremony at Zurich\'s Opera house. The three shortlisted candidates for the women\'s award are Mia Hamm of the United States, Germany\'s Birgit Prinz and Brazilian youngster Marta. Hamm, who recently retired - is looking to regain the women\'s award, which she lost last year to striker Prinz. Fifa has changed the panel of voters for this year\'s awards. Male and female captains of every national team will be able to vote, as well as their coaches and Fipro - the global organisation for professional players. ', 'Europe', 'Gerrard happy at Anfield Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has reiterated his desire to stay at Anfield and win trophies with the club. The 24-year-old England midfielder is determined to see out his contract, despite reported interest from Chelsea. He said: "I\'m signed here for this season and another two so there is no situation. There\'s a lot of speculation but that\'s not down to me. "As club captain all I want to do is help us get back up the table and into the Champions League again." Gerrard looked set to move to Chelsea during the summer and speculation of a switch to Stamford Bridge has again arisen, with the January transfer window approaching. He raised doubts about his Reds future when he said he wanted the club to prove they were title challengers in the very near future or he might leave. Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has insisted that Gerrard has promised him he wants to stay at Anfield. Benitez said: "I said to Steven that I was sure he wanted to stay here and he said \'I do\'. "I then said to him \'Look, if you want to win titles, you want medals and you want Liverpool to have these things then I am going to need your help\'. "I really think he wants to stay so now what we must do is make the squad stronger for him." Meanwhile, Gerrard has urged the Anfield board to sign Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes in the January transfer window. Morientes, 28, has already expressed a willingness to come to England. Gerrard added: "He\'s a great player. He scores goals in the league, in cup competitions and also in the Champions League. "I don\'t think he\'d be able to play for us in Europe this season but if we are able to get hold of him, we\'d be getting ourselves a great player. "He\'d have Spanish coaches, a Spanish manager and we have got three or four Spanish players here now so they\'ll help him settle in. "Rafael Benitez knows what he wants and he knows how to strengthen the squad he\'s got and if the right players become available at the right price I am sure we will strengthen. "It would certainly be nice to see a few new faces in January to freshen things up." ', 'Argentina', 'Beckham rules out management move Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham has no plans to become a manager when his playing career is over. "I am not interested in being a coach but I would like to have football schools," the England captain said on television station Canal Plus. "I have wanted to do that since I went to the Bobby Charlton school. I\'m going to open one in London and one in LA. "My second passion is charity work - I am an ambassador for Unicef and it gives me great pride." But Beckham revealed that his immediate priority was winning the Spanish league title with Real Madrid. Real slipped to 13 points behind leaders Barcelona with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sevilla on Wednesday. Beckham admitted: "It\'s disappointing and frustrating to see the results, considering the team we have. "I would really like to win La Liga with Real Madrid - I have been here two years and we still have not done it." In a wide-ranging interview, Beckham also revealed that his sending-off against Argentina - and the resulting media storm - had been the most significant moment in his career. Asked for his worst memory, he said: "To be sent off against Argentina - it was not for the sending-off but for what happened afterwards. "I was lucky because I had a manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who supported me and a strong family behind me but I believe that changed me. "I believe it changed me for the better." ', 'France', 'Hodgson shoulders England blame Fly-half Charlie Hodgson admitted his wayward kicking played a big part in England\'s 18-17 defeat to France. Hodgson failed to convert three penalties and also missed a relatively easy drop goal attempt which would have given England a late win. "I\'m very disappointed with the result and with my myself," Hodgson said. "It is very hard to take but it\'s something I will have to get through and come back stronger. My training\'s been good but it just didn\'t happen." Hodgson revealed that Olly Barkley had taken three penalties because they were "out of my range" but the centre could not convert his opportunities either, particularly the drop goal late on. "It wasn\'t a good strike," he added. "I felt as soon as it hit my boot it had missed. It\'s very disappointing, but I must recover." Andy Robinson said he would "keep working on the kicking" with his squad. However, the England coach added that he would take some positives from the defeat. "We went out to play and played some very good rugby and what have France done?" he said. "They won the game from kicking penalties from our 10m line. "It\'s very frustrating. The lads showed a lot of ambition in the first half, they went out to sustain it in the second but couldn\'t build on it. "We took the ball into contact, and you know when you do that it is a lottery whether the referee is going to give the penalty to your side or the other side. "We have lost a game we should have won. There is a fine line between winning and losing, and for the second week we\'ve been on the wrong side of that line and it hurts." England went in at half-time with a 17-6 lead but they failed to score in the second half and Dimitri Yachvili slotted over four penalties as France overhauled the deficit. England skipper Jason Robinson admitted his side failed to cope with France\'s improved second-half display. "We controlled the game in the first half but we knew that they would come out and try everything after half-time," he said. "We made a lot of mistakes in the second half and they punished us. They took their chances when they came. "It\'s very disappointing. Last week we lost by two points, now one point." ', 'France', 'Vickery out of Six Nations England tight-head prop Phil Vickery has been ruled out of the rest of the 2005 RBS Six Nations after breaking a bone in his right forearm. Vickery was injured as his club side, Gloucester, beat Bath 17-16 in the West country derby on Saturday. He could be joined on the sidelines by Bath centre Olly Barkley, who sat out the derby due to a leg injury. Barkley will have a scan on Sunday and might miss England\'s trip to Six Nations leaders Ireland next weekend. The news is just the latest blow for coach Andy Robinson, who has seen his side lose their opening two matches in the 2005 Six Nations. Robinson is already without World Cup winners Jonny Wilkinson, Will Greenwood, Mike Tindall, Richard Hill and Trevor Woodman through injury. Vickery has broken the radius, a large bone in his forearm. He only returned to the England side last weekend after a long-term back injury, which was followed by a fractured eye socket. And the Gloucester prop was only recalled after Leicester tight-head Julian White suffered a neck injury which has already seen him ruled out of the Ireland game. Bath prop Matt Stevens is the only remaining tight-head in England\'s training squad and could be involved against Ireland. But he has to play second fiddle at club level to Duncan Bell, who excelled for England A against France and may now be called into the squad. The extent of Barkley\'s injury is not yet clear but Bath boss John Connolly rates him no better than "50-50" to face Ireland. Barkley played at inside cente in England\'s defeat by France and if he is unable to play, England\'s constantly-changing midfield will once again have to be altered. Robinson could choose to recall Mathew Tait or Henry Paul, although Tait endured a nightmare for Newcastle against Leicester on Saturday and Paul limped off with an ankle injury against Bath. In-form Leicester centre Ollie Smith is the other outstanding candidate, and two tries against Newcastle will have boosted his chances. Fly-half Andy Goode is also a strong contender for the match-day 22 after an immaculate kicking display on Saturday. England, fourth in the Six Nations table with zero points, play Ireland, top of the table, in Dublin on 27 February, kick-off 1500 GMT. ', 'France', 'Yachvili savours France comeback France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili praised his team after they fought back to beat England 18-17 in the Six Nations clash at Twickenham. Yachvili kicked all of France\'s points as they staged a second-half revival. "We didn\'t play last week against Scotland and we didn\'t play in the first half against England," he said. "But we\'re very proud to beat England at Twickenham. We were just defending in the first half and we said we had to put them under pressure. We did well." Yachvili admitted erratic kicking from England\'s Charlie Hodgson and Olly Barkley, who missed six penalties and a drop goal chance between them, had been decisive. "I know what it\'s like with kicking. When you miss some it\'s very hard mentally, but it went well for us," he said. France captain Fabien Pelous insisted his side never doubted they could secure their first win against England at Twickenham since 1997. France were 17-6 down at half-time, but Pelous said: "No-one was down at half-time, we were still confident. "We said we only had 11 points against us, which was not much. "The plan was to keep hold of possession and pressure England to losing their composure." France coach Bernard Laporte accepted his side had not played well. "We know we have to play better to defend the title," he said. "I\'m not happy we didn\'t score a try but we\'re happy because we won." ', 'France', 'Laporte tinkers with team France coach Bernard Laporte has made four changes to the starting line-up that beat England for Saturday\'s Six Nations clash with Wales. He opted for Yannick Nyanga in the back row instead of Grand Slam winner Imanol Harinordoquy, who is back in the squad. Other changes see Julien Laharrague win his first cap at full-back, Aurelien Rougerie return after injury on the wing and Yannick Jauzion in at centre. But Laporte has resisted fan pressure to start Frederic Michalak at fly-half. The dependable Yann Delaigue keeps the number 10 jersey, despite clamours for the flair of Michalak. The 26-year-old Laharrague gets his chance despite playing on the wing for his club Brive. "We are launching him into the great international level," said team manager Jo Maso. "He is young and this is a great opportunity for us and above all for him. "There are 25 matches left before the World Cup so we must see as many players as possible. The competition is very high and open." Jauzion, France\'s player of the year in 2004, would probably have played in the first two matches instead of the South African-born Liebeneberg had he been fit. The Stade Toulousain star wins his 23rd cap and is reunited with Damien Traille, with whom he forged an effective midfield in 2004. "The return of Jauzion is going to be a plus for us," said Laporte. "We are going to test him at an international level." Julien Laharrague (Brive), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont), Yannick Jauzion (Stade Toulousain), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Christophe Dominici (Stade Francais), Yann Delaigue (Castres), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Yannick Nyanga (Beziers), Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Fabien Pelous (Stade Toulousain, capt), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Sebastien Bruno (Sale), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais) Replacements: William Servat (Stade Toulousain), Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin), Gregory Lamboley (Stade Toulousain), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Pierre Mignoni (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Stade Toulousain), Jean-Philippe Grandclaude (Perpignan) ', 'France', 'Thomas out of Six Nations Wales captain Gareth Thomas has been ruled out of the rest of the Six Nations with a broken thumb. The full-back will have surgery on Monday after fracturing his thumb in the 24-18 win over France on Saturday. But Welsh legend Phil Bennett insisted Wales can cope without Thomas as they chase a first Grand Slam in 27 years. Bennett told BBC Sport: "Such is the spirit in the camp, they\'ll put Kevin Morgan at 15, Rhys Williams at wing and just carry on." Thomas will miss the match against Scotland on 13 March, and what promises to be a huge encounter against the Irish six days later. Bennett added: "It\'s a setback. He\'s a great captain, he leads from the front and the boys love him." Thomas was replaced at half-time by Williams as his side turned around a 15-6 deficit in Paris. "With Gareth missing I would think Michael Owen will be our captain," said Wales coach Mike Ruddock. "He did a great job in the second half in France. He has been vice-captain all along throughout the championship." Wales travel to Edinburgh to take on Scotland in a fortnight and then host Ireland in Cardiff in the final round of matches in what could be the Grand Slam and championship decider. Bennett, an inspirational fly-half for Llanelli and Wales in the 1970s, insisted the national team were entering a new golden period. "It was a great game and a magnificent result for Wales," Bennett told BBC Radio Five Live\'s Sportsweek programme. "The way this young team are blending, the glory days are on their way back. "We couldn\'t get possession early on and France dominated and scored two tries. "Had they been ruthless, Wales could have gone into the interval 30 points down. But they didn\'t take their chances. "Wales defended fairly well but you cannot give that sort of quality ball to good sides. "The All Blacks would have been ruthless and buried us in the first half. But the character we showed in the second half was quite outstanding." ', 'France', 'Wales coach elated with win Mike Ruddock paid tribute to his Wales side after they came from 15-6 down to beat France 24-18 in the Six Nations. "After going two tries down in 12 minutes we had to show character," said the national team coach. "I didn\'t have to tell them anything at half-time because those players have stared down the barrel of a gun before. "They decided they didn\'t want to do that again and came out fighting. It was a great team effort and we showed great character to come back." Man-of-the-match Stephen Jones, who kicked three penalties, a drop goal and conversion, was ecstatic following after the win at Stade de France. "It\'s just a special moment. Two years ago we didn\'t win a single game in the Six Nations. But we\'re a very happy camp now," he said. "We worked hard as a squad and I\'m a proud Welshman. We\'ve got hard matches to come, so we\'re just happy with the start." Double try scorer Martyn Williams was keen not to talk about a possible Grand Slam for Wales. "We\'ve got more self-belief these days. Two or three years ago we might have collapsed after going behind so early. "There\'s no mention of a Grand Slam among the players. We\'ve got a tough game against Scotland at Murrayfield. They could bring us crashing down to earth." ', 'France', 'Fear will help France - Laporte France coach Bernard Laporte believes his team will be scared going into their game with England on Sunday, but claims it will work in their favour. The French turned in a stuttering performance as they limped to a 16-9 win against Scotland in the opening match of the Six Nations on Saturday. "We will go to Twickenham with a little fear and it\'ll give us a boost," said the French coach. He added: "We are never good enough when we are favourites." Meanwhile, Perpignan centre Jean-Philippe Granclaude is delighted to have received his first call-up to the France squad. "It\'s incredible," the youngster said. "I was not expecting it at all. "Playing with the France team has always been a dream and now it has come true and I am about to face England at Twickenham in the Six Nations." Laporte will announce his starting line-up on Wednesday at the French team\'s training centre in Marcoussis, near Paris. ', 'France', 'Ref stands by Scotland decisions The referee from Saturday\'s France v Scotland Six Nations match has defended the officials\' handling of the game after criticism by Matt Williams. The Scotland coach said his side were robbed of victory by poor decisions made by the officials. But Nigel Williams said: "I\'m satisfied the game was handled correctly." Meanwhile, Matt Williams will not be punished by the Scottish Rugby Union for allegedly using bad language in his comments about the officials. He denies having done so. Nonetheless, he was furious about several decisions that he felt denied his side a famous victory. But Nigel Williams told the Scottish Daily Mail: "I spoke to Matt Williams at the post-match dinner. "He made no mention of the disallowed try or any other refereeing decisions whatsoever. "If Matt has issues with the match officials, then he is very welcome to phone me and discuss them. "Ultimately there is a match assessor at every international game to give an impartial and objective view of the performance of the officials. "That is the beginning and end of it." ', 'France', 'Robinson ready for difficult task England coach Andy Robinson faces the first major test of his tenure as he tries to get back to winning ways after the Six Nations defeat by Wales. Robinson is likely to make changes in the back row and centre after the 11-9 loss as he contemplates Sunday\'s set-to with France at Twickenham. Lewis Moody and Martin Corry could both return after missing the game with hamstring and shoulder problems. And the midfield pairing of Mathew Tait and Jamie Noon is also under threat. Olly Barkley immediately allowed England to generate better field position with his kicking game after replacing debutant Tait just before the hour. The Bath fly-half-cum-centre is likely to start against France, with either Tait or Noon dropping out. Tait, given little opportunity to shine in attack, received praise from Robinson afterwards, even if the coach admitted Cardiff was an "unforgiving place" for the teenage prodigy. Robinson now has a tricky decision over whether to withdraw from the firing line, after just one outing, a player he regards as central to England\'s future. Tait himself, at least outwardly, appeared unaffected by the punishing treatment dished out to him by Gavin Henson in particular. "I want more of that definitely," he said. "Hopefully I can train hard this week and get selected for next week but we\'ll have to look at the video and wait and see. "We were playing on our own 22 for a lot of the first half so it was quite difficult. I thought we defended reasonably well but we\'ve just got to pick it up for France." His Newcastle team-mate Noon hardly covered himself in glory in his first major Test. He missed a tackle on Michael Owen in the build-up to Wales\' try, conceded a penalty at the breakdown, was turned over in another tackle and fumbled Gavin Henson\'s cross-kick into touch, all inside the first quarter. His contribution improved in the second half, but England clearly need more of a playmaker in the inside centre role. Up front, the line-out remains fallible, despite a superb performance from Chris Jones, whose athleticism came to the fore after stepping into the side for Moody. It is more likely the Leicester flanker will return on the open side for the more physical challenge posed by the French forwards, with Andy Hazell likely to make way. Lock Ben Kay also justified his recall with an impressive all-round display on his return to the side, but elsewhere England positives were thin on the ground. ', 'France', "Bell set for England debut Bath prop Duncan Bell has been added to England's 30-man squad to face Ireland in the RBS Six Nations. And with Phil Vickery sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken arm and Julian White out with a neck injury, Bell could make his England debut. Bell, 30, had set his sights on an international career with Wales. But last December, the International Rugby Board confirmed that he could only be eligible for England as he had travelled on tour with them in 1998. England coach Andy Robinson could take a gamble and call inexperienced Sale Sharks prop Andrew Sheridan into his front row. But Sheridan favours the loosehead side of the scrum and a more likely scenario is for uncapped Bell - who was among the tryscorers when England A beat France A 30-20 nine days ago - to be drafted in. Robinson also has an injury worry over centre Olly Barkley, who withdrew from Bath's starting line-up to face Gloucester last weekend. He was due to have a hospital scan on Monday, while Gloucester centre Henry Paul, who started at fly-half against Bath, limped out at Kingsholm because of an ankle problem. Despite Barkley's three missed penalties in the 18-17 defeat against France, he is expected to retain his place at inside centre, although Leicester's in-form prospect Ollie Smith would be an obvious replacement. Bath coach John Connolly rates Barkley as no better than a 50/50 chance to make the Dublin trip. Uncapped fly-half Andy Goode has been named in a 30-man training squad for the Ireland game, and he strengthened his selection claims by kicking 28 points during Leicester's record 83-10 win against Newcastle on Sunday. England's players are due to meet at their Surrey training base on Monday. ", 'Italy', 'O\'Sullivan quick to hail Italians Ireland coach Eddie O\'Sullivan heaped praise on Italy after seeing his side stutter to a 28-17 victory in Rome. "It was a hell of a tough game," said O\'Sullivan. "We struggled in the first half because we hadn\'t the football. "Italy played really well. They handled the ball well in terms of kicking it, if that\'s not an oxymoron. "We said before the game that it might take until 10 minutes from the end for this game to be won, and that\'s how it turned out." Ireland struggled to cope with Italy\'s fierce start and were indebted to skipper Brian O\'Driscoll, who set up tries for Geordan Murphy and Peter Stringer. "We had our first attack in the Italian half after 22 minutes," said O\'Sullivan. "We had a good return, with three first-half possessions in their half and we scored twice. "The second half was about spending more time in their half." Scrum-half Peter Stringer was also glad that Ireland escaped wtih a victory. "All credit to them," he told BBC Sport. "We knew it would be tough coming to Rome. They always give us a tough game here and they showed a lot of spirit. "They had a lot of ball in the first half but we got a few scores when we got into their 22." ', 'Italy', "Italy 17-28 Ireland Two moments of magic from Brian O'Driscoll guided Ireland to a workmanlike victory against Italy. A pair of classic outside breaks from the Ireland captain set up tries for Geordan Murphy and Peter Stringer. Italy led 9-8 early in the second half but Stringer's try gave Ireland a lead they never lost. The hosts cut the gap to 18-12 with 10 minutes left and nearly scored through Ludovico Nitoglia, but Denis Hickie's try ensured an Irish victory. Italy came flying out of the blocks and took the lead through a Luciano Orquera penalty after seven minutes. It could have been better for the hosts but the fly-half missed two kickable penalties and Ireland drew level with a Ronan O'Gara penalty midway through the first half. The Italians were driving at the heart of the Irish defence and, for the first quarter, the Irish pack struggled to secure any ball for their talented backs. When they finally did, just before the half-hour mark, O'Driscoll promptly created a sparkling try for Murphy. The Ireland captain ran a dummy scissors and made a magical outside break before drawing the full-back and putting the diving Murphy in at the corner. O'Gara missed the twice-taken conversion and the visitors found themselves trailing once again. Roland de Marigny took over the kicking duties for Italy from the hapless Orquera, and he landed a penalty either side of the break to edge Italy into a 9-8 lead. The only Ireland player offering a real threat was O'Driscoll, and it was his break that set up the second try for the visitors. Shane Horgan threw an overhead pass as he was about to be forced into touch and Stringer scooted over, with O'Gara landing the tricky conversion. A penalty apiece saw Ireland leading 18-12 as the game entered the final quarter, but they were lucky to survive when Italy launched a series of attacks. Winger Nitoglia dropped the ball as he reached for the line and Italy nearly rumbled over from a driving maul. An O'Gara penalty put Ireland more than a converted try ahead and they made the game safe when Hickie latched onto an inside pass from Murphy and crossed for a converted try. O'Driscoll limped off late on, joining centre partner Gordon D'Arcy on the sidelines, and the final word went to Italy. Prop Martin Castrogiovanni powered over for a try which was fitting reward for an Italian pack which had kept the Irish under pressure throughout. De Marigny; Mi Bergamasco, Canale, Masi, Nitoglia; Orquera, Troncon; Lo Cicero, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni; Dellape, Bortolami; Persico, Ma Bergamasco, Parisse. Perugini, Intoppa, Del Fava, Dal Maso, Griffen, Pozzebon, Robertson. Murphy, Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, S Easterby, Leamy, Foley. Sheahan, Horan, O'Callaghan, Miller, G Easterby, Humphreys, Dempsey. P O'Brien (New Zealand) ", 'Italy', 'Double injury blow strikes Wales Wales centre Sonny Parker and number eight Ryan Jones will miss Saturday\'s game with Italy because of injury. Parker has not recovered from a trapped nerve in his neck that kept him out of the win over England, and Tom Shanklin is expected to continue at centre. Jones damaged his collar bone after coming on as a replacement against England and joins flanker Colin Charvis (foot injury) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Mike Ruddock may make Gavin Henson his first-choice kicker in Rome. The centre was Wales\' hero in the 11-9 Six Nations win over England, landing a huge late penalty from wide out to clinch the game. First-choice kicker Stephen Jones handed over responsibility because of Henson\'s greater kicking range, but the fly-half had already missed a number of shots at goal. "Our first aim was to get Gavin settled into the team, but giving him the kicks is something we\'ll talk about in selection this week," Wales coach Mike Ruddock told BBC Sport Wales. Henson himself says he is relishing all the media hype that has been heaped on him since last Saturday\'s game. "I thrive on it and think it makes me perform better," he said. "I\'m glad it\'s a short week before the Italy game. There was so much build-up before England, but we fly out to Rome on Thursday and we\'ll be back playing again." ', 'Italy', 'Kirwan demands Italy consistency Italy coach John Kirwan has challenged his side to match the performance they produced in pushing Ireland close when they meet Wales on Saturday. Despite losing 28-17 in Sunday\'s Six Nations encounter, the Italians confirmed their continuing improvement. "Our goal is to match every side we face and against Ireland we showed we could do that," said Kirwan. "But the most important thing is that we build on that performance when we play Wales on Saturday." Italy\'s half-backs had a mixed afternoon, with recalled scrum-half Alessandro Troncon impressing but fly-half Luciano Orquera having an off-day with the boot. Kirwan said: "I was very happy with Troncon. He had an incredible game - he was very good in attack and defence. "Orquera\'s kicking was off but he showed great courage in defence. "He also followed the game plan. We have to give him confidence because he has the capability to do well." ', 'France', 'Fit-again Betsen in France squad France have brought flanker Serge Betsen back into their squad to face England at Twickenham on Sunday. But the player, who missed the victory over Scotland through injury, must attend a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday after being cited by Wasps. "Serge has a good case so we are confident he will play," said France coach Bernard Laporte. The inexperienced Nicolas Mas, Jimmy Marlu and Jean-Philippe Grandclaude are also included in a 22-man squad. The trio have been called up after Pieter de Villiers, Ludovic Valbon and Aurelien Rougerie all picked up injuries in France\'s 16-9 win on Saturday. Laporte said he was confident that Betsen would be cleared by the panel investigating his alleged trip that broke Wasps centre Stuart Abbott\'s leg. "If he was to be suspended, we would call up Imanol Harinordoquy or Thomas Lievremont," said Laporte, who has dropped Patrick Tabacco. "We missed Serge badly against Scotland. He has now recovered from his thigh injury and played on Saturday with Biarritz." France\'s regular back-row combination of Betsen, Harinordoquy and Olivier Magne were all missing from France\'s side at the weekend because of injury. Laporte is expected to announce France\'s starting line-up on Wednesday. Forwards: Nicolas Mas, Sylvain Marconnet, Olivier Milloud, William Servat, Sebastien Bruno, Fabien Pelous, Jerome Thion, Gregory Lamboley, Serge Betsen, Julien Bonnaire, Sebastien Chabal, Yannick Nyanga. Backs: Dimitri Yachvili, Pierre Mignoni, Frederic Michalak, Yann Delaigue, Damien Traille, Brian Liebenberg, Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, Christophe Dominici, Jimmy Marlu, Pepito Elhorga. ', 'France', 'White prepared for battle Tough-scrummaging prop Julian White is expecting a resurgent Wales to give him a rough ride in England\'s Six Nations opener in Cardiff on Saturday. The Leicester tight-head is in the form of his life, making the England number three shirt his own. But he knows Wales will put his technique under immense scrutiny. "The Welsh scrum is a force to be reckoned with," he told BBC Sport. "They have made a lot of changes for the better over the last few years." White is also impressed with the Welsh pack\'s strength in depth. "Gethin Jenkins is starting at loose-head for them. He has played a bit at tight-head but I think his favoured position is loose-head and he is very good," he added. The 31-year-old has made a massive contribution to the England and Leicester cause of late and is arguably the form tight-head prop in the world. He destroyed South Africa\'s Os du Randt in the scrum at Twickenham last autumn to give England the platform for an impressive 32-16 victory. Leicester, who signed White from Bristol when the West Country side were relegated from the Zurich Premiership in the summer of 2003, have also been aided by White\'s presence this season. The Tigers are sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership table and have also booked their place in the last eight of the Heineken Cup. "I am pleased with my form," he said. "But my form is helped by the people I play with at Leicester - people like Martin Johnson and Graham Rowntree. "It\'s been a good season so far and to be in the starting XV for the first game of the Six Nations is what every player wants. "I am delighted with the way things have gone but we have to get it right this weekend." White is now one of the more experienced members of the England squad which takes to the field on Saturday. Injuries have taken their toll and coach Andy Robinson has been deprived of Richard Hill, Jonny Wilkinson, Martin Corry, Mike Tindall, Will Greenwood and Stuart Abbott. And with 27 caps and a World Cup winner\'s medal to his name, White is now in a position to offer his experience to youngsters such as centres Matthew Tait and Jamie Noon. "I don\'t know how much experience a tight-head can give a centre but you are there to give them a pat on the back if things go wrong or to be there if they want to talk in any way," he added. "When I first came into the squad, people like Jason Leonard and Martin Johnson were the first to come over and talk through things and help out. "It gives you a lot of confidence when people like that speak to you. "I was in awe of a lot of them so to sit down and speak with them and realise you are on the same wavelength is good." White missed the vast majority of last year\'s Six Nations because of a knee injury and is raring for the 2005 event to get going. And that is despite the opening game taking place amid the red-hot atmosphere in Cardiff. "I enjoy the atmosphere. The Millennium Stadium is probably one of the best stadiums in the world," he said. "To go down there and hear the shouting and the singing - it\'s one of my favourite places to play. "This is probably the most even Six Nations for a long time. England, Ireland, France and Wales are all contenders. "On form, Ireland should be favourites but you just don\'t know - that\'s the great thing about this tournament." ', 'Italy', "O'Driscoll saves Irish blushes Two moments of magic from Brian O'Driscoll guided Ireland to a workmanlike victory against Italy. A pair of classic outside breaks from the Ireland captain set up tries for Geordan Murphy and Peter Stringer. Italy led 9-8 early in the second half but Stringer's try gave Ireland a lead they never lost. The hosts cut the gap to 18-12 with 10 minutes left and nearly scored through Ludovico Nitoglia, but Denis Hickie's try ensured an Irish victory. Italy came flying out of the blocks and took the lead through a Luciano Orquera penalty after seven minutes. It could have been better for the hosts but the fly-half missed two kickable penalties and Ireland drew level with a Ronan O'Gara penalty midway through the first half. The Italians were driving at the heart of the Irish defence and, for the first quarter, the Irish pack struggled to secure any ball for their talented backs. When they finally did, just before the half-hour mark, O'Driscoll promptly created a sparkling try for Murphy. The Ireland captain ran a dummy scissors and made a magical outside break before drawing the full-back and putting the diving Murphy in at the corner. O'Gara missed the twice-taken conversion and the visitors found themselves trailing once again. Roland de Marigny took over the kicking duties for Italy from the hapless Orquera, and he landed a penalty either side of the break to edge Italy into a 9-8 lead. The only Ireland player offering a real threat was O'Driscoll, and it was his break that set up the second try for the visitors. Shane Horgan threw an overhead pass as he was about to be forced into touch and Stringer scooted over, with O'Gara landing the tricky conversion. A penalty apiece saw Ireland leading 18-12 as the game entered the final quarter, but they were lucky to survive when Italy launched a series of attacks. Winger Nitoglia dropped the ball as he reached for the line and Italy nearly rumbled over from a driving maul. An O'Gara penalty put Ireland more than a converted try ahead and they made the game safe when Hickie latched onto an inside pass from Murphy and crossed for a converted try. O'Driscoll limped off late on, joining centre partner Gordon D'Arcy on the sidelines, and the final word went to Italy. Prop Martin Castrogiovanni powered over for a try which was fitting reward for an Italian pack which had kept the Irish under pressure throughout. De Marigny; Mi Bergamasco, Canale, Masi, Nitoglia; Orquera, Troncon; Lo Cicero, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni; Dellape, Bortolami; Persico, Ma Bergamasco, Parisse. Perugini, Intoppa, Del Fava, Dal Maso, Griffen, Pozzebon, Robertson. Murphy, Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, S Easterby, Leamy, Foley. Sheahan, Horan, O'Callaghan, Miller, G Easterby, Humphreys, Dempsey. P O'Brien (New Zealand) ", 'France', 'Barkley fit for match in Ireland England centre Olly Barkley has been passed fit for Sunday\'s Six Nations clash with Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Barkley withdrew from Bath\'s team for Friday\'s clash with Gloucester after suffering a calf injury in training. Gloucester centre Henry Paul has also been cleared to play after overcoming an ankle injury. England coach Andy Robinson, who names his team on Wednesday, has called up Bath prop Duncan Bell following Phil Vickery\'s broken arm. With Vickery sidelined for at least six weeks and Julian White out with a neck injury, Bell could make his England debut. Bell, 30, had set his sights on an international career with Wales. But last December, the International Rugby Board confirmed that he could only be eligible for England as he had travelled on tour with them in 1998. "I thought I\'d burned all my bridges with England when I expressed an interest in wanting to play for Wales, so it\'s fantastic to get this opportunity," he said. Bell, who featured in the England A side which beat France 30-20 10 days ago, added: "I recognise that I got into the England A squad because of injuries. "And it\'s the same again in getting into the senior squad. But now that I have this opportunity I intend to take it fully if selected and play my heart out for my country." England coach Andy Robinson could take a gamble and call inexperienced Sale Sharks prop Andrew Sheridan into his front row. But Sheridan favours the loosehead side of the scrum and a more likely scenario is for uncapped Bell - who was among the try-scorers when England A beat France A 30-20 nine days ago - to be drafted in. ', 'Italy', 'Williams says he will never quit Defiant Matt Williams says he will not quit as Scotland coach even if his side slump to a new low with defeat by Italy at Murrayfield. That would leave the Scots as favourites to win the Wooden Spoon for the second year running. "I have never quit anything in my life, apart from maybe painting the kitchen," he told BBC Sport. "The support we have been given from Murrayfield in my whole time here has been 100%." Williams has yet to experience an RBS Six Nations victory after seven attempts and Scotland have lost 12 of their 14 games under his leadership. But he rejected the comparison made in some media sources with Berti Vogts, recently sacked as Scotland football manager after a poor run of results. "How can a German football coach and an Australian rugby coach have anything in common?" he asked. "It is a bizarre analogy. It is so absurd that it borders on the humorous." Williams insists that he is revelling in the pressure, despite the possibility of a second Six Nations series without a victory. "That is not beyond the realms of possibility," he admitted. "There\'s nothing much between the teams, so we could win the next three games or lose them. "But I actually really enjoy seeing how you cope with such pressure as a coach. "It helps the team grow and helps you grow as a coach. "We could have won in Paris but for the last five minutes and now we have two defeats, but we were confident for those two first games and we are confident we can beat Italy too." ', 'France', 'Preview: Ireland v England (Sun) Lansdowne Road, Dublin Sunday, 27 February 1500 GMT BBC1, Radio 4 LW and this website Ireland are going for their first Grand Slam since 1948 after two opening wins, and England represent their sternest test of the Championship so far. England were sloppy and leaderless in the defeats against Wales and France and another loss would be unthinkable. The pressure is on coach Andy Robinson and his side have to deliver. Despite England\'s dramatic dip in form since the World Cup final - they have lost eight of their last 13 matches - Ireland coach Eddie O\'Sullivan says his side should not underestimate the visitors. "Had they kicked their points they would have beaten France and that would have created a different landscape for Sunday," he said. "This is England we are talking about. They have a depth of talent and a very good record against Ireland. "They will target a victory in Dublin as the turning point in their Six Nations." The differences between the sides is also highlighted in the team selections for the Dublin encounter. Ireland, despite having Gordon D\'Arcy still out injured, have been boosted by the return of star skipper Brian O\'Driscoll who missed the Scotland game with a hamstring injury. "The knowledge that the England game was coming up really helped during rehabilitation," he said. "The will to play in this game was enormous. It doesn\'t get much bigger than England at home." As well as entering the tournament without players like Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Richard Hill, England have now lost two tighthead props in Julian White and Phil Vickery while blind-side flanker Lewis Moody is a major concern. Robinson, who received a lot of flak for the inclusion and then dropping of centre Mathew Tait, has kept faith with kicking fly-half Charlie Hodgson despite his horror show at Twickenham. If England slump in Dublin, it will be their worst run of results in the Championship since 1987. But Robinson was bullish during the week about the game, saying that his side "are going there to get in their faces", and has identified the line-out and tackle area as the key to England\'s chances. And despite the recent results, skipper Jason Robinson believes there is nothing wrong with the mood in the camp. "There is no lack of confidence in the team," said the Sale full-back. "We have had a good week\'s training and we are all looking forward to the challenge. "I still believe in this team. I know if we get our game right we will win the games." G Murphy; G Dempsey, B O\'Driscoll, S Horgan, D Hickie; R O\'Gara, P Stringer; R Corrigan, S Byrne, J Hayes; M O\'Kelly, P O\'Connell; S Easterby, J O\'Connor, A Foley. F Sheahan, M Horan, D O\'Callaghan, E Miller, G Easterby, D Humphreys, K Maggs. J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, M Stevens; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry. A Titterrell, D Bell, S Borthwick, A Hazell, M Dawson, A Goode, O Smith. ', 'France', 'Robinson answers critics England captain Jason Robinson has rubbished suggestions that the world champions are a team in decline. England were beaten 11-9 by Wales in their Six Nations opener in Cardiff last week and face current champions France at Twickenham on Sunday. Robinson said: "We are certainly not on the decline. You lose one game and it doesn\'t make you a bad team. "I have no doubt in the players we\'ve got. We have still got the team to go out and beat anyone on our day." England find themselves striving to avoid a third successive championship defeat for the first time since 1987. But full-back Robinson believes the new-look England team can stop the rot against France. "Last weekend we should have won the game," he said. "But if we can under-perform and lose by only two points then I am sure if we play well this week we will get the win we need. "We proved that in the autumn - when we put in some excellent performances - and we just need to build on that. "It was a disappointing start against Wales and we might be down on that. "But we are certainly not out. We will come out fighting this week." Robinson also had words of comfort for 18-year-old Newcastle centre Mathew Tait, who made his international debut against Wales but has been demoted from the squad to face France. "I have had a word with Mathew," said Robinson. "I still believe in him. He is an outstanding player but we have gone for Olly (Barkley) because of the kicking. "Mathew has just got to take it on the chin, keep working hard like he is doing and I\'m sure he will feature in some of the games." ', 'France', 'Sella wants Michalak recall Former France centre Philippe Sella believes coach Bernard Laporte must recall Frederic Michalak to give his side any chance of beating Ireland. Sella admitted he had been impressed by current fly-half Yann Delaigue in the RBS Six Nations to date. But he told BBC Sport: "Michalak is the answer both now and for the future. Delaigue deserved his chance but the time has come to bring back Michalak. "He does have weaknesses but has the all-round game to upset Ireland." The 22-year-old Michalak has spent much of the tournament on the bench after Delaigue impressed for Castres early in the season. With Michalak overlooked, the French stuttered to narrow wins over Scotland and then England before ironically playing their best rugby in the defeat to Wales. "The Wales game was amazing to watch but never did I think the French could lose that game at half-time," said Sella. "Their only mistakes were that they didn\'t score enough points in the first half and were a little bit less focused in the second... but only a little bit." Sella, however, insisted the pressure had eased on the under-fire Laporte, despite the defeat at the Stade de France. "This season is very important for shaping a team for the 2007 World Cup," said Sella, "which Laporte is doing very well. The French get better every game. "It\'s difficult, though, when you change a team and you change your tactics as everything has to gel. "But he has the players and the talent to take them all the way to World Cup victory. "As a result, it is important that people give him time. It may not seem good now that we\'re not winning the Grand Slam but no one will care in two years time if we\'re world champions." The majority of media criticism centred on the way in which France produced a performance devoid of running rugby in their opening two games. But while Sella admitted he liked the more flowing style employed against Wales, he said "the win was most important". "Winning is all that matters," he added. "Ok, the flair may not have been so good, but the discipline, organisation and defence was there, which are all important ahead of 2007." France play what Sella believes is their hardest game of the Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday 12 March. The French go into the game as clear underdogs. But Sella added: "People forget that France can still win the Six Nations and they\'ll be focused on that. "But Ireland will be going for even more in front of their home crowd. It\'s going to be tough." ', 'Italy', 'Parker misses England clash Tom Shanklin will start in the centre for Wales against England in Cardiff on Saturday after Sonny Parker failed to recover from a trapped neck nerve. Shanklin was first-choice wing in the autumn Tests, but prefers centre and will face England debutant Mathew Tait. Dragons three-quarter Hal Luscombe takes Shanklin\'s wing berth. Up front, Mefin Davies plays at hooker, open-side Martyn Williams is fit to start and lock Rob Sidoli replaces veteran Gareth Llewellyn. Davies wins the vote ahead of Robin McBryde, who sits on the bench having recently returned to action for the Scarlets following a neck injury. Sidoli is back for the first time since last season\'s Six Nations, the Blues second row back to form after a niggling groin problem. Williams, Sidoli\'s team-mate at Cardiff, is set to win his 50th cap, replacing the injured Colin Charvis after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a neck disc problem. "Initially when I had the diagnosis it was a case of trying to get fit for the Italy game next week, but fortunately my recovery has been a lot quicker than we all hoped," Williams told BBC Sport Wales. "I haven\'t started a game since 1 January and would have preferred to have a couple of games in the lead-up to this, but the good thing with the injury is that I have kept up my fitness levels. "I feel quite fresh and I just can\'t wait to play again." Williams says he expects a torrid time from an England loose-forward trio of Lewis Moody, Joe Worsley and Andy Hazell. "They are three top-class players, especially Worsley and Moody. They have been there and done it," Williams added. "They were back-ups behind Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio, but now they have come forward and proved what good players they are - there are no weaknesses there." Luscombe gets the nod on the wing ahead of Dragons team-mate Kevin Morgan, who wins a place on the bench alongside uncapped Blues prop John Yapp. G Thomas (Toulouse (capt); H Luscombe (Dragons), T Shanklin (Blues), G Henson (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne), D Peel (Scarlets); G Jenkins (Blues), M Davies (Gloucester), A Jones (Ospreys), B Cockbain (Ospreys), R Sidoli (Blues), D Jones (Scarlets), M Williams (Blues), M Owen (Dragons). R McBryde (Scarlets), J Yapp (Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), G Cooper (Dragons), C Sweeney (Dragons), K Morgan (Dragons). ', 'France', 'Stevens named in England line-up England have named Bath prop Matt Stevens in the starting line-up for their Six Nations match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road on Sunday. Fellow Bath prop Duncan Bell will start on the bench, as coach Andy Robinson makes just one change to the team that was beaten by France. It will be Stevens\' first start after two caps as a replacement against the All Blacks last year. Leicester duo Ollie Smith and Andy Goode have been drafted onto the bench. Stevens takes over from Phil Vickery, who suffered a broken arm playing for Gloucester last weekend. "I\'m confident Matt will grasp this opportunity and make his mark against Ireland," said Robinson. "All three players have shown outstanding form of late, most recently in the England A win against France A and for their club," added Robinson. "Selection beckons when players demonstrate such consistent ability. "This game against Ireland will be massive. We recognise it\'s a must-win game for us this season." England confirmed that Sale Sharks prop Andrew Sheridan was not considered for selection because of an injury he picked up to the back of his ankle during last Friday\'s match against Leeds. J Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), M Stevens (Bath), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester). A Titterrell (Sale Sharks), D Bell (Bath), S Borthwick (Bath), A Hazell (Gloucester), M Dawson (Wasps), A Goode (Leicester), O Smith (Leicester). ', 'France', 'Corry backs skipper Robinson England forward Martin Corry says Jason Robinson is the right man to lead the national team back to winning ways. After losses to Wales and France, critics have started to wonder whether Robinson can captain from full-back. But Corry has backed Robinson, who was given the role after the injury to fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, ahead of this weekend\'s trip to Ireland. "Jason is doing a tremendous job. Every week my respect for him goes up," Corry told BBC Radio Five Live. "He is an inspirational captain. When he talks with the squad he talks with a lot of sense. "The players have a lot of respect for him. It\'s an honour to be in the England side and an honour to play under him." England are under immense pressure following their poor start to the year and victory is vital if they are to rescue their Six Nations campaign. But Corry insists England are in the right frame of mind for the contest. "There is apprehension going into every game," he added. "But you have to use that fear and put it into a positive mindset. "When the whistle goes on Sunday, what has happened in the past does not count for anything. "We have not performed but if we put in a performance on Sunday then we can start turning results around. "There are a lot of changes taking place with England and we are at the start of something. We have not got off to the greatest of starts but you need to experience the bad the before you can fully appreciate the good." A trip to Lansdowne Road is daunting at any time, especially against an Ireland side that are flying high after two impressive wins. They are the form team of the tournament and are tipped to claim their first Grand Slam since 1948. But Corry is relishing the prospect of taking on the Irish in their own backyard. "They are full of confidence and are playing a great team game," he said. "The forwards are creating a great platform and they have explosive runners out wide. "If you look at the team on paper, they have stars from one to 15. It\'s a huge task but it is a great opportunity for us. "Lansdowne Road is a tremendous venue to play in and we have to use it to our advantage." ', 'France', 'Moody joins up with England Lewis Moody has flown to Dublin to join England\'s camp ahead of their RBS Six Nations game against Ireland on Sunday. Despite joining the squad, the Leicester flanker only has a "slim" chance of playing because of an infection in his finger. A decision will be taken on Saturday as to whether the 26-year-old will be declared fit. If he fails to recover in time for the game, his place at the back of the pack will be taken by Andy Hazell. Chris Jones will then start the game on the bench. "The chances of him playing are very slim," said coach Andy Robinson. "The infection is deeper than was thought." Moody had to be put on a drip in an attempt to force antibiotics through his infected finger. He suffered the cut playing against France at Twickenham and it became infected during a 10-minute outing as a replacement for Leicester against Newcastle last Saturday. "The mud got into it," Robinson added. "He has had a big course of antibiotics but they haven\'t done the job we hoped they would." Robinson has already been forced to make one change to the starting line-up with Bath prop Matt Stevens coming in for the injured Phil Vickery. The 22-year-old has only made 10 starts for his club but has made 49 appearances from the bench. "It can be frustrating but I\'ve had a lot more game time this season and I\'m ready for it," Stevens said. "I\'ve been on tour with these boys and I\'ve been in the England set-up for two years so I know the calls and the way they play." Stevens will be winning his third cap on Sunday after coming on twice as a replacement on the tour to New Zealand last year. Robinson has confirmed that fly-half Charlie Hodgson will be the first-choice kicker despite his three missed penalties and a drop goal against France. "Charlie\'s state of mind is very good," said Robinson. "Obviously, we are all disappointed we lost the French game and the circumstances in which we did. "But he responded well last week in his goalkicking for Sale and he will be our first-choice kicker this week." Robinson also admits his side must improve their line-out work against Irish duo Malcolm O\'Kelly and Paul O\'Connell, one of the most effective partnerships in the game. "In each game we\'ve missed a number of line-outs," he added. "It cost us the game against Wales but it has improved. "It was better against France and will have to go up another notch against Ireland. It will be a huge battle. "Look at the way they tore us apart last year. If it doesn\'t function, we will be in for a torrid time." ', 'France', 'Charvis set to lose fitness bid Flanker Colin Charvis is unlikely to play any part in Wales\' final two games of the Six Nations. Charvis has missed all three of Wales\' victories with an ankle injury and his recovery has been slower than expected. "He will not figure in the Scotland game and is now thought unlikely to be ready for the final game," said Wales physio Mark Davies. Sonny Parker is continuing to struggle with a neck injury, but Hal Luscombe should be fit for the Murrayfield trip. Centre Parker has only a "slim chance" of being involved against the Scots on 13 March, so Luscombe\'s return to fitness after missing the France match with hamstring trouble is a timely boost. Said Wales assistant coach Scott Johnson: "We\'re positive about Hal and hope he\'ll be raring to go. "He comes back into the mix again, adds to the depth and gives us other options. " Replacement hooker Robin McBryde remains a doubt after picking up knee ligament damage in Paris last Saturday. "We\'re getting that reviewed and we should know more by the end of the week how Robin\'s looking," added Johnson. "We\'re hopeful but it\'s too early to say at this stage." Steve Jones from the Dragons is likely to be drafted in if McBryde fails to recover. ', 'Italy', 'Robinson out of Six Nations England captain Jason Robinson will miss the rest of the Six Nations because of injury. Robinson, stand-in captain in the absence of Jonny Wilkinson, had been due to lead England in their final two games against Italy and Scotland. But the Sale full-back pulled out of the squad on Wednesday because of a torn ligament in his right thumb. The 30-year-old will undergo an operation on Friday but England have yet to name a replacement skipper. Robinson said: "This is very disappointing for me as this means I miss England\'s last two games in the Six Nations at Twickenham and two games for my club, Sale Sharks. "But I\'m looking to be back playing very early in April." Robinson picked up the injury in the 19-13 defeat to Ireland at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. And coach Andy Robinson said: "I am hugely disappointed for Jason. "As England captain he has been an immense figure during the autumn internationals and the Six Nations, leading by example at all times. I look forward to having him back in the England squad." The announcement is the latest setback for Robinson\'s injury-depleted squad. Among the key figures already missing are Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall, Will Greenwood, Julian White and Phil Vickery - a list which leaves Robinson short on candidates for the now vacant captaincy role. Former England skipper Jeremy Guscott told BBC Radio Five Live his choice would be Matt Dawson, even though he is does not hold a regular starting place. "The obvious choice is Dawson" said Guscott. "Especially given that Harry Ellis did not have his best game at scrum-half on Saturday. "Dawson has the credentials and the experience, even though his winning record at captain is not great. "The other option in Martin Corry, who is the standout forward at the moment. "Unfortunately England cannot rely on leaders on the field at the moment." England will announce their squad for the 12 March game against Italy on Saturday. ', 'Italy', 'Wilkinson return \'unlikely\' Jonny Wilkinson looks set to miss the whole of the 2005 RBS Six Nations. England\'s World Cup-winning fly-half said last week he was hoping to recover from his latest injury in time to play some role in the championship. But Rob Andrew, coach of Wilkinson\'s club side Newcastle, said that with only two games left to play Wilkinson was unlikely to be fit in time. "It would be irresponsible to put him straight into a Test match," Andrew told the Times. Wilkinson is recovering from a knee injury which followed long-term neck and arm injuries. He has not played for England since the World Cup final in November 2003, since when the stuttering world champions have lost nine of their 14 matches. Wilkinson is aiming to make his third start to the season in the Zurich Premiership match against Harlequins on 13 March. That game is the day after England play Italy in the Six Nations and six days before their final match of the championship against Scotland. "We are hoping Jonny will be ready in a fortnight, but it is touch and go," said Andrew. "His recovery is going very well and the key now is how he is reintroduced to playing and with it goal-kicking. "He will probably have to come off the bench to start and it would be ridiculous and irresponsible to put him straight back into a Test match. "We can\'t afford to get it wrong with a knee injury. We are in touch with England and they are relaxed about it." Despite not playing for England, Wilkinson is still hoping to make the Lions tour to New Zealand this summer. Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward has not set a deadline for when Wilkinson has to start playing again in order to be considered for selection. ', 'Italy', 'Dal Maso in to replace Bergamasco David dal Maso has been handed the task of replacing the injured Mauro Bergamasco at flanker in Italy\'s team to face Scotland on Saturday. Alessandro Troncon continues at scrum-half despite the return to fitness of Paul Griffen. The experienced Cristian Stoica is recalled at centre at the expense of Walter Pozzebon. "We are going to Scotland for the first away win and nothing else," said manager Marco Bollesan. "I really believe this is the team who will have all our faith for Saturday\'s game. "We lost a player like Mauro Bergamasco who has been important for us, but (coach) John (Kirwan) has put together the best team at present, if not ever. R de Marigny (Parma); Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), C Stoica (Montpellier), A Masi (Viadana), L Nitoglia (Calvisano); L Orquera (Padova), A Troncon (Treviso); A Lo Cicero (L\'Aquilla), F Ongaro (Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Calvisano), S Dellape (Agen), M Bortolami (Narbonne, capt), A Persico (Agen), D dal Maso (Treviso), S Parisse (Treviso). G Intoppa (Calvisano), S Perugini (Calvisano), CA Del Fava (Parma), S Orlando (Treviso), P Griffen (Calvisano), R Pedrazzi (Viadana), K Robertson (Viadana). ', 'Australia', "Teenager Tait picked for England Newcastle's teenage centre Mathew Tait has been named as a centre in England's team to face Wales in the Six Nations opener in Cardiff on Saturday. The 18-year-old will play alongside Falcons' team-mate Jamie Noon in England's midfield. Scrum-half Matt Dawson is also recalled, despite been left out of the initial squad after a row over clashing TV and training commitments. Bath lock Danny Grewcock will also start, pending a possible citing. England coach Andy Robinson has also awarded Gloucester flanker Andy Hazell his first Six Nations start. In another change to the side that lost to Australia in November, Leicester lock Ben Kay replaces Bath second row Steve Borthwick. Robinson was already without Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall, Stuart Abbott, Richard Hill and Will Greenwood, while Mike Catt had been left out of England's squad. J Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tait (Newcastle), J Noon (Newcastle), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), M Dawson (Wasps); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), A Hazell (Gloucester), J Worsley (Wasps). Replacements: A Titterrell (Sale Sharks), P Vickery (Gloucester), S Borthwick (Bath), J Forrester (Gloucester), H Ellis (Leicester), O Barkley (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton). ", 'France', 'Wood - Ireland can win Grand Slam Former captain Keith Wood believes Ireland can win only their second Grand Slam - and first since 1948 - in this year\'s RBS Six Nations Championship. After claiming their first Triple Crown for 19 years last season, Wood tips his former team-mates to go one better. "Things have been building up over the past few years and I think this is the year for Ireland," he told BBC Sport. "There is a great chance to win a Grand Slam. A lot of things are in our favour with England and France at home." Ireland have finished runners-up three times, including last year, since the old Five Nations became Six in 2000, and not finished outside the top three in the past five years. Despite being without flanker Keith Gleeson, coach Eddie O\'Sullivan has not had to contend with the sort of casualty lists that have hit England and Scotland in particular prior to the tournament. "For Ireland to win it we need to stay relatively injury free, and fortunately we are one of the few teams that have done that so far," Wood added. "It is going to be tough and we need to take all the luck and opportunities that come our way." Ireland\'s last game of the tournament is against Wales in Cardiff - a fixture they have not lost since 1983. But despite their traditional hospitality when the Irish are visiting, Wood believes Wales might end their four-match losing run against England in Cardiff. "So many of the major England players have either retired in the last year or are injured that I think it will be very hard for them down in Cardiff," Wood added. "Wales have had four brilliant games in the last year or so and lost all four, so the time is right for them now to beat one of the major teams." ', 'Australia', 'Scots suffer another injury blow Scotland\'s back row crisis has worsened ahead of the RBS Six Nations with news that Scott Gray will miss out on the opening matches. The Borders flanker has a knee injury and joins Donnie Macfadyen and Allister Hogg on the sidelines. Star number eight Simon Taylor will miss at least the first two games after damaging an ankle during his comeback. Scott MacLeod (ankle ligaments) and Jon Petrie (cartilage) are also doubtful for the opener in Paris on 5 February. Gray, 26, who won his first cap against Australia at Murrayfield last year, was hurt in club action at the weekend. Scotland doctor James Robson said: "A scan has shown damage to the medial ligaments of Scott\'s right knee ruling him out of the first part of the Championship. "We will seek further specialist advice in due course to determine just how long Scott may be out for." Another potential option, Glasgow flanker Andrew Wilson, has been ruled out for a month after damaging ligaments in both knees against Northampton recently. Flanker Jason White and prop Tom Smith have also been suffering from flu and missed this week\'s training sessions. "We have got plenty of good, young players coming through and we have got to look at the opportunities it represents for them, rather than the negatives," Williams added. Williams could now turn to Edinburgh pair Alasdair Strokosch and Simon Cross. Leeds Tykes flanker Jon Dunbar also trained with the squad but is still awaiting verification of his eligibility to qualify for Scotland. ', 'France', "O'Sullivan keeps his powder dry When you are gunning for glory and ultimate success keeping the gunpowder dry is essential. Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan appears to have done that quite successfully in the run-up to this season's Six Nations Championship. He decreed after the 2003 World Cup that players should have a decent conditioning period during the year. That became a reality at the end of last summer with a 10-week period at the start of the this season. It may have annoyed his Scottish, and in particularly Welsh, cousins who huffed and puffed at the disrespect apparently shown to the Celtic League. We will say nothing of Mike Ruddock ''poaching'' eight of the Dragons side that faced Leinster on Sunday. But, like O'Sullivan, he was well within his rights, particularly when you are talking about the national side and pride that goes along with it. The IRFU has thrown their weight behind O'Sullivan, who must be glad that in the main, there is centrally-controlled contracts. Bar Keith Gleeson who is just returning from a broken leg, everyone of O'Sullivan's squad is fit, fresh and standing at the oche ready to launch this season's campaign. But I doubt whether O'Sullivan is going to gloat about the handling of his players. He is not that sort of person. However, he may look at the overworked and injury-hit England, Wales and France squads whose players have been overworked, and then pat himself on the back for his foresight. But there is still the question of turning up and transferring that freshness into positive results when the referee signals the start of the game. Already Ireland are being earmarked as hot favourites in many quarters to go the whole hog this season. A first Grand Slam since Karl Mullen's led the team to a clean sweep in 1948. With England and France visiting Lansdowne Road for the last time before the old darling is pulled down, everything looks perfectly placed. But in the days of yore that frightened the life out of any Irishman. Under the burden of great expectations, Ireland have crumpled. Take the Triple Crown-winning side of 1985 under Mick Doyle. They were expected to up the ante further for a Grand Slam, only the second in Ireland's history. What happened in 1986? Whitewashed. You see, Ireland, in any sport, love to be downsized. Then they can go out and prove a point to the contrary. It is the nature of the beast. But O'Sullivan's side are very capable of proving a salient point this season. After their first Triple Crown for 19 years, they can live up to their success and take a further step up the ladder. O'Sullivan has kept faith and displayed loyalty to his players, and they have repaid him in spades ... and there is more to come. He has some old dogs in his squad, but he will come to this season's championship with a different box of tricks, and a new verve to succeed. Ireland can indeed succeed, but just whisper it. ", 'France', 'Wales get Williams fitness boost Wales are hopeful that openside flanker Martyn Williams could be fit for Saturday\'s RBS 6 Nations championship opener against England in Cardiff. Williams was expected to miss the match with a disc problem in his neck, but has been making a speedy recovery. "He will have tests in the next 48 hours and we are pretty optimistic he is getting there," Wales\' team physiotherapist Mark Davies said. "It has been frustrating but he is on the mend, he has made good progress." Last week Williams, along with fellow flanker Colin Charvis - who is unlikely to play for at least a month while he recovers from a foot injury - was all but ruled out of the Millennium Stadium clash. With Williams initially thought to be struggling, the signs pointed towards Wales coach Mike Ruddock handing a first cap to former Wales Under-21 skipper Richie Pugh. Cardiff Blues flanker Williams, 29, offers considerable experience and if he is declared fit then Ruddock might be tempted to include him in the back row. Charvis will be reviewed by the Wales medical staff next Monday, but Davies admitted that there was only an "outside chance" of him being fit to face France in Wales\' third championship game on 26 February. Wales\' other injury concern is Pugh\'s fellow Neath-Swansea Ospreys player Sonny Parker, as the centre has a trapped nerve in his neck. "Sonny\'s injury is still an issue," Davies said. "It is still painful and irritable. We will run the rule of thumb over him in the next couple of days." Ruddock will name his starting line-up for the England game at 1830 GMT on Tuesday evening, as Wales target their first victory in Cardiff over the world champions since 1993. ', 'US', 'Hodges announces rugby retirement Scarlets and USA Eagles forward Dave Hodges has ended his playing career to pursue a coaching role in the States. The 36-year-old, who has 54 caps, was Llanelli\'s player of the season in 2001/2, but has battled injury for the last two of his seven years at Stradey. He tore a pectoral muscle against the Ospreys on Boxing Day, an injury that would have kept him out for the season. "Realising I would be unable to play this season, the club and I agreed to end my contract early," said Hodges. "It allows me to move back to the US and pursue opportunities there and allows the Scarlets to look to the next generation." The Scarlets have begun to rebuild their squad for next season after a disappointing Heineken Cup campaign, with plenty more signings and departures expected in the coming weeks. Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher confirmed that 17 of the current squad would be out of contract in the summer. "We have a deliberate policy whereby around half the squad are coming out of contract and they know they won\'t all be re-signed, it\'s a chance to invigorate the squad," he said. "I\'m positive about the future of the Scarlets both on and off the field." Gallacher was keen to pay tribute to the role back-five forward Hodges has played at Stradey Park, though. "David has been a highly influential member of our squad for seven years," said Gallacher. "He is a real professional and we thank him for the part he has played in our success. "I am sure he has an enormous contribution to make to the development of rugby in the US and we wish him and his family well." Hodges described his years at Stradey as "the best time of my life." ', 'France', "A year to remember for Irish There used to be one subliminal moment during a year in Irish rugby that stood out more than most. Well, at least there used to one. Now there is a handful to look back with a mixture of satisfaction, and sorrow. It has been quite a year for the Irish, and not just with Eddie O'Sullivan's Triple Crown winning international outfit either. Right down through the ranks Irish rugby is creating waves and upsetting the more established teams in the game. But most of the kudos will go to O'Sullivan and his merry band of warriors who not only collected their first Triple Crown for 29 years, but also finished their autumn campaign with a 100% record. For the second year in succession they also finished in the runners-up spot in the RBS Six Nations. But in the three games in November which included a victory over Tri-Nations champions and Grand Slam chasing South Africa, Ireland finsihed the year on a high. The 18-12 victory at Lansdowne Road was only their second victory over the Boks after the initial success back in 1965. That success was revenge for the consecutive defeats in Blomefontein and Cape Town in the summer. Those two reverses and the 35-17 flop against France, were the only dark patches in an otherwise excellent 12 months. But the big one, of course, was the 19-13 defeat of World Cup champions England on their precious Twickenham turf. The winning try was conceived in O'Sullivan's mind, perfectly executed by the team and finished immaculately by Girvan Dempsey. For me, the try of the Championship. O'Sullivan's career is now in vertical take-off mode. It is no wonder that Sir Clive Woodward has elevated the Galway-based coach to head the Lions Test side. Not only that, but a fair majority of the present Ireland side will be wearing red next June in New Zealand. There can be no doubt that Ireland's representation will be the biggest ever, albeit in a proposed 44-man squad. In Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell, Ireland have now the two front-runners for the captaincy. Gordon D'Arcy, whose career began as a teenager back in 1999, finally arrived when he was named the Six Nations Player of the Tournament. But it was not only the senior squad that brought kudos to Ireland, the youngsters strutted their stuff on the big stage as well. The under-21 squad confounded the doubters as they went all the way to the World Cup final in Scotland only to be beaten by a powerful All Black side in the decider. The young Irish boys had stated their intentions earlier in the season when they finished runners-up to England in the Six Nations under-21 tournament. On the provincial front, Leinster, for second year in succession, blew it when the Heineken Cup looked a good wager. While Ulster finished runners-up in their very tight group for the second season in succession, it was Munster again flying the flag for the Irish. Looking to reach their third final, they went down 37-32 to eventual winners Wasps in what many beileve was the most competitive and thunderous game ever witnessed at Lansdowne Road. How Wasps recovered from that energy-sapping duel, and then go onto to defeat Toulouse in the final was anybody's guess. Ulster, meanwhile, just lost out to adding the inaugural Celtic Cup in winning the Celtic League when they were pipped at the post by the Scarlets in the final game. Ulster, however, took time to start the new season under new coach Mark McCall. The once famous Ravenhill fortress was breached four times as Ulster only manged five wins from their first 12 outings in the Celtic League. Leinster are again looking the most potent outfit going into 2005, but whether they can take that final step under Declan Kidney is another thing. On the down side, Irish rugby was hit by a number of tragedies. Teenage star John McCall died while playing for the Ireland against New Zealand in the under-19 World Cup game in Durban. That happened only 10 days after he led Royal Armagh to their first Ulster Schools' Cup success since 1977. The death of former Ireland coach and Lions flanker Mike Doyle in a car crash in Northern Ireland shocked the rugby fraternity A larger than life character, Doyle had coached Ireland to the Triple Crown in 1985, the last time that goal had been achieved before this season. Ulster rugby also suffered the sudden deaths of well-known Londonderry YM player Jim Huey, Coleraine's Jonathan Hutchinson, and Belfast Harlequins lock Johnny Poole. They all passed away long before the full-time whistle. ", 'Australia', 'Johnson announces June retirement Former England captain Martin Johnson has announced he is to retire from rugby union at the end of the season. Johnson, who captained England to World Cup glory in 2003, will play his final match in June. Johnson won 84 England caps and quit Test rugby at the start of 2004, just two months after leading Sir Clive Woodward\'s team to victory in Sydney. The 34-year-old Leicester lock\'s final match will be his testimonial at Twickenham on 4 June. "I\'m confident I have made the right decision to retire," said Johnson. "I\'m sure there will be times next season when I\'ll wish I was out there playing for the Tigers, but you know when the time is right to go and I feel this is the right time. "I feel physically that I could play for another season, but playing week in and week out in the Premiership is a full-time occupation and I only want to be out there for the right reasons." Johnson will always be revered by England fans for captaining England to their dramatic World Cup win against Australia in Sydney, but his list of achievements does not stop at that. He is the only man to captain the Lions twice and he also led England to a Six Nations Grand Slam. Johnson also had huge success as captain of Leicester, guiding the Tigers to back to back Heineken Cup victories and several Premiership titles. Apart from his marvellous captaincy Johnson was also one of the finest second rows to ever play the game. Teak tough and physically intimidating, he ruled the rucks and mauls for the best part of a decade and was integral in England\'s rise to the top of the world game. His final appearance will be in his testimonial at Twickenham, where he will lead a team against a side captained by New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu. The All Black is aiming to return to action after a kidney transplant and Johnson expects it to be a memorable occasion. "This game against Jonah will be a great way to end the season and end my career," said Johnson. Lomu, rugby union\'s first global superstar after his exploits in the 1995 World Cup, said he was proud to be part of Johnson\'s farewell. "We hold him in such high esteem," said Lomu. "He is such a great leader and I am just honoured to be on the same pitch." ', 'France', 'South Africa sweep top awards South Africa\'s Schalk Burger was named player of the year as the Tri-Nations champions swept the top honours at the International Rugby Board\'s awards. The flanker topped a list which included Ireland star Gordon D\'Arcy and Australian sensation Matt Giteau. Jake White claimed the coaching award while his side held off Grand Slam winners France to take the team award. England player Simon Amor beat team-mate Ben Gollings and Argentine Lucio Lopez Fleming to win the sevens award. Burger\'s award came just a week after he won the equivalent prize from his fellow international players and White, who also coached Burger at under-21 level, paid tribute to him. "Schalk\'s emergence as a major force has meant a lot to South African rugby, but has also influenced world rugby," said White. "He\'s become to South African rugby what Jonty Rhodes was to South African cricket. It\'s amazing what he has achieved in such a short time so far in his international career." Amor, who will captain England in this season\'s opening IRB Sevens tournament, the Dubai Sevens, which start on Thursday, was delighted with his award. "There are so many great sevens players on the circuit at the moment that this is a genuine honour," said the Gloucester fly-half. ', 'Australia', "Dallaglio his own man to the end Controversy and Lawrence Dallaglio have never been very far away from each other throughout a glittering international career. Even the end of his nine-year career came out of the blue, just four days before the start of the season. But then Dallaglio has always been his own man. Ever since emerging onto the international scene Dallaglio has polarised opinions. To supporters of England, Dallaglio could do no wrong. An integral part of a sustained period of success for England, Dallaglio's crowning glory was his part in the side that won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Rival fans, meanwhile, have tended to take an alternative view, seeing Dallaglio as the epitome of the less agreeable characteristics of English rugby. Never afraid to speak his mind, be it to the referee or the opposition on the pitch, or his coach or the media off it, Dallaglio has sometimes rubbed people up the wrong way. Dallaglio arrived as part of the unheralded England side which became the shock winners of the first Rugby Sevens World Cup in 1993. It took him another two years to graduate to the full England XV, but once there he proved to the manor born. Displaying maturity and physical power beyond his years, Dallaglio rapidly established himself as an automatic choice able to play any one of the three back-row positions at international standard. Within two years of his debut, Dallaglio was offered the England captain's band, and his career continued to go from strength to strength as he made the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa. Although overlooked for the captaincy in favour of England team-mate Martin Johnson, he played a massive role in the 2-1 series victory. But after building up a seemingly unstoppable momentum, Dallaglio's career hit the buffers at speed in 1999. First came the last-minute defeat to Wales in which Dallaglio's decision not to kick for goal in the dying minutes was blamed for costing England a Grand Slam. Worse was to follow though as an infamous newspaper sting cost him his treasured England captaincy. With sensational allegations of drug use - of which he was subsequently cleared - splashed across the front pages, a devastated Dallaglio stepped down as England skipper. But he bounced back, getting his head down at club level before returning to the England fold, albeit now as a lieutenant to new captain Johnson. As a member of a new-look England side on the long road to World Cup glory - a journey not without mishaps as a succession of Grand Slams opportunities were spurned - Dallaglio emerged as a key performer once again. Yet another setback arrived in 2001 as a serious knee injury cut short Dallaglio's involvement on the Lions tour to Australia. Rumours began to circulate that his career was over but, in typical Dallaglio style, he embarked on a punishing schedule of rehabilitation to return an even more fearsome physical specimen. One effect of the injury was to rob Dallaglio of much of his pace, but ever the pragmatist, he reinvented himself as a close quarters number eight of the highest calibre. The only player to play every minute of England's World Cup triumph in Australia, Dallaglio could hardly have done more to secure England's historic win, and for that he will always be held in the highest esteem by England supporters. Following Johnson's retirement, Dallaglio's career came full circle as Woodward restored him as England captain. While England did not hit the heights in Dallaglio's second spell as captain, losing five of their eight post-World Cup Tests, Dallaglio led by example, leaving him as one of the few members of a squad lacking many World Cup stars to live up to expectations. Dallaglio walks away from the international game safe in the knowledge that he will go down as one of England's most accomplished players, if not one of the great captains despite his evident pride in leading his country. The problem now for England is how to replace the almost irreplaceable. The likes of Matt Dawson, Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery and Hill have all been mentioned as contenders for Dallaglio's role as captain. But it is as a player that England will really struggle to replace the 32-year-old. Although players like Joe Worsley and Chris Jones are more than capable of stepping up, the fact that there is no stand-out candidate speaks volumes about Dallaglio's massive influence on English rugby. ", 'Argentina', "Ireland 21-19 Argentina An injury-time dropped goal by Ronan O'Gara stole victory for Ireland from underneath the noses of Argentina at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. O'Gara kicked all of Ireland's points, with two dropped goals and five penalties, to give the home side a 100% record in their autumn internationals. An impressive Argentina appeared in control until the dying seconds. The Pumas shocked the Irish early on with a try from Federico Aramburu, and Felipe Contepomi kicked 14 points. The well-drilled and sharper Pumas out-played and out-thought Ireland in the early stages. Indiscipline allowed Argentina's Leinster fly-half Contepomi to open the scoring in the third minute with a straightforward penalty. He was on the mark again two minutes later when Argentina shocked a ragged Ireland with the first try of the game. Ireland turned the ball over and Manuel Contepomi broke through an unstructured defence before feeding his midfield partner Aramburu to sprint in under the posts. O'Gara finally got Ireland on the board with a dropped goal in the ninth minute only for Contepomi to rifle over his second penalty two minutes later. Playing into a strong wind and rain, Ireland continued to come second best in tight situations, and turnovers began to mount up against a rugged defence. O'Gara managed to land his second penalty in the 36th minute, but once again Contepomi replied in kind four minutes into first-half injury time. The second-half started as the first had ended. O'Gara rifled over another penalty in the 45th minute, but Contepomi matched it three minutes later. The upper-body strength of the Pumas never allowed Ireland to take control up front, while the three-quarters had no space to manoeuvre. Ireland had to rely on O'Gara's boot to keep in touch rather than any contrived running plays. The Munsterman landed two more penalties - one of them from 48 metres - to bring his team to within four points with 13 minutes on the clock remaining. And Ireland's chance came when Argentina's number eight Gonzalo Longo was yellow carded with six minutes to go for an offence in the line-out. O'Gara made no mistake as he rifled over his fifth penalty to set up a tense final few minutes. But Ireland showed great composure to get themselves into a position to allow O'Gara to thump over a massive drop goal to complete a tremendous, if fortuitous, comeback. ", 'France', 'Barbarians 19-47 New Zealand New Zealand proved too strong for an Australian-dominated Barbarians to round off their unbeaten northern hemisphere tour with an easy win. Rico Gear ran in two of the All Blacks\' seven tries in what was a predominantly second-string line-up. The Baa-Baas did threaten, scoring tries through Albert van den Bergh, Xavier Rush and Andrea Lo Cicero, but never looked like winning. All Black Aaron Mauger was in good form with the boot, adding 10 points. The All Blacks featured only two of the side which started last weekend\'s emphatic Test victory over France in Paris, while the Baa-Baas had nine Wallabies in their starting line-up. And New Zealand coach Graham Henry said: "It was a quality performance against a very experienced side and a number of young guys came through very well. "They learnt from the older players and this was a way of thanking the guys who had been mentoring them on the tour." But the running rugby the crowd had been hoping for rarely materialised. Marty Holah got the All Blacks onslaught under way with his fifth-minute try before Rush hit back moments later. But New Zealand went ahead once more as Gear made use of the space vacated by a temporarily injured Chris Latham to slide in. Ma\'a Nonu then found his way through the Barbarians defence to give his side a 19-7 half-time lead. The hosts failed to ignite in the second half and, the moment Gear scored his second just after the interval, there was only ever going to be one winner. Lo Cicero, the sole European for the Barbarians, bundled over for a try to briefly curtail the deficit. But the match was blighted by controversy moments later when Justin Marshall, was felled with a high tackle by Jimmy Cowan. Referee Andy Turner waved play on and Casey Laulala coasted in for his side\'s fifth try. Jermoe Keino and Piri Weepu both added tries to the All Blacks\' tally before the final whistle, while van den Bergh gained some consolation for the Baa-Baas. After the match, Barbarians coach Bob Dwyer warned that South African flanker Schalk Burger needed a proper off-season break to maintain his standards. Burger, 21, was recently crowned player of the year by both his peers and the International Rugby Board, but has struggled for form in recent weeks. "It\'s his first year at that level and he was phenomenal up until the end of the southern hemisphere season. "I don\'t think he\'s played anywhere near that level on tour," he said. ', 'Australia', 'Campbell to be Lions consultant Former government communications chief Alastair Campbell will act as a media consultant to Sir Clive Woodward\'s 2005 Lions on their tour to New Zealand. Campbell, who left Downing Street earlier this year, will advise on media strategy before and during the tour. "I hope I can contribute to the planning and preparation, and to ensuring the media and public get the most out of the tour itself," he said. "I am also looking forward to going out for the later stages of the tour." Woodward\'s decision to call in Prime Minister Tony Blair\'s former spin doctor springs from the deterioration in media relations on the last Lions tour of Australia in 2001, when New Zealander Graham Henry was the head coach. The furore surrounding the newspaper diaries of Matt Dawson and Austin Healey was compounded by other disillusioned players venting their frustration through the media. "The Lions is a massive media event," said Woodward, who will be the head coach. "There will be a huge level of interest from the travelling media, the fans that will go out in their thousands and the New Zealand public. "We need to have the strategy and processes in place to deal with the pressures that will bring. "[Alastair] will act as an advisor both in the build up to and on the tour itself. His role is to work closely with not only myself but (tour manager) Bill Beaumont, (media manager) Louisa Cheetham and (team manager) Louise Ramsay." Campbell is due to resume working for the government in the new year in the build-up to an anticipated May general election. The Lions leave for New Zealand on 24 May, with the first Test match against the All Blacks in Christchurch on 25 June. ', 'Australia', 'Dallaglio eyeing Lions tour place Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio still harbours hopes of a place on the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward has made it clear he will pick his squad to tour next summer based on form shown in the Six Nations championship. But Dallaglio, who called time on England earlier this year, said: "I assure you I wouldn\'t let anyone down. "I know what it takes and what I have to offer," he told the Daily Telegraph. Dallaglio toured South Africa with the Lions in 1997 but was forced home early with a knee injury from the trip to Australia three years ago. The 32-year-old also felt concentrating on club rugby could have prolonged his international shelf-life. He said: "I\'ll be in good shape and fresh without another 10 Tests on the clock. "From what I witnessed at close quarters on Sunday in our Heineken Cup match against Leicester, I certainly didn\'t feel out of place alongside those players, many of whom will be on the trip. "If I\'m fit and playing well, then I\'m most certainly available. "If Clive feels he has no need to look outside the international crop, then fine. If he does, then he won\'t need to look too far, will he?" ', 'France', 'Paris promise raises Welsh hopes Has there been a better Six Nations match than Saturday\'s epic in Paris? And can the Welsh revival continue all the way to a first Grand Slam since 1978? Those are the two questions occupying not just Wales supporters but rugby fans as a whole after a scintillating display in Paris. Welsh legend Mervyn Davies, a member of two of three Grand Slam-winning sides of the 1970s, hailed it as "one of the great performances of the past three decades". Martyn Williams, Wales\' two-try scorer on the day, called it "one of the most surreal games I have ever played in". A crestfallen France coach, Bernard Laporte, simply observed: "There was a French half and there was a Welsh half". And what a half it was for the Red Dragonhood, transforming a 15-6 half-time deficit into an 18-15 lead within five mesmerising minutes of the second period. But while that passage of play showed the swelling self-belief of a side prepared to back its own spirit of adventure, the final quarter told us a whole lot more about this Welsh side. That they recovered from a battering in the first half-hour to first stem the tide before half-time, then reverse it on the resumption, was remarkable enough. But in resisting a seemingly unstoppable wave of French pressure in a nail-biting final five minutes, Wales showed not only their physical attributes but their mental resolve. In international rugby, any of the top seven sides can beat each other on a given day, but the great sides are those that win the close contests on a consistent basis. England suffered some infamous Six Nations disappointments en route to World Cup glory, the pain of defeat forging bonds that ultimately led to victory when it really mattered. Wales have some way to go before they can be remotely considered in a similar light. But the signs are that players previously on the receiving end are learning how to emerge on the right side of the scoreline. Ten of the 22 on duty on Saturday were also involved when Wales were trounced 33-5 in Paris two years ago. But since they threw off the shackles against New Zealand in the 2003 World Cup, Wales have rediscovered much of what made them a great rugby nation in the first place. "The confidence in the squad has been building and building since the World Cup and we now have young players who are becoming world class," noted coach Mike Ruddock. The likes of Michael Owen, Gethin Jenkins, Dwayne Peel and Gavin Henson are certainly building strong cases for inclusion on this summer\'s Lions tour to New Zealand. And players like Stephen Jones, Martyn Williams, Shane Williams and Gareth Thomas are proving it is not only the youngsters that are on an upward curve. Jones, after his superb man-of-the-match display, observed that "we are a very happy camp now". Ruddock and Thomas can take much of the credit for that, ensuring the tribal and regional divisions that have often scarred Welsh rugby do not extend to the national squad. The joie de vivre so evident in that magical second-half spell in Paris also stems from a style of play that first wooed supporters the world over in the 1970s. If England had half the innate attacking exuberance Wales have produced in this championship, they would not be contemplating the debris of three consecutive defeats. Similarly, Wales have learnt that style alone does not win matches, and that forward power, mental toughness and good decision-making under pressure are equally important. So on to Murrayfield, where Wales have not won on their last three visits. While the hype in the Principality will go into overdrive, the players will set about the task of beating Scotland. Only then - with the visit of Ireland to finish - can they start thinking about emulating the hallowed players of the 1970s, and writing their own names into Welsh legend. ', 'France', 'Ireland win eclipses refereeing \'errors\' The International Rugby Board may have to step in to stop frustrated coaches and players from publicly haranguing referees when things go belly-up. It may have to go the whole way and have NFL-style video cameras all over the field, or slap the vociferous perpetrators over the knuckles. What the IRB does not want is a football scenario where the verbal slanging matches often overshadow the game itself. Sunday\'s explosive Six Nations clash at Lansdowne Road was a good example as Ireland took another step towards their first Grand Slam since 1948. The game was as exciting as it comes, with a much-improved England side enraged at a few decisions that did not go their way. One can understand that frustration. There was no doubt that Ireland had the rub of the green in their 19-13 victory, but the reaction from the England camp may not have endeared them to the sport\'s "blazers". Referee Jonathan Kaplan was not perfect by any means and two decisions in particular made him the villain of the piece. I doubt whether Kaplan would have been too pleased at the comments made. After all, he has no public recourse to criticism. It was the same for Simon McDowell, the touch judge who was heavily criticised by Scotland coach Matt Williams after their defeat against France. As far as England were concerned, there were queries over Mark Cueto\'s first half-effort when he went over in the corner from a Charlie Hodgson kick. England coach Andy Robinson referred to a similar case at Ravenhill in January when Ulster were playing Gloucester in the Heineken Cup. On that occasion, David Humphreys kicked to Tommy Bowe, who touched down in the corner only for the try to be wiped out. But you cannot have cameras at every conceivable angle to pick up such anomalies. Perhaps Robinson was right to say the referee should have gone upstairs when Josh Lewsey was driven over the Irish line near the end. Lewsey claims he touched it down and was in full control. However, one has to credit Ireland flanker Johnny O\'Connor for cleverly scooping the ball away and blocking any evidence of a touchdown. But in rugby, everything tends to even out over the 80 minutes. The referee also missed England\'s Danny Grewcock taking out Ronan O\'Gara off the ball to allow Martin Corry a Sunday stroll to the line. Those were the stand-out moments in a classic game between the two old foes. But there were many more, and one should not take away from those. Brian O\'Driscoll\'s winning try was as well-conceived as they come, while Charlie Hodgson\'s brilliant kicking display was another highlight. And Ronan O\'Gara\'s tremendous ability to control the game was also a crucial component. But the defining moments came with Ireland under the cosh in the final 15 minutes. Two outstanding pieces of defensive play denied England and allowed Ireland to hold on. The first was Denis Hickie\'s brilliant double tackle in the right-hand corner. He gobbled up Cueto from another Hodgson cross-field kick, then regained his feet to stop Lewsey from scoring a certain try. Ireland\'s second-row colossus Paul O\'Connell was equally superb. England had turned Ireland one way then the other, and the defence cordon was slowly disintegrating. England prop Matt Stevens ran in at full steam to suck in a few more tacklers. Unfortunately he ran into O\'Connell who hit him hard - very hard - and then wrestled the ball away for a crucial turnover. That spoke volumes about Ireland\'s back-foot display, with defensive coach Mike Ford taking a bow at the end. To win a game like that showed that Ireland have moved forward. It may be tries that win games, but it is defence that wins championships. ', 'Italy', "Scotland 18-10 Italy Six Chris Paterson penalties gave Scotland victory in a dour but clinical encounter against Italy at Murrayfield. Coach Matt Williams' side were outmuscled and outplayed in a tense first half but led 6-3 at the break. Paterson slotted four more second-half penalties and Scotland were denied a try when wing Sean Lamont's touchdown was ruled out for a forward pass. A late Andrea Masi try was small consolation for Italy, chasing their first away win in the Six Nations. Scotland came out on top of the early exchanges and took a quick 3-0 lead through the boot of full-back Paterson. But the more powerful Azzurri pack eventually rumbled into life. A series of drives into Scottish territory set up a penalty attempt, missed by full-back Roland De Marigny, and a wayward drop-goal effort from Luciano Orquera. Scotland defended the initial thrusts but on 20 minutes Italy, after coming up yards short of the line, equalised through a De Marigny penalty. Italy were offered another penalty when Scottish flanker Simon Taylor was offside but the left-footed De Marigny pushed his kick wide. Scotland finally made the most of a rare foray into the Italian half and snatched three points from Paterson when an Italian forward handled the ball in a ruck. As the half wore on, both sides squandered promising spells of momentum with sloppy penalties, and the period fizzled out with Scotland numerically, if not psychologically, on top. Italy's De Marigny narrowly missed a chance to level the scores again shortly after the break but his long-range kick shaved the right upright. And Scotland capitalised with a third Paterson penalty on 50 minutes. Williams' side seemed to have found a spark from somewhere and, after a couple of probing attacks, Paterson was able to slot another three points to widen the gap. With the pendulum of possession swinging towards Scotland, Lamont thought he had wriggled over in the left corner after 65 minutes but play was recalled for a marginal forward pass from Paterson. Another Paterson penalty on 70 minutes kept the pressure on the wilting visitors. But John Kirwan's men had the last laugh when Gordon Ross' attempted clearance was charged down and Masi pounced for the try, converted by De Marigny. : C Paterson; S Webster, A Craig, H Southwell, S Lamont; D Parks, C Cusiter; T Smith, G Bulloch (capt), G Kerr; S Grimes, S Murray; S Taylor, J Petrie, A Hogg. R Russell, B Douglas, N Hines, J Dunbar, M Blair, G Ross, B Hinshelwood. R de Marigny; Mirco Bergamasco, C Stoica, A Masi, L Nitoglia; L Orquera, A Troncon; A Lo Cicero, F Ongaro, M Castrogiovanni; S Dellape, M Bortolami (capt); A Persico, D Dal Maso, S Parisse. G Intoppa, S Perugini, CA del Fava, S Orlando, P Griffen, R Pedrazzi, KP Robertson. ", 'Italy', 'Taylor poised for Scotland return Simon Taylor has been named in the Scotland squad for Saturday\'s Six Nations clash with Italy. The 25-year-old number eight made a scoring return for Edinburgh at the weekend - his first game in a year for the capital side. Taylor suffered knee ligament damage playing against Ireland in Dublin in the 2004 Six Nations championship. "Simon is one of Scotland\'s truly world class players so it is a huge bonus," said team-mate Chris Paterson. "He brings a whole new dimension to us, especially in defence and his ability to slow the opposition ball down could be key against Italy if he is involved." Taylor has turned out for English side Saracens in recent weeks during a short-term loan to improve his fitness. Edinburgh were not in action during the first two weeks of this season\'s Six Nations. So Taylor played the last 20 minutes of Saracens\' win over Northampton and then 40 minutes in a friendly against South African Super 12 side The Cats. Scotland coach Matt Williams is due to name his match-day 22 on Thursday. Both Scotland and Italy have lost their opening two Six Nations games and, just like last season\'s encounter which Italy won, this weekend\'s game could turn out to be a battle to avoid the wooden spoon. - M Blair (Edinburgh), A Craig (Glasgow), C Cusiter (Borders), S Danielli (Borders), M Di Rollo (Edinburgh), A Henderson (Glasgow), B Hinshelwood (Worcester), R Lamont (Glasgow), S Lamont (Glasgow), D Parks (Glasgow), C Paterson (Edinburgh), G Ross (Leeds), H Southwell (Edinburgh), S Webster (Edinburgh) - R Beattie (Northampton), G Bulloch (Glasgow, capt), B Douglas (Borders), J Dunbar (Leeds), I Fullarton (Saracens), S Grimes (Newcastle), N Hines (Edinburgh), A Hogg (Edinburgh), G Kerr (Leeds), N Lloyd (Saracens), S Murray (Edinburgh), J Petrie (Glasgow), R Russell (London Irish), C Smith (Edinburgh), T Smith (Northampton), S Taylor (Edinburgh), J White (Sale). ', 'France', 'Dominici backs lacklustre France Wing Christophe Dominici says France can claim another Six Nations Grand Slam despite two lacklustre wins so far against Scotland and England. The champions only just saw off the Scots in Paris, then needed England to self-destruct in last week\'s 18-17 win. "The English played better than us but lost, whereas we are still in the race for the Grand Slam," said Dominici. "We know our display was not perfect, but we can still win the Grand Slam, along with Ireland and Wales." France , Ireland and Wales all remain unbeaten after two rounds of this year\'s RBS Six Nations, with the two Celtic nations playing by far the more impressive rugby. France take on Wales at the Stade de France on 26 February and Ireland in Dublin on 12 March. But although France have yet to click, Dominici says that they can still win the hard way as long as scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili continues in his goalkicking form. "If we have an efficient kicker on whom we can rely on, a solid defence and a team who play for their lives, we can achieve something," Dominici added. "I said at the start of the competition that the winners would be clearer from the third matches, and that\'s exactly what is going to happen." France coach Bernard Laporte will announce his starting line-up next Tuesday for the match against Wales. Wing Jimmy Marlu is definitely out with the knee injury sustained at Twickenham, which is likely to sideline him for the rest of the tournament. Inspirational flanker Serge Betsen is a doubt with a thigh injury, but number eight Imanol Harinordoquy has shaken off his shoulder injury. In the backs, centre Yannick Jauzion and winger Aurelien Rougerie are all back in contention after injury, while Brive back Julien Laharrague has received his first call-up as a replacement for Pepito Elhorga. ', 'France', "England 17-18 France England suffered an eighth defeat in 11 Tests as scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili booted France to victory at Twickenham. Two converted tries from Olly Barkley and Josh Lewsey helped the world champions to a 17-6 half-time lead. But Charlie Hodgson and Barkley missed six penalties between them, while Yachvili landed six for France to put the visitors in front. England could have won the game with three minutes left, but Hodgson pushed an easy drop goal opportunity wide. It was a dismal defeat for England, coming hard on the heels of an opening Six Nations loss in Wales. They should have put the game well beyond France's reach, but remarkably remained scoreless for the entire second half. A scrappy opening quarter saw both sides betray the lack of confidence engendered by poor opening displays against Wales and Scotland respectively. Hodgson had an early opportunity to settle English nerves but pushed a straightforward penalty attempt wide. But a probing kick from France centre Damien Traille saw Mark Cueto penalised for holding on to the ball in the tackle, Yachvili giving France the lead with a kick from wide out. France twice turned over England ball at the breakdown early on as the home side struggled to generate forward momentum, one Ben Kay charge apart. A spell of tit-for-tat kicking emphasised the caution on both sides, until England refused a possible three points to kick a penalty to the corner, only to botch the subsequent line-out. But England made the breakthrough after 19 minutes, when a faltering move off the back of a scrum led to the opening try. Jamie Noon took a short pass from Barkley and ran a good angle to plough through Yann Delaigue's flimsy tackle before sending his centre partner through to score at the posts. Hodgson converted and added a penalty after one of several French infringements on the floor for a 10-3 lead. The fly-half failed to dispense punishment though with a scuffed attempt after France full-back Pepito Elhorga, scragged by Lewsey, threw the ball into touch. Barkley also missed two longer-range efforts as the first half drew to a close, but by then England had scored a second converted try. After a series of phases lock Danny Grewcock ran hard at the French defence and off-loaded out of Sylvain Marconnet's tackle to Lewsey. The industrious wing cut back in on an angle and handed off hooker Sebastien Bruno to sprint over. After a dire opening to the second half, France threw on three forward replacements in an attempt to rectify the situation, wing Jimmy Marlu having already departed injured. Yachvili nibbled away at the lead with a third penalty after 51 minutes. And when Lewis Moody was twice penalised - for handling in a ruck and then straying offside - the scrum-half's unerring left boot cut the deficit to two points. Barkley then missed his third long-range effort to increase the tension. And after seeing another attempt drop just short, Yachvili put France ahead with his sixth penalty with 11 minutes left. England sent on Ben Cohen and Matt Dawson, and after Barkley's kick saw Christophe Dominici take the ball over his own line, the stage was set for a victory platform. But even after a poor scrummage, Hodgson had the chance to seal victory but pushed his drop-goal attempt wide. England threw everything at the French in the final frantic moments, but the visitors held on for their first win at Twickenham since 1997. J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, P Vickery; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry. A Titterrell, A Sheridan, S Borthwick, A Hazell, M Dawson, H Paul, B Cohen. P Elhorga; C Dominici, B Liebenberg, D Traille, J Marlu; Y Delaigue, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, S Bruno, N Mas; F Pelous (capt), J Thion, S Betsen, J Bonnaire, S Chabal. W Servat, J Milloud, G Lamboley, Y Nyanga, P Mignoni, F Michalak, J-P Grandclaude. Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand) ", 'Italy', "O'Driscoll out of Scotland game Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll has been ruled out of Saturday's RBS Six Nations clash against Scotland. O'Driscoll was originally named in the starting line-up but has failed to recover from the hamstring injury he picked up in the win over Italy. His replacement will be named after training on Friday morning. Fellow centre Gordon D'Arcy is also struggling with a hamstring injury and he will undergo a fitness test on Friday to see if he can play. Kevin Maggs would be an obvious replacement at centre while Shane Horgan could also be moved from wing. Ulster wing Tommy Bowe could also be asked to travel with the squad to Scotland as a precautionary measure. The only other change to the Ireland side sees Wasps flanker Johnny O'Connor replacing Denis Leamy. O'Connor will be winning his third cap after making his debut in the victory over South Africa last November. : Murphy, Horgan, TBC, D'Arcy, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, S Easterby, O'Connor, Foley. : Sheahan, Horan, O'Callaghan, Miller, G Easterby, Humphreys, Dempsey. ", 'Australia', 'Tindall aiming to earn Lions spot Bath and England centre Mike Tindall believes he can make this summer\'s Lions tour, despite missing most of the season through injury. The World Cup winner has been out of action since December, having damaged both his shoulder and his foot. But Tindall, who recently signed for Bath\'s west-country rivals Gloucester, told Rugby Special he would be fit in time for the tour to New Zealand. "I\'m aiming to be fit by 18 April and hope I can play from then," he said. "I\'ve spoken to Sir Clive Woodward and he understands the situation, so I just hope that I can get on the tour." The 26-year-old will face stiff competition for those centre places from Brian O\'Driscoll, Gordon D\'Arcy and Gavin Henson, and is aware that competition is intense. But after missing out on the 2001 tour to Australia with a knee injury, Tindall says he will be happy just to have an opportunity to wear the red shirt. "I\'m quite laid back about it to be honest - it\'s quite hard for me to expect to be pushing for a Test spot," he said. "But after what\'s happened this season at least Clive knows I\'ll be 100% fresh!" - For the full interview with Mike Tindall tune into this Sunday\'s Rugby Special, 2340 on BBC Two ', 'France', "Safin slumps to shock Dubai loss Marat Safin suffered a shock loss to unseeded Nicolas Kiefer in round one of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Playing his first match since winning the Australian Open, Safin showed some good touches but was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 by the in-form Kiefer. The German got on top in the first-set tie-break, striking a sweet forehand to win the first point against serve. And he maintained the momentum early in the second set, breaking the Russian with the help of an inspired volley. Spain's Feliciano Lopez lined up a second round clash with Andre Agassi by beating Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan. Lopez, who lost in three sets to Roger Federer in last year's final, won 6-2 3-6 6-3. Former champion Fabrice Santoro of France was beaten 6-3 6-0 by sixth seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko. There were also wins for two other Russians, Igor Andreev and seventh seed Mikhail Youzhny. ", 'Germany', 'Roddick into San Jose final Andy Roddick will play Cyril Saulnier in the final of the SAP Open in San Jose on Sunday. The American top seed and defending champion overcame Germany\'s Tommy Haas, the third seed, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3. And Saulnier survived an injury scare in his semi-final with seventh-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer. The Frenchman twisted his ankle early in the second set but overcame Melzer, who was left fuming over a series of line calls, 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3. "I was feeling horrible earlier in the week," Roddick said. "I thought tonight was another step in the right direction. "On my returns, I was standing in more and I\'m getting a little more depth, even if I don\'t hit a perfect return." Roddick won the last four points of the first-set tie-break before being broken at the start of the second set. But he broke straight back and then broke Haas again to lead 4-2. "It\'s extremely frustrating when you have chances against a top-five player and don\'t do anything with them," admitted Haas. "I rushed a few backhands and he took advantage." Saulnier will move into the world\'s top 50 for the first time after his passage through to the final. "It\'s taken a lot of work and a lot of fighting in my mind," he revealed. "Sometimes I didn\'t believe I could get to a final and now I am here. I\'ve stayed mentally strong. "I\'m on the way. I\'ll keep fighting and work a lot and I\'ll be up there." ', 'US', 'Young debut cut short by Ginepri Fifteen-year-old Donald Young\'s first appearance in an ATP tennis tournament proved brief as the teenager went out in round one of the San Jose Open. Young shot to the top of the junior world rankings when he won the boys\' singles at January\'s Australian Open. But the wildcard entry was dispatched by fellow American Robby Ginepri in straight sets, 6-2 6-2, in California. Despite that he was happy with his Tour debut. "It was fun. I had my chances, but they didn\'t come through," he said. Young, who beat two players ranked in the top 200 when he was just 14, was only 2-1 down in the first set before losing 10 of the next 13 games. And Ginepri - six years older than the youngest player to ever win a junior slam and top the global standings - admitted he was impressed. "He\'s very talented," said Ginepri. "He\'s got a long future ahead of him. "Being left-handed, he was very quick around the court. "His serve is a little deceptive. He came into the net and volleyed better than I thought." Earlier, South Korean Hyung-Taik Lee defeated American Jan-Michael Gambill 6-3 7-6 (7-4). American Kevin Kim defeated Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 7-5 6-3, Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic downed American Jeff Morrison 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0, and Denmark\'s Kenneth Carlsen beat Irakli Labadze of the Republic of Georgia 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-3. Top seed Andy Roddick launches his defence of the title on Wednesday against qualifier Paul Goldstein. Second seed Andre Agassi opens his campaign on Tuesday against wildcard Bobby Reynolds, last year\'s US collegiate champion. Agassi has won the San Jose five times, but his run of three straight titles ended last year when he fell to Mardy Fish in the semi-finals. Fish went on to lose to Roddick in the final. ', 'Germany', 'Federer forced to dig deep Top seed Roger Federer had to save two match points before squeezing past Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Dubai Open. The world number one took two hours 15 minutes to earn his 4-6 6-3 7-6 victory, saving match points at 6-4 in the tiebreak before claiming it 8-6. Federer made a number of unforced errors early on, allowing Ferrero to take advantage and claim the first set. But the Swiss star hit back to reach the quarter-finals, where he will face seventh seed Russian Mikhail Youzhny. The Russian beat Germany\'s Rainer Schuettler 7-5 6-4. Federer was not unduly worried despite being taken to three sets for the third consecutive match. The world number one was forced to go the distance against Ivan Ljubicic in the Rotterdam final and against Ivo Minar in the first round in Dubai. "I definitely had a slow start again and to come back every time is quite an effort," he said. "I haven\'t been playing well, but I\'ve been coming through. I\'m winning the crucial points and that shows I\'m on top of my game when I have to be." ', 'France', 'Parmar ruled out of Davis Cup tie A knee injury has forced Arvind Parmar out of Great Britain\'s Davis Cup tie in Israel and left Alex Bogdanovic in line to take the second singles place. Parmar picked up the injury last week and has failed to recover in time for the Europe/Africa Zone I tie, which begins in Tel Aviv on Friday. Bogdanovic looks set to take the second singles place alongside Greg Rusedski. GB captain Jeremy Bates could use 17-year-old Andrew Murray and David Sherwood in the doubles rubber. Bogdanovic and Murray both pulled out of tournaments last week through injury but are expected to be fit. Jamie Delgado and Lee Childs have been called into the squad in Tel Aviv as designated hitters for team practice but Bates has no plans to call either of them into his squad at present. The unheralded Sherwood was the surprise inclusion when the squad was announced last week, and Bates said: "David has earned his place in this squad on the merit of his form and results over the last 12 months." The 6ft 4in Sherwood is ranked 264th in the world and the LTA have high hopes for him after Futures tournament wins in Wrexham and Edinburgh. The Sheffield-born right-hander, aged 24, also reached another final in Plaisir, France, a week after making the semi-final in Mulhouse. Bates is glad to have Rusedski available after Tim Henman\'s retirement from Davis Cup tennis. "His wealth of experience is invaluable, particularly to the younger players and I know he will lead by example," Bates said. "We are looking forward to the tie. The squad are all in excellent form." ', 'US', 'Davenport hits out at Wimbledon World number one Lindsay Davenport has criticised Wimbledon over the issue of equal prize money for women. Reacting to a disputed comment by All England Club chairman Tim Phillips, the American said: "I think it is highly insulting if prize money is taken away. "Somebody, I think it was Mr Phillips, said they won\'t have money for flowers at Wimbledon. That\'s insulting." An All England club spokesperson denied Phillips made the remark, insisting: "He definitely didn\'t say it." The statement added: "It was said by someone else and was a humorous aside at the end of a radio interview when the conversation had moved to talking about the Wimbledon grounds." Davenport was speaking following the announcement that this week\'s Dubai Duty Free event will join the US and Australian Opens in offering equal prize money for women. "You hear about women playing only three sets while men play five," said Daveport. "And the best women are never going to beat the best men. "But it\'s a different game you go to watch with the women - it doesn\'t make it better or worse. "Hopefully we will be able to change people\'s minds." Serena Williams, who is also in Dubai, added: "I\'m obviously for equal prize money. "Women\'s tennis is exciting. Men\'s tennis is exciting as well, but the women have it right now. "If you are bringing in the spectators you should be able to reap what everyone else is able to reap." ', 'Germany', 'Henman hopes ended in Dubai Third seed Tim Henman slumped to a straight sets defeat in his rain-interrupted Dubai Open quarter-final against Ivan Ljubicic. The Croatian eighth seed booked his place in the last four with a 7-5 6-4 victory over the British number one. Henman had looked on course to level the match after going 2-0 up in the second set, but his progress was halted as the rain intervened again. Ljubicic hit back after the break to seal a fourth straight win over Henman. Earlier in the day, Spanish fifth seed Tommy Robredo secured his semi-final place when he beat Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 6-4 6-4. Afterwards, Henman was left cursing the weather and the umpire after seven breaks for rain during the match. "It was incredibly frustrating," Henman said. "It\'s raining and the umpire doesn\'t take control. "He kept telling us to play till the end of the game. But if it\'s raining, you come off - the score\'s irrelevant. "It couldn\'t be more frustrating as I was very happy with my form until now. You don\'t expect this in the desert." ', 'US', 'Mirza shocks Kuznetsova Sania Mirza continued her remarkable rise with victory over US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Dubai Championships on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Indian, who is already a huge star in her home country, won 6-4 6-2 in front of a delirious crowd. It was Mirza\'s sixth straight victory following her first WTA tournament win in Hyderabad last month. Earlier, Daniela Hantuchova built on her improving form with a 7-6 6-2 win over sixth seed Alicia Molik. Mirza needed attention to an ankle injury after the second game against Kuznetsova. She quickly slipped 4-0 down but staged a dramatic comeback that thrilled the large Indian contingent in the crowd. "I really didn\'t expect that after my ankle turn," said Mirza. "I played a great match and I think (the crowd) did it again. I knew that I had to play an all-round game and that\'s what happened. "I did everything well but I wasn\'t missing the ball - I don\'t know how that happened." Mirza plays Silvia Farina Elia or Jelena Jankovic next. Hantuchova has risen from 31 in the world at the turn of the year to number 22, having reached the quarter-finals and semi-finals at her last two events. "It was such a tough first-round match and I am glad to come through," said Hantuchova. "She was serving so well. I just decided to hang in there and keep fighting." The Slovakian will meet Elena Likhovtseva in the second round after the Russian struggled past Tunisian wild card Selima Sfar 2-6 6-2 7-6. Likhovtseva needed nine match points before seeing off Sfar, who got a point penalty for swearing in the third set. Seventh seed Nathalie Dechy and Elena Bovina were among other first-round winners on Tuesday. ', 'US', 'Davenport hits out at Wimbledon World number one Lindsay Davenport has criticised Wimbledon over the issue of equal prize money for women. Reacting to a disputed comment by All England Club chairman Tim Phillips, the American said: "I think it is highly insulting if prize money is taken away. "Somebody, I think it was Mr Phillips, said they won\'t have money for flowers at Wimbledon. That\'s insulting." An All England club spokesperson denied Phillips made the remark, insisting: "He definitely didn\'t say it." The statement added: "It was said by someone else and was a humorous aside at the end of a radio interview when the conversation had moved to talking about the Wimbledon grounds." Davenport was speaking following the announcement that this week\'s Dubai Duty Free event will join the US and Australian Opens in offering equal prize money for women. "You hear about women playing only three sets while men play five," said Daveport. "And the best women are never going to beat the best men. "But it\'s a different game you go to watch with the women - it doesn\'t make it better or worse. "Hopefully we will be able to change people\'s minds." Serena Williams, who is also in Dubai, added: "I\'m obviously for equal prize money. "Women\'s tennis is exciting. Men\'s tennis is exciting as well, but the women have it right now. "If you are bringing in the spectators you should be able to reap what everyone else is able to reap." ', 'Australia', "Serena becomes world number two Serena Williams has moved up five places to second in the world rankings after her Australian Open win. Williams won her first Grand Slam title since 2003 with victory over Lindsay Davenport, the world number one. Men's champion Marat Safin remains fourth in the ATP rankings while beaten finalist Lleyton Hewitt replaces Andy Roddick as world number two. Roger Federer retains top spot, but Safin has overtaken Hewitt to become the new leader of the Champions Race. Alicia Molik, who lost a three-set thriller against Davenport in the quarter-finals, is in the women's top 10 for the first time in her career. Her rise means Australia have a player in the top 10 of the men's and women's rankings for the first time in 21 years. And Britain's Elena Baltacha, who qualified and then reached the third round, has risen to 120 in the world - a leap of 65 places and her highest ranking yet. ", 'Germany', 'Hingis to make unexpected return Martina Hingis makes her return to competitve tennis after two years out of the game at the Volvo Women\'s Open in Pattaya, Thailand, on Tuesday. She faces German Marlene Weingartner in the first round. "As a competitor and athlete, I always want to win. I hope my body will hold up," said Hingis. "You miss being out there in a Grand Slam final and not competing. It\'s a big difference between playing and commenting for TV. I miss it a lot." The former world number one was 22 when she retired after having surgery on both ankles, and her last WTA event was in Filderstadt, Germany, in October 2002, when she lost to Elena Dementieva. Only last year she insisted that a comeback was unlikely, but speaking in Thaliand Hingis admitted: "I said that because I didn\'t know what would happen with my body." Her appearance will also benefit charities in the region and the Swiss star will donate her prize money. ', 'India', 'Serena ends Sania Mirza\'s dream Sania Mirza, the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tennis event, has lost to women\'s favourite Serena Williams. The 18-year-old Mirza, who got a wild card entry into the Australian Open in Melbourne, lost to Williams 1-6,4-6 in the third round. Williams took just 56 minutes to defeat Mirza and sail into the fourth round. The only other Indian woman to win a match at a Grand Slam is Nirupama Vaidyanathan. Vaidyanathan made it to the second round of the Australian Open in 1998. Playing the biggest match of her life, Mirza made little impact on Williams in the early stages of the game. But the teenager showed more confidence in the second set and engaged the seventh-seeded Williams in some well contested rallies. Mirza, a junior Wimbledon doubles title winner, became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a grand slam tennis event when she beat Hungarian Petra Mandula on Wednesday. "I\'m really excited. I was confident but I didn\'t think it was going to be that easy," Mirza said after her second round win. "My aim was to win a round here. When I did that I was so relieved, there was no pressure." Tennis is not a particularly popular sport in India, but a number of Indians watched the live telecast of the match between Mirza and Williams. Mirza, who lives in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad known for producing a host of top Indian cricketers, turned professional two years ago. She says she was considered too small when she went for her first tennis classes as a six-year-old girl. "Then finally [the coach] called my parents up and said \'the way she hits the ball, I\'ve never seen a six-year-old hit a ball like that\'," Mirza told the Associated Press. ', 'US', 'Kuznetsova \'failed a drugs test\' US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has tested positive for a banned drug, according to Belgian authorities. Belgian sports minister Claude Eerdekens said that the Russian world number five tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine on 19 December. Kuznetsova was playing in an exhibition event in Charleroi at the time. Eerdekens said: "There is a problem. Ephedrine was discovered. She remains innocent until proved guilty. She can ask for it to be tested again." The situation remains unclear as the tournament was not commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), the International Tennis Federation (ITF) or the Women\'s Tennis Accosiation (WTA). The test was carried out by regional Belgian authorities and Kuznetsova has not yet been able to have a B sample tested. Speaking at the Australian Open on Monday, before Eerdekens identified her, Kuznetsova said: "I\'m not worried. I\'m not using anything to push myself. "I have not been notified of any positive test, and I think it is unfair that it\'s come out the way it did." Eerdekens said that confirmation of the findings was sent last Friday to the player\'s address in Spain, as well as to the Belgian prosecutors\' office and the Belgian and Russian tennis federations. He conceded Kuznetsova might have taken a medicine which contained the banned substance. "We have simply stated a fact," he said. "It is for the federation concerned to impose the disciplinary measures after a procedure that respects the defence. "Either the ephedrine was taken to improve her performance or it is because she took some medicine legitimately to cure an infection." However, Kuznetsova\'s naming was condemned by Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev. "First of all, this Belgian sports minister has broken every ethical rule in the book by naming a player without any proof of wrongdoing, without any basic evidence," Tarpishchev said. "We all know the basic principle in doping cases. If there is a positive sample, then they should notify the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as well as the national federation within three days," he said. "This is not the case here. As of today we have not received any statement from the doping officials, nor did the ITF. "Today I called the ITF headquarters and they told me they know nothing about it. "If WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) was behind the testing, then we would also have known something by now. "Otherwise, all these looks to me as pure fiction and fabrication of the facts." ', 'US', 'Moya fights back for Indian title Carlos Moya became the first man to successfully defend the Chennai Open title by beating four-times finalist Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7/5). The Spaniard then donated his £28,000 prize money to relief efforts for the victims of the Asian tsunami. The final was close throughout, with Thai second seed Srichaphan - the 2003 winner - closing out the first set. But Moya took the second set, before bouncing back from 5-2 down in the decider to force and win a tie-break. Moya confirmed afterwards: "I\'m donating my prize money from this tournament for the tsunami victims, hoping it makes some difference to their lives. His contribution follows pledges by four other players to donate their prize money from the tournament, which went ahead after the 26 December disaster which has so far claimed at least 150,000 lives. Scrichapan said he would donate an unspecified amount for relief work in Thailand, where more than 5,000 people were killed. The ATP has announced that it would contribute the US$25,000 tournament fee to Unicef\'s emergency relief fund in Tamil Nadu. The ATP Tour\'s sponsor, Mercedes, said it would also contribute, increasing the ATP donation to US$40,000. ', 'Argentina', 'Rochus shocks Coria in Auckland Top seed Guillermo Coria went out of the Heineken Open in Auckland on Thursday with a surprise loss to Olivier Rochus of Belgium. Coria lost the semi-final 6-4 6-4 to Rochus, who goes on to face Czech Jan Hernych, a 6-4 7-5 winner over Jose Acasuso of Argentina. Fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez eased past American Robby Ginepri 6-3 6-4. The Chilean will meet sixth seed Juan Ignacio Chela next after the Argentine beat Potito Starace 6-1 7-6 (7-5). Rochus made the semi-finals at the Australian hardcourt championships in Adelaide last week and is naturally delighted with his form. "It\'s been two unbelievable weeks for me," he said. "Today I knew I had nothing to lose. If I beat him great, if I lost, I would be losing to a top-10 player." Coria conceded that Rochus "played just too good," and added: "When you give your best out there you can\'t be too sad." ', 'US', 'Johansson takes Adelaide victory Second seed Joachim Johansson won his second career title with a 7-5 6-3 win over Taylor Dent at the Australian hardcourt championships in Adelaide. The Swede was made to graft, American Dent surviving three break points in the fifth game of the match. But Johansson got the breakthrough with a sublime backhand return winner and won the second set with more ease. His first tournament win was at Memphis in 2004, helping him leap from 113th in the world rankings to number 11. Afterwards, Dent said he rated US Open semi-finalist Johansson as a top contender at the Australian Open, which starts on 17 January. "I believe men\'s tennis is all about holding serve and if he\'s playing like that on his own serve I don\'t see how guys are going to break him," said Dent. Johansson was more restrained in his assessment: "I have to improve my serve if I\'m going to go all the way in Melbourne." ', 'Germany', 'Hingis hints at playing comeback Martina Hingis has admitted that she might consider a competitive return to tennis if an appearance in Thailand later this month goes well. The former world number one will play at the Volvo Women\'s Open in Pattaya, which starts on 31 January, as part of her charity work in the region. "The tournament is a test," she said. "I don\'t know how my body will react. "I support several charities in Thailand. I\'m also playing to see where I am." Speaking to Le Matin, the 24-year-old Swiss added: "At Pattaya there will not be as many people and the players are ranked between the 30th and 95th in the world." Hingis was 22 when she retired after having surgery on both ankles, and her last WTA event was in Filderstadt, Germany, in October 2002, when she lost to Elena Dementieva. ', 'France', "Injury sidelines Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis withdrew from the Sydney International tennis tournament as expected on Sunday after suffering a groin injury during the Hopman Cup. His participation in the Australian Open, which begins on 17 January in Melbourne, also remains in doubt. Defending women's champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is also out of the Sydney event because of a knee injury. In the only main draw men's or women's singles match on Sunday, Nathalie Dechy beat American Lisa Raymond 7-5 6-3. Number one men's seed Lleyton Hewitt begins his quest for a fourth Sydney title on Tuesday when he plays Karol Beck. Lindsay Davenport, top seed in the women's draw, has been handed a first-round bye and plays France's Dechy in the second round on Tuesday. ", 'France', 'Federer breezes into semi-finals Roger Federer reached the last four of the Qatar Open with an easy 6-1 6-2 win over seventh seed Feliciano Lopez. The Swiss world number one reeled off a series winners to outclass the Spaniard and set up a semi-final match against Russian Nikolay Davydenko. Federer, who lost in the quarter-final in his last Qatar appearance in 2003, was happy with his form. "I think I played better than against Greg Rusedski and I am happy I am playing so well," said the top seed. Lopez showed glimpses of resolve early in the second set when he held his first service game and came close to breaking Federer. But the Swiss saved a break point and promptly broke serve in the following game to seize control. Davydenko, meanwhile, upset French third seed Sebastien Grosjean 2-6 6-3 6-2. Fabrice Santoro completed a miserable day for France when he was forced to retire when 6-2 3-0 down to Albert Costa. Spaniard Costa will next face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic after the sixth seed beat Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-7 (3/7) 6-3. ', 'US', 'Davenport puts retirement on hold Lindsay Davenport has put any talk of retirement on hold after having a largely injury-free 2004 campaign. The 28-year-old world number one had said that she would quit at the end of last year, but after a successful season she has had a change of heart. "Finally I felt I put myself in a position to try and win Grand Slams again," said Davenport. "It would be tough to walk away when I feel like I can contend so there\'s no point in hanging it up quite yet." Davenport has won three Grand Slams, the 2000 Australian Open, Wimbledon in 1999 and the 1998 US Open. Her career has been hit by a series of injuries but last year she started hitting top form and won seven titles. She was due to take part in this week\'s Hopman Cup in Perth but decided she wanted to rest her knee. "I just really wanted to make sure my right knee was going to be able to really withstand all the rigours of the whole year coming up," she said. ', 'Australia', 'Navratilova hits out at critics Martina Navratilova has defended her decision to prolong her tennis career at the age of 48. Navratilova, who made a comeback after retiring in 1994, will play doubles and mixed doubles events in 2005. "Women\'s tennis is really strong," she said, dismissing suggestions that the fact she could still win reflected badly on the women\'s game. "All I can say is I\'m that damn good. I\'m sorry but I really have to blow my own horn here. I\'m still that good." Navratilova has won three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles since she came out of retirement. And she was so encouraged by her form that she decided to resume playing singles, winning two of her seven matches. She was knocked out in the first round of the French Open but reached the second round at Wimbledon. Navratilova will partner Nathalie Dechy in the doubles event at the Uncle Toby\'s Hardcourts tournament on Australia\'s Gold Coast, which begins on Sunday. She will then link up with Daniela Hantuchova for the Australian Open doubles, and play in the mixed doubles with Leander Paes. "I might be playing some singles events this season, depending on the surface," she added. ', 'US', 'Bryan twins keep US hopes alive The United States kept the Davis Cup final alive with victory in Saturday\'s doubles rubber, leaving Spain 2-1 ahead going into the final day. Masters Cup champions Mike and Bob Bryan thrashed Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-3 6-2 in front of a partisan crowd in Seville. Victory would have given Spain the title but they were outclassed. In Sunday\'s reverse singles, Carlos Moya takes on Andy Roddick before Rafael Nadal faces Mardy Fish. "It feels good, but it\'s not going to be as good if we don\'t win two tomorrow," said Mike Bryan. "It feels good to give those guys another shot, and Spain has to go to sleep on that." Bob Bryan added: "I\'m really confident in Andy winning that first match, and then anything can happen." Spain coach Jordi Arrese chose to rest 18-year-old Nadal in the doubles after his epic singles win over Roddick on Friday. He was replaced by former world number one Ferrero, but the Spanish pair were out of their depth against one of the world\'s best doubles teams. The 26-year-old Bryan twins have won all four of their Davis Cup matches this year. And they quickly silenced the huge crowd at the Olympic Stadium, racing through the opening set to love. The Spaniards then twice surrendered breaks of serve at the start of the second before the Bryans broke to go 5-3 ahead and served out. When Robredo dropped serve in the opening game of the third set the match was all but over, and the unflappable Bryan brothers powered on to an impressive win. Ferrero, who was upset to be dropped for Friday\'s singles, hinted at further dissatisfaction after the defeat. "It was a difficult game against the best doubles players," he said. "They have everything calculated and we had very little to do. "I was a bit surprised that I was named to play the doubles match because I hardly play doubles." Arrese said: "Juan Carlos hasn\'t played at all badly. He played the right way but the Bryans are great doubles players." ', 'Australia', 'Clijsters hope on Aussie Open Kim Clijsters has denied reports that she has pulled out of January\'s Australian Open because of her persistent wrist injury. Open chief Paul McNamee had said: "Kim\'s wrist obviously isn\'t going to be rehabilitated." But her spokesman insisted she had simply delayed submitting her entry. "The doctors are assessing her injury on a weekly basis and if there is no risk she could play. But if there\'s the least risk she will stay away." Despite being absent from the WTA entry list for the tournament, which begins on 17 January, Clijsters would be certain to get a wild card if she requested one. Clijsters is still ranked 22nd in the world despite only playing a handful of matches last season. The Belgian had an operation on her left wrist early in the season but injured it again on her return to the tour. Meanwhile, Jelena Dokic, who used to compete for Australia, has opted out of the first Grand Slam of the season. Dokic has not played in the Australian Open since 2001 when she lost in the first round. But the 21-year-old would have had to rely on a wild card next season because her ranking has tumbled to 127th. Four-time champion Monica Seles, who has not played since last year\'s French Open, is another absentee because of an injured left foot. ', 'Australia', 'Clijsters could play Aussie Open Kim Clijsters has denied reports that she has pulled out of January\'s Australian Open because of her persistent wrist injury. Open chief Paul McNamee had said: "Kim\'s wrist obviously isn\'t going to be rehabilitated." But her spokesman insisted she had simply delayed submitting her entry. "The doctors are assessing her injury on a weekly basis and if there is no risk she could play. But if there\'s the least risk she will stay away." Despite being absent from the WTA entry list for the tournament, which begins on 17 January, Clijsters would be certain to get a wild card if she requested one. Clijsters is still ranked 22nd in the world despite only playing a handful of matches last season. The Belgian had an operation on her left wrist early in the season but injured it again on her return to the tour. Meanwhile, Jelena Dokic, who used to compete for Australia, has opted out of the first Grand Slam of the season. Dokic has not played in the Australian Open since 2001 when she lost in the first round. But the 21-year-old would have had to rely on a wild card next season because her ranking has tumbled to 127th. Four-time champion Monica Seles, who has not played since last year\'s French Open, is another absentee because of an injured left foot. ', 'US', 'Roddick splits from coach Gilbert Andy Roddick has ended an 18-month association with coach Brad Gilbert which yielded the US Open title and saw the American become world number one. Roddick released a statement through the SFX Sports Group with the news but did not give a reason for the split. "The decision to not re-hire Brad Gilbert for the 2005 season is based on what I think is best for my game at this time," said Roddick. "Any more on this situation\'s a private matter between coach and player." Roddick won 121 of his 147 matches while working with Gilbert, and said he had enjoyed their time together. He won his first Grand Slam event at Flushing Meadows last year, and finished 2003 on top of the ATP Tour rankings. But Roddick slipped to second this year behind Roger Federer, who became the first man since 1988 to win three Majors in a season. Federer, who has not had a coach since he split from Peter Lundgren at the end of last year, beat Roddick to win the Wimbledon title and in two other tournament finals. Roddick hired Gilbert after deciding to part from coach Tarik Benhabiles in the wake of his first-round exit at the 2003 French Open. He went on to win the US Open and four other titles for the year. He has won four events this season. "I have enjoyed all of my time with Andy," Gilbert said on his personal website. "He has been a great student of the game during the time that we worked together and I am very proud of the results that were achieved. "While I believe that there is still a great deal of work to be done, Andy clearly does not feel that way." ', 'US', 'Roddick in talks over new coach Andy Roddick is reportedly close to confirming US Davis Cup assistant Dean Goldfine as his new coach. Roddick ended his 18-month partnership with Brad Gilbert on Monday, and Goldfine admits talks have taken place. "We had a really good conversation and we\'re on the same page in terms of what I expect from a player in commitment and what he wants," said Goldfine. "The reading I got from him is that I would have a lot of the qualities he\'s looking for in a coach." Speaking to told South Florida\'s Sun-Sentinel newspaper, Goldfine added: "That being said, from his standpoint, which is smart, he wants to cover all his bases. "I think Andy wants a long-term relationship and wants to make sure it\'s the right fit... the best fit." Goldfine, 39, has worked with Todd Martin and Roddick\'s close friend Mardy Fish, and was an assistant coach with the US Olympic team. Martin is the other name to have been linked to the vacant post alongside Roddick. ', 'US', 'Sydney return for Henin-Hardenne Olympic champion Justine Henin-Hardenne will return to action in January\'s Sydney International tournament. The Belgian has not competed since losing her top world ranking at the US Open in September, where she was beaten in the fourth round by Nadia Petrova. She took time out to shake off a virus but will defend her titles in Sydney and at the Australian Open. Women\'s world number one Lindsay Davenport and French Open champion Anastasia Myskina will also compete. In the men\'s event, world number three Lleyton Hewitt returns to defend his title, along with runner-up Carlos Moya. Moya, Spain\'s Davis Cup final hero in their recent win over the US, had to retire with an ankle injury in the first set of the final. Tournament director Craig Watson said: "I had a message relayed to me from him after Spain\'s Davis Cup victory, saying he was looking forward to trying to make up for his disappointment in the (2004) final. The tournament will take place from 9-15 January. ', 'Australia', 'Koubek suspended after drugs test Stefan Koubek says he has been banned for three months by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after testing positive for a banned substance. The world number 60 failed a routine drugs test at this year\'s French Open but now plans to lodge an appeal. Koubek believes an injection given to him by an Austrian doctor to treat a wrist injury is to blame for producing traces of the substance in his system. "I have acted correctly," the 27-year-old Austrian said in a statement. Koubek, who defeated Britain\'s Greg Rusedski in the decisive rubber of the Davis Cup in September, is now set to miss the start of the season. He said, "A three-month ban would mean that I not only will miss the Australian Open, but also the Davis Cup in Australia." ', 'Australia', 'Officials respond in court row Australian tennis\' top official has defended the Australian Open courts at Melbourne Park after criticism of the playing surface by Lleyton Hewitt. Hewitt said he had had a "gutful" of trying to persuade them to make the surface faster but Tennis Australia\'s Geoff Pollard rejected his comments. "We did ask for it to be made faster than last year and, to my knowledge, it is faster," he said. "We spent a substantial amount of money on modifications to make it faster." Hewitt, who has not got past the fourth round at Melbourne in seven attempts, had earlier said the surface was not worthy of such a prestigious tournament. But he said he would play on whatever surface he had to in order to have a chance of winning. The tournament starts on 17 January, and Pollard said the surface had been speeded up since last year\'s tournament following complaints by several Australian players. But he refused to accept that the Melbourne surface may have had a bearing on Hewitt\'s performances over the years. "Lleyton\'s proving how versatile he is on all surfaces," he said. "It is faster than last year and that\'ll be faster than the one Lleyton beat Roger Federer on in the Davis Cup in 2003." ', 'US', 'Safin cool on Wimbledon Newly-crowned Australian Open champion Marat Safin has ruled out any chance of winning Wimbledon in the future. After losing in round one last year, Safin said he had "given up" on Wimbledon and winning his second Grand Slam title has not changed his mind. "I\'ll play, but with no expectations. I feel like I can\'t waste my time, my energy on that surface," he said. "Some people, they cannot play on clay. Some people, they cannot play on a hard court. Me, I can\'t play on grass." However, Safin is hopeful that winning the Australian Open will give him the belief he needs to win more Grand Slam titles. "It\'s a relief for me. Two grand slams, it\'s already something. But with this one I worked really hard for it," he said. "Basically, I would love to win a couple more. I think I have a chance if I continue this way. "If (coach) Peter Lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer, I think I can make it." The 25-year-old shocked Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final to win his first major title but then lost in two Australian Open finals. Safin admitted he had begun to doubt whether he would win another Grand Slam. "I didn\'t expect that (to win the 2000 US Open) - it was against Sampras, I wasn\'t the favourite so I had no pressure whatsoever," he said. "After the first final that I didn\'t win against Thomas Johansson (in 2002), I couldn\'t see myself winning the Grand Slams anymore. "I was once in the semi-finals of the French Open, but I didn\'t believe I can win it. "I just couldn\'t handle the pressure. You need to believe in yourself, and I didn\'t." And after losing the first set 6-1 to Lleyton Hewitt in Sunday\'s final, Safin said he began to doubt himself again. "I am 25. I\'m playing against Hewitt. At least you have to have the opportunity to win it, at least have a chance," he said. "It\'s like you go there and you lose first set 6-1, then you start to think: \'This is not my day. The way I\'m playing is ridiculous.\' "But then you start to really be a little bit more selfish and try to find a way out of there. "And I found it. I was like really much I was much happier than in 2000, that\'s for sure, because I get over it." ', 'US', 'Safin plays down Wimbledon hopes Newly-crowned Australian Open champion Marat Safin has ruled out any chance of winning Wimbledon in the future. After losing in round one last year, Safin said he had "given up" on Wimbledon and winning his second Grand Slam title has not changed his mind. "I\'ll play, but with no expectations. I feel like I can\'t waste my time, my energy on that surface," he said. "Some people, they cannot play on clay. Some people, they cannot play on a hard court. Me, I can\'t play on grass." However, Safin is hopeful that winning the Australian Open will give him the belief he needs to win more Grand Slam titles. "It\'s a relief for me. Two grand slams, it\'s already something. But with this one I worked really hard for it," he said. "Basically, I would love to win a couple more. I think I have a chance if I continue this way. "If (coach) Peter Lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer, I think I can make it." The 25-year-old shocked Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final to win his first major title but then lost in two Australian Open finals. Safin admitted he had begun to doubt whether he would win another Grand Slam. "I didn\'t expect that (to win the 2000 US Open) - it was against Sampras, I wasn\'t the favourite so I had no pressure whatsoever," he said. "After the first final that I didn\'t win against Thomas Johansson (in 2002), I couldn\'t see myself winning the Grand Slams anymore. "I was once in the semi-finals of the French Open, but I didn\'t believe I can win it. "I just couldn\'t handle the pressure. You need to believe in yourself, and I didn\'t." And after losing the first set 6-1 to Lleyton Hewitt in Sunday\'s final, Safin said he began to doubt himself again. "I am 25. I\'m playing against Hewitt. At least you have to have the opportunity to win it, at least have a chance," he said. "It\'s like you go there and you lose first set 6-1, then you start to think: \'This is not my day. The way I\'m playing is ridiculous.\' "But then you start to really be a little bit more selfish and try to find a way out of there. "And I found it. I was like really much I was much happier than in 2000, that\'s for sure, because I get over it." ', 'US', "Federer joins all-time greats The last year has seen one player dominate men's tennis, and one country dominate the women's game. Roger Federer became the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three Grand Slams in one season. And after Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam at the French Open, two more followed at Wimbledon and the US Open. Meanwhile, Briton Tim Henman enjoyed his best year, while Greg Rusedski fought back superbly from adversity. Federer began the year as world number one and holder of the Wimbledon and Masters Cup titles, and set about conquering new ground. The Swiss sounded warning of the dominance to come at the Australian Open. He ripped through the draw before beating Marat Safin in the final. Andy Roddick was the only player to put up any real resistance at Wimbledon, and Federer's performance against Lleyton Hewitt in the US Open final was breathtaking. Federer again got the better of Hewitt in the season-ending Masters Cup. His victory in Houston proved to be his 13th successive win in a final, an Open era record. The only major let-down was a third-round loss to Gustavo Kuerten at the French Open, and Roland Garros will be his main target in 2005. There was also a surprise loss to the unheralded Tomas Berdych at the Olympic Games, which saw Chile dominate as Nicoals Massu took the singles and then paired up with Fernando Gonzaelz to win doubles gold. Another major trophy that looks beyond Federer is the Davis Cup, which was won by Spain in a 3-2 home success over the USA in Seville. Roddick struggled on the clay, losing to Rafael Nadal on the opening day before going down to Carlos Moya in the all-important fourth rubber. Henman broke new ground by reaching the semis on clay at the French Open - a stunning effort - and also at the US Open. A quarter-final defeat to Mario Ancic at Wimbledon was disappointing for the limp manner of the Briton's defeat, but he remains optimistic of going further next year. British number two Rusedski endured a rollercoaster year, returning to the circuit after being cleared of a doping offence in March. With his ranking down at 168, many feared the 31-year-old's career was over, but he battled back in the second half of the season to re-enter the top 50. The Russian women finally delivered on their long-recognised promise in 2004, with Myskina, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova winning Grand Slams, before taking the season-ending Fed Cup. But while the young Russians were on the way up, it was a different story for the Belgians and the Williams sisters. Only veteran Lindsay Davenport held the new wave at bay, a stunning run of form after Wimbledon taking her to number one ahead of Amelie Mauresmo, whose Grand Slam drought goes on. The year started in regulation fashion as Justine Henin-Hardenne beat compatriot Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open. A virus ruined the rest of Henin-Hardenne's year, although she was fit enough to win Olympic gold, but Clijsters had an even more miserable 2004. She suffered a serious wrist injury and then announced the end of her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt, and will be happy to see the year end. In their absence, Myskina thrashed Elena Dementieva in a historic, but woeful, all-Russian final at the French Open. Wimbledon was a more refreshing affair as Sharapova captivated SW19, showing nerves of steel as she battled past Davenport and Serena Williams to take the title. Davenport was a strong favourite for the US Open but, hampered by injury, lost to the powerful and unflappable Kuznetsova in the semis. Kuznetsova went on to give Dementieva another Grand Slam final thrashing, with the latter's wayward serve becoming one of the talking points of the year. With the Russians still improving, the likes of Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters, Davenport, Mauresmo, Venus and Serena will need to be fully fit and motivated in 2005. And it may take their compatriot Safin to challenge Federer on the men's side. ", 'Germany', 'Philippoussis doubt over Open bid Mark Philippoussis is almost certain to miss the Australian Open after suffering a groin injury during the Hopman Cup loss to the Netherlands. The 28-year-old suffered two tears to the adductor muscle and was unable to play in the deciding mixed doubles. He is now unlikely to be fit in time for the Australian Open which begins on 17 January in Melbourne. "He has to strengthen it enough to cope with repetitive days of tennis," said Hopman Cup doctor Hamish Osborne. "It would be very unlikely in my opinion for him to do a five-setter once, let alone two days in a row, inside two weeks. "The injury is more common in Australian Rules football, and a fit footballer would normally take three to four weeks to recover fully although Mark\'s injury is slightly different." The Australian has suffered a host of injury problems throughout his career but is still holding out slim hope that he can make the event. "It\'s something I\'ll have to go by feel. I\'ll start treatment as soon as possible and try to strengthen it without tearing it any more," he said. "What doesn\'t kill you makes you stronger. I know I can come back from this and that\'s all that matters. - Former world number two Tommy Haas is also a doubt for the Australian Open after picking up a thigh injury playing for Germany in the Hopman Cup. The 26-year-old had treatment on his left thigh while leading Argentine Guillermo Coria 7-5 2-2. He played one more game, but his movement was hampered and he quit. ', 'Germany', 'Roddick to face Saulnier in final Andy Roddick will play Cyril Saulnier in the final of the SAP Open in San Jose on Sunday. The American top seed and defending champion overcame Germany\'s Tommy Haas, the third seed, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3. "I was feeling horrible earlier in the week," Roddick said. "I thought tonight was a step in the right direction." Saulnier battled to a 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3 win over seventh seed Jurgen Melzer, who twisted his ankle early in the second set. Roddick won the last four points of the first-set tie-break before being broken at the start of the second set. But he broke straight back and then broke Haas again to lead 4-2. "It\'s extremely frustrating when you have chances against a top-five player and don\'t do anything with them," admitted Haas. "I rushed a few backhands and he took advantage." Saulnier will move into the world\'s top 50 for the first time after his passage through to the final. "It\'s taken a lot of work and a lot of fighting in my mind," he revealed. "Sometimes I didn\'t believe I could get to a final and now I am here. I\'ve stayed mentally strong. "I\'m on the way. I\'ll keep fighting and work a lot and I\'ll be up there." ']
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['China', 'China net cafe culture crackdown Chinese authorities closed 12,575 net cafes in the closing months of 2004, the country\'s government said. According to the official news agency most of the net cafes were closed down because they were operating illegally. Chinese net cafes operate under a set of strict guidelines and many of those most recently closed broke rules that limit how close they can be to schools. The move is the latest in a series of steps the Chinese government has taken to crack down on what it considers to be immoral net use. The official Xinhua News Agency said the crackdown was carried out to create a "safer environment for young people in China". Rules introduced in 2002 demand that net cafes be at least 200 metres away from middle and elementary schools. The hours that children can use net cafes are also tightly regulated. China has long been worried that net cafes are an unhealthy influence on young people. The 12,575 cafes were shut in the three months from October to December. China also tries to dictate the types of computer games people can play to limit the amount of violence people are exposed to. Net cafes are hugely popular in China because the relatively high cost of computer hardware means that few people have PCs in their homes. This is not the first time that the Chinese government has moved against net cafes that are not operating within its strict guidelines. All the 100,000 or so net cafes in the country are required to use software that controls what websites users can see. Logs of sites people visit are also kept. Laws on net cafe opening hours and who can use them were introduced in 2002 following a fire at one cafe that killed 25 people. During the crackdown following the blaze authorities moved to clean up net cafes and demanded that all of them get permits to operate. In August 2004 Chinese authorities shut down 700 websites and arrested 224 people in a crackdown on net porn. At the same time it introduced new controls to block overseas sex sites. The Reporters Without Borders group said in a report that Chinese government technologies for e-mail interception and net censorship are among the most highly developed in the world. ', 'UK', 'Technology gets the creative bug The hi-tech and the arts worlds have for some time danced around each other and offered creative and technical help when required. Often this help has come in the form of corporate art sponsorship or infrastructure provision. But that dance is growing more intimate as hi-tech firms look to the creative industries for inspiration. And vice versa. UK telco BT is serious about the idea and has launched its Connected World initiative. The idea, says BT, is to shape a "21st Century model" which will help cement the art, technology, and business worlds together. "We are hoping to understand the creative industry that has a natural thirst for broadband technology," said Frank Stone, head of the BT\'s business sector programmes. He looks after several "centres of excellence" which the telco has set up with other institutions and organisations, one of which is focused on creative industries. To mark the initiative\'s launch, a major international art installation is to open on 15 April in Brussels, with a further exhibit in Madrid later in the summer. They have both been created using the telco\'s technology that it has been incubating at its research and development arm, including a sophisticated graphics rendering program. Using a 3D graphics engine, the type commonly used in gaming, Bafta-winning artists Langlands & Bell have created a virtual, story-based, 3D model of Brussels\' Coudenberg Cellars. They have recently been excavated and are thought to be the remnants of Coudenberg Palace, an historical seat of European power. The 3D world can be navigated using a joystick and offers an immersive experience of a landscape that historically had a river running through it until it was bricked up in the 19th Century. "The river was integral to the city\'s survival for hundreds of years and it was equally essential to the city that it disappeared," said the artists. "We hope that by uncovering the river, we can greater understand the connections between the past and the present, and appreciate the flow of modernity, once concealing, but now revealing the River Senne." In their previous works they used the Quake game graphics engine. The game engine is the core component of a video game because it handles graphics rendering, game AI, and how objects behave and relate to each other in a game. They are so time-consuming and expensive to create, the engines can be licensed out to handle other graphics-intensive games. BT\'s own engine, Tara (Total Abstract Rendering Architecture) has been in development since 2001 and has been used to recreate virtual interactive models of buildings for planners. It was also used in 2003 in Encounter, an urban-based, pervasive game that combined both virtual play in conjunction with physical, on-the-street action. Because the artists wanted video and interactive elements in their worlds, new features were added to Tara in order to handle the complex data sets. But collaboration between art and digital technology is by no means new, and many keen coders, designers, games makers and animators argue that what they create is art itself. As more tools for self-expression are given to the person on the street, enabling people to take photos with a phone and upload them to the web for instance, creativity will become an integral part of technology. The Orange Expressionist exhibition last year, for example, displayed thousands of picture messages from people all over the UK to create an interactive installation. Technology as a way of unleashing creativity has massive potential, not least because it gives people something to do with their technology. Big businesses know it is good for them to get in on the creative vein too. The art world is "fantastically rich", said Mr Stone, with creative people and ideas which means traditional companies like BT want to get in with them. Between 1997 and 2002, the creative industry brought £21 billion to London alone. It is an industry that is growing by 6% a year too. The partnership between artists and technologists is part of trying to understand the creative potential of technologies like broadband net, according to Mr Stone. "This is not just about putting art galleries and museums online," he said. "It is about how can everyone have the best seat in house and asking if technology has a role in solving that problem." With broadband penetration reaching 100% in the UK, businesses with a stake in the technology want to give people reasons to want and use it. The creative drive is not purely altruistic obviously. It is about both industries borrowing strategies and creative ideas together which can result in better business practices for creative industries, or more patent ideas for tech companies. "What we are trying to do is have outside-in thinking. "We are creating a future cultural drive for the economy," said Mr Stone. ', 'Italy', 'Virus poses as Christmas e-mail Security firms are warning about a Windows virus disguising itself as an electronic Christmas card. The Zafi.D virus translates the Christmas greeting on its subject line into the language of the person receiving infected e-mail. Anti-virus firms speculate that this multilingual ability is helping the malicious program spread widely online. Anti-virus firm Sophos said that 10% of the e-mail currently on the net was infected with the Zafi virus. Like many other Windows viruses, Zafi-D plunders Microsoft Outlook for e-mail addresses and then uses mail-sending software to despatch itself across the web to new victims. To be infected users must open up the attachment travelling with the message which bears the code for the malicious bug. The attachment on the e-mail poses as an electronic Christmas card but anyone opening it will simply get a crude image of two smiley faces. The virus\' subject line says "Merry Christmas" and translates this into one of 15 languages depending of the final suffix of the e-mail address the infected message has been sent to. The message in the body of the e-mail reads: "Happy Holidays" and this too is translated. On infected machines the virus tries to disable anti-virus and firewall software and opens up a backdoor on the PC to hand over control to the writer of the virus. The virus is thought to have spread most widely in South America, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Hungary. The original Zafi virus appeared in April this year. "We have seen these hoaxes for several Christmases already, and personally I prefer traditional pen and paper cards, and we recommend this to all our clients too," said Mikko Hypponen, who heads F-Secure\'s anti-virus team. ', 'US', 'Apple laptop is \'greatest gadget\' The Apple Powerbook 100 has been chosen as the greatest gadget of all time, by US magazine Mobile PC. The 1991 laptop was chosen because it was one of the first "lightweight" portable computers and helped define the layout of all future notebook PCs. The magazine has compiled an all-time top 100 list of gadgets, which includes the Sony Walkman at number three and the 1956 Zenith remote control at two. Gadgets needed moving parts and/or electronics to warrant inclusion. The magazine specified that gadgets also needed to be a "self-contained apparatus that can be used on its own, not a subset of another device". "In general we included only items that were potentially mobile," said the magazine. "In the end, we tried to get to the heart of what really makes a gadget a gadget," it concluded. The oldest "gadget" in the top 100 is the abacus, which the magazine dates at 190 A.D., and put in 60th place. Other pre-electronic gadgets in the top 100 include the sextant from 1731 (59th position), the marine chronometer from 1761 (42nd position) and the Kodak Brownie camera from 1900 (28th position). The Tivo personal video recorder is the newest device to make the top 10, which also includes the first flash mp3 player (Diamound Multimedia), as well as the first "successful" digital camera (Casio QV-10) and mobile phone (Motorola Startac). The most popular gadget of the moment, the Apple iPod, is at number 12 in the list while the first Sony transistor radio is at number 13. Sony\'s third entry in the top 20 is the CDP-101 CD player from 1983. "Who can forget the crystalline, hiss-free blast of Madonna\'s Like A Virgin emenating from their first CD player?" asked the magazine. Karl Elsener\'s knife, the Swiss Army Knife from 1891, is at number 20 in the list. Gadgets which could be said to feature surprisngly low down in the list include the original telephone (23rd), the Nintendo GameBoy (25th), and the Pulsar quartz digital watch (36th). The list also contains plenty of oddities: the Pez sweet dispenser (98th), 1980s toy Tamagotchi (86th) and the bizarre Ronco inside the shell egg scrambler (84th). Why worry about mobile phones. Soon they will be subsumed into the PDA\'s / laptops etc. What about the Marine Chronometer? Completely revolutionised navigation for boats and was in use for centuries. For it\'s time, a technological marvel! Sony Net Minidisc! It paved the way for more mp3 player to explode onto the market. I always used my NetMD, and could not go anywhere without it. A laptop computer is not a gadget! It\'s a working tool! The Sinclair Executive was the world\'s first pocket calculator. I think this should be there as well. How about the clockwork radio? Or GPS? Or a pocket calculator? All these things are useful to real people, not just PC magazine editors. Are the people who created this list insane ? Surely the most important gadget of the modern age is the mobile phone? It has revolutionalised communication, which is more than can be said for a niche market laptop. From outside the modern age, the marine chronometer is the single most important gadget, without which modern transportation systems would not have evolved so quickly. Has everyone forgot about the Breville pie maker?? An interesting list. Of the electronic gadgets, thousands of journalists in the early 1980s blessed the original noteboook pc - the Tandy 100. The size of A4 paper and light, three weeks on a set of batteries, an excellent keyboard, a modem. A pity Tandy did not make it DOS compatible. What\'s an Apple Powerbook 100 ? It\'s out of date - not much of a "gadget". Surely it has to be something simple / timeless - the tin opener, Swiss Army Knife, safety razor blade, wristwatch or the thing for taking stones out of horses hooves ? It has to be the mobile phone. No other single device has had such an effect on our way of living in such a short space of time. The ball point pen has got to be one of the most used and common gadgets ever. Also many might be grateful for the pocket calculator which was a great improvement over the slide rule. The Casio pocket calculator that played a simple game and made tinny noises was also a hot gadget in 1980. A true gadget, it could be carried around and shown off. All top 10 are electronic toys, so the list is probably a better reflection of the current high-tech obsession than anyhting else. I say this as the Swiss Army Knife only made No 20. Sinclair QL a machine far ahead of its time. The first home machine with a true multi-takings OS. Shame the marketing was so bad!!! Apple.. a triumph of fashion over... well everything else. Utter rubbish. Yes, the Apple laptop and Sony Walkman are classic gadgets. But to call the sextant and the marine chronometer \'gadgets\' and rank them as less important than a TV remote control reveals a quite shocking lack of historical perspective. The former literally helped change the world by vastly improving navigation at see. The latter is the seed around which the couch potato culture has developed. No competition. I\'d also put Apple\'s Newton and the first Palm Pilot there as the front runners for portable computing, and possibly the Toshiba Libretto for the same reason. I only wish that Vulcan Inc\'s Flipstart wasn\'t just vapourware otherwise it would be at the top. How did a laptop ever manage to beat off the challenge of the wristwatch or the telephone (mobile or otherwise)? What about radios and TVs? The swiss army knife. By far the most useful gadget. I got mine 12 years ago. Still wearing and using it a lot! It stood the test of time. Psion Organiser series 3, should be up there. Had a usable qwerty keyboard, removable storage, good set of apps and programmable. Case design was good (batteries in the hinge - a first, I think). Great product innovation. The first mobile PC was voted best gadget by readers of...err... mobile PC?! Why do you keep putting these obviously biased lists on your site? It\'s obviously the mobile phone or remote control, and readers of a less partisan publication would tell you that. The Motorola Startac should be Number One. Why? There will be mobile phones long after notebook computers and other gadgets are either gone or integrated in communications devices. The Psion series 3c! The first most practical way to carry all your info around... I too would back the Sinclair Spectrum - without this little beauty I would never have moved into the world of IT and earn the living that I do now. I\'d have put the mobile phone high up the list. Probably a Nokia model. Sinclair Spectrum - 16k. It plugged into the tv. Games were rubbish but it gave me a taste for programming and that\'s what I do for a living now. I wish more modern notebooks -- even Apple\'s newest offerings -- were more like the PB100. Particularly disheartening is the demise of the trackball, which has given way to the largely useless "trackpad" which every notebook on the market today uses. They\'re invariably inaccurate, uncomfortable, and cumbersome to use. Congratulations to Apple, a deserved win! ', 'US', 'Google\'s toolbar sparks concern Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning some net users because it directs people to pre-selected commercial websites. The AutoLink feature comes with Google\'s latest toolbar and provides links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book\'s ISBN number on the site. It also links to Google\'s map service, if there is an address, or to car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate. Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful links". But some users are concerned that Google\'s dominant position in the search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive edge to firms like Amazon. AutoLink works by creating a link to a website based on information contained in a webpage - even if there is no link specified and whether or not the publisher of the page has given permission. If a user clicks the AutoLink feature in the Google toolbar then a webpage with a book\'s unique ISBN number would link directly to Amazon\'s website. It could mean online libraries that list ISBN book numbers find they are directing users to Amazon.com whether they like it or not. Websites which have paid for advertising on their pages may also be directing people to rival services. Dan Gillmor, founder of Grassroots Media, which supports citizen-based media, said the tool was a "bad idea, and an unfortunate move by a company that is looking to continue its hypergrowth". In a statement Google said the feature was still only in beta, ie trial, stage and that the company welcomed feedback from users. It said: "The user can choose never to click on the AutoLink button, and web pages she views will never be modified. "In addition, the user can choose to disable the AutoLink feature entirely at any time." The new tool has been compared to the Smart Tags feature from Microsoft by some users. It was widely criticised by net users and later dropped by Microsoft after concerns over trademark use were raised. Smart Tags allowed Microsoft to link any word on a web page to another site chosen by the company. Google said none of the companies which received AutoLinks had paid for the service. Some users said AutoLink would only be fair if websites had to sign up to allow the feature to work on their pages or if they received revenue for any "click through" to a commercial site. Cory Doctorow, European outreach coordinator for digital civil liberties group Electronic Fronter Foundation, said that Google should not be penalised for its market dominance. "Of course Google should be allowed to direct people to whatever proxies it chooses. "But as an end user I would want to know - \'Can I choose to use this service?, \'How much is Google being paid?\', \'Can I substitute my own companies for the ones chosen by Google?\'." Mr Doctorow said the only objection would be if users were forced into using AutoLink or "tricked into using the service". ', 'UK', 'UK pioneers digital film network The world\'s first digital cinema network will be established in the UK over the next 18 months. The UK Film Council has awarded a contract worth £11.5m to Arts Alliance Digital Cinema (AADC), who will set up the network of up to 250 screens. AADC will oversee the selection of cinemas across the UK which will use the digital equipment. High definition projectors and computer servers will be installed to show mainly British and specialist films. Most cinemas currently have mechanical projectors but the new network will see up to 250 screens in up to 150 cinemas fitted with digital projectors capable of displaying high definition images. The new network will double the world\'s total of digital screens. Cinemas will be given the film on a portable hard drive and they will then copy the content to a computer server. Each film is about 100 gigabytes and has been compressed from an original one terabyte-size file. Fiona Deans, associate director of AADC, said the compression was visually lossless so no picture degradation will occur. The film will all be encrypted to prevent piracy and each cinema will have an individual key which will unlock the movie. "People will see the picture quality is a bit clearer with no scratches. "The picture will look exactly the same as when the print was first made - there is no degradation in quality over time." The key benefit of the digital network will be an increase in the distribution and screening of British films, documentaries and foreign language films. "Access to specialised film is currently restricted across the UK," said Pete Buckingham, head of Distribution and Exhibition at the UK Film Council. "Although a genuine variety of films is available in central London and a few other metropolitan areas, the choice for many outside these areas remains limited, and the Digital Screen Network will improve access for audiences across the UK," Digital prints costs less than a traditional 35mm print - giving distributors more flexibility in how they screen films, said Ms Deans. "It can cost up to £1,500 to make a copy of a print for specialist films. "In the digital world you can make prints for considerably less than that. "Distributors can then send out prints to more cinemas and prints can stay in cinemas for much longer." The UK digital network will be the first to employ 2k projectors - which are capable of showing films at resolutions of 2048 * 1080 pixels. A separate competitive process to determine which cinemas will receive the digital screening technology will conclude in May. The sheer cost of traditional prints means that some cinemas need to show them twice a day in order to recoup costs. "Some films need word of mouth and time to build momentum - they don\'t need to be shown twice a day," explained Ms Deans. "A cinema will often book a 35mm print in for two weeks - even if the film is a roaring success they cannot hold on to the print because it will have to go to another cinema. "With digital prints, every cinema will have its own copy." ', 'EU', 'EU software patent law faces axe The European Parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software to be patented. Politicians unanimously rejected the bill and now it must go through another round of consultation if it is to have a chance of becoming law. During consultation the software patents bill could be substantially re-drafted or even scrapped. The bill was backed by some hi-tech firms, saying they needed protections it offered to make research worthwhile. Hugo Lueders, European director for public policy at CompTIA, an umbrella organization for technology companies, said only when intellectual property was adequately protected would European inventors prosper. He said the benefits of the bill had been obscured by special interest groups which muddied debate over the rights and wrongs of software patents. Other proponents of the bill said it was a good compromise that avoided the excesses of the American system which allows the patenting of business practices as well as software. But opponents of the bill said that it could stifle innovation, be abused by firms keen to protect existing monopolies and could hamper the growth of the open source movement. The proposed law had a troubled passage through the European parliament. Its progress was delayed twice when Polish MEPs rejected plans to adopt it. Also earlier this month the influential European Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) said the law should be re-drafted after it failed to win the support of MEPs. To become law both the European Parliament and a qualified majority of EU states have to approve of the draft wording of the bill. The latest rejection means that now the bill on computer inventions must go back to the EU for re-consideration. ', 'US', 'Global blogger action day called The global web blog community is being called into action to lend support to two imprisoned Iranian bloggers. The month-old Committee to Protect Bloggers\' is asking those with blogs to dedicate their sites on 22 February to the "Free Mojtaba and Arash Day". Arash Sigarchi and Mojtaba Saminejad are both in prison in Iran. Blogs are free sites through which people publish thoughts and opinions. Iranian authorities have been clamping down on prominent sites for some time. "I hope this day will focus people," Curt Hopkins, director of the Committee, told the BBC News website. The group has a list of actions which it says bloggers can take, including writing to local Iranian embassies. The Committee has deemed Tuesday "Free Mojtaba and Arash Day" as part of its first campaign. It is calling on the blogsphere - the name for the worldwide community of bloggers - to do what it can to help raise awareness of the plight of Mojtaba and Arash as well as other "cyber-dissidents". "If you have a blog, the least you could do is put nothing on that blog except \'Free Mojtaba and Arash Day\'," said Mr Hopkins. "That would mean you could see that phrase 7.1 million times. That alone will shine some light on the situation. "If you don\'t have one, find one dedicated to that - it takes about 30 seconds." Technorati, a blog search engine, tracks about six million blogs and says that more than 12,000 are added daily. A blog is created every 5.8 seconds, according to a US research think-tank. The Committee to Protect Bloggers was started by US blogger Curt Hopkins and counts fired flight attendant blogger Ellen Simonetti as a deputy director. She has since started the International Bloggers\' Bill of Rights, a global petition to protect bloggers at work. Although not the only website committed to human rights issues by any means, it aims to be the hub or organisation, information and support for bloggers in particular and their rights to freedom of speech. The Committee, although only a month old, aims to be the focal point for blogger action on similar issues in the future, and will operate as a non-for-profit organisation. "Blogging is in this weird no man\'s land. People think of it as being one thing or another depending on their point of view," said Mr Hopkins. "Some think of themselves as pundits, kind of like journalists, and some like me have a private blog which is just a publishing platform. "But they do not have a constituency and are out there in the cold." It is not just human rights issues in countries which have a track record of restricting what is published in the media that is of concern to bloggers. The question of bloggers and what rights they have to say what they want on their sites is a thorny one and has received much press attention recently. High profile cases in which employees have been sacked for what they have said on their personal, and often anonymous blogs, have highlighted the muddy situation that the blogsphere is currently in. "This is a big messy argument," explained Mr Hopkins. He added: "It is just such a new way of doing business, there will be clamp downs." But the way these issues get tested is through the courts which, said Mr Hopkins, "is part of the whole messy conversation." "If you haven\'t already got bloggers in your company, you will have them tomorrow - and if you don\'t have a blogger policy now you had better start looking at having one. Mr Hopkins said that the blogsphere - which is doubling every five months - was powerful because it takes so little time and expertise to create a blog. "Everyone does this - mums, radicals, conservatives," he said. Many companies offer easy-to-use services to create a blog and publish it in minutes to a global community. "That is the essential difference. What I call \'templating software\' gives every single person on Earth the chance to have one. "You don\'t even have to have your own computer." ', 'US', 'PlayStation 3 chip to be unveiled Details of the chip designed to power Sony\'s PlayStation 3 console will be released in San Francisco on Monday. Sony, IBM and Toshiba, who have been working on the Cell processor for three years, will unveil the chip at a technology conference. The chip is reported to be up to 10 times faster than current processors. It is being designed for use in graphics workstations, the new PlayStation console, and has been described as a supercomputer on a chip. Sony has said the Cell processor could be used to bridge the gap between movies and video games. Special effects and graphics designed for films could be ported for use directly in a video game, Sony told an audience at the E3 exhibition in Los Angeles last year. Cell could also be marketed as an ideal technology for televisions and supercomputers, and everything in between, said Kevin Krewell, the editor in chief of Microprocessor Report. The chip will be made of several different processing cores that work on tasks together. The PlayStation 3 is expected in 2006 but developers are expecting to get prototypes early next year to tune games that will appear on it at launch. Details of the chip will be released at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. Some details have already emerged, however. When put inside powerful computer servers, the Cell consortium expects it to be capable of handling 16 trillion floating point operations, or calculations, every second. The chip has also been refined to be able to handle the detailed graphics common in games and the data demands of films and broadband media. IBM said it would start producing the chip in early 2005 at manufacturing plants in the US. The first machines off the line using the Cell processor will be computer workstations and servers. A working version of the PS3 is due to be shown off in May 2005 but a full launch of the next generation console is not expected to start until 2006. "In the future, all forms of digital content will be converged and fused onto the broadband network," said Ken Kutaragi, chief operating officer of Sony, said last year. "Current PC architecture is nearing its limits," he added. ', 'UK', 'Britons fed up with net service A survey conducted by PC Pro Magazine has revealed that many Britons are unhappy with their internet service. They are fed up with slow speeds, high prices and the level of customer service they receive. 17% of readers have switched suppliers and a further 16% are considering changing in the near future. It is particularly bad news for BT, the UK\'s biggest internet supplier, with almost three times as many people trying to leave as joining. A third of the 2,000 broadband users interviewed were fed up with their current providers but this could be just the tip of the iceberg thinks Tim Danton, editor of PC Pro Magazine. "We expect these figures to leap in 2005. Every month the prices drop, and more and more people are trying to switch," he said. The survey found that BT and Tiscali have been actively dissuading customers from leaving by offering them a lower price when they phone up to cancel their subscription. Some readers were offered a price drop just 25p more expensive than that offered by an alternative operator, making it hardly worth while swapping. Other found themselves tied into 12-month contracts. Broadband has become hugely competitive and providers are desperate to hold on to customers. 12% of those surveyed found themselves unable to swap at all. "We discovered a huge variety of problems, but one of the biggest issues is the current supplier withholding the information that people need to give to their new supplier," said Tim Danton, editor of PC Pro. "This breaks the code of practice, but because that code is voluntary there\'s nothing we or Ofcom can do to help," he said. There is a vast choice of internet service providers in the UK now and an often bewildering array of broadband packages. With prices set to drop even further in coming months Mr Danton advises everyone to shop around carefully. "If you just stick with your current connection then there\'s every chance you\'re being ripped off," he warned. ', 'India', 'Lasers help bridge network gaps An Indian telecommunications firm has turned to lasers to help it overcome the problems of setting up voice and data networks in the country. Tata Teleservices is using the lasers to make the link between customers\' offices and its own core network. The laser bridges work across distances up to 4km and can be set up much faster than cable connections. In 12 months the lasers have helped the firm set up networks in more than 700 locations. "In this particular geography getting permission to dig the ground and lay the pipes is a bit of a task," said Mr R. Sridharan, vice president of networks at Tata. "Heavy traffic and the layout under the ground mean that digging is uniquely difficult," he said. In some locations, he said, permission to dig up roads and lay cables was impossible to get. He said it was far easier to secure permission for putting networking hardware on roofs. This has led Chennai-based Tata to turn to equipment that uses lasers to make the final mile leap between Tata\'s core network and the premises of customers. The Lightpointe laser bridges work over distances of up to 4km and are being used to route both voice and data from businesses on to the backbone of the network. The hardware works in pairs and beam data through the air in the form of laser pulses. The laser bridges can route data at speeds up to 1.25gbps (2,000 times faster than a 512kbps broadband connection) but Tata is running its hardware at more modest speeds of 1-2mbps. The lasers are also ideal for India because of its climate. "It\'s particularly suitable as the rain rate is a little low and it\'s hardly ever foggy," he said. In places where rain is heavy and fog is common laser links can struggle to maintain good connection speeds. The laser links also take far less time to set up and get working, said Mr Sridharan. "Once we get the other permissions, normal time period for set up is a few hours," he said. By contrast, he said, digging up roads and laying cables can take weeks or months. This speed of set up has helped Tata with its aggressive expansion plans. Just over 12 months ago the firm had customers in only about 70 towns and cities. But by the end of March the firm hopes to reach more than 1,000. "Speed is very important because of the pace of competition," said Mr Sridharan. ', 'UK', 'Warnings about junk mail deluge The amount of spam circulating online could be about to undergo a massive increase, say experts. Anti-spam group Spamhaus is warning about a novel virus which hides the origins of junk mail. The program makes spam look like it is being sent by legitimate mail servers making it hard to spot and filter out. Spamhaus said that if the problem went unchecked real e-mail messages could get drowned by the sheer amount of junk being sent. Before now many spammers have recruited home PCs to act as anonymous e-mail relays in an attempt to hide the origins of their junk mail. The PCs are recruited using viruses and worms that compromise machines via known vulnerabilities or by tricking people into opening an attachment infected with the malicious program. Once compromised the machines start to pump out junk mail on behalf of spammers. Spamhaus helps to block junk messages from these machines by collecting and circulating blacklists of net addresses known to harbour infected machines. But the novel worm spotted recently by Spamhaus routes junk via the mail servers of the net service firm that infected machines used to get online in the first place. In this way the junk mail gets a net address that looks legitimate. As blocking all mail from net firms just to catch the spam is impractical, Spamhaus is worried that the technique will give junk mailers the ability to spam with little fear of being spotted and stopped. Steve Linford, director of Spamhaus, predicted that if a lot of spammers exploit this technique it could trigger the failure of the net\'s e-mail sending infrastructure. David Stanley, UK managing director of filtering firm Ciphertrust, said the new technique was the next logical step for spammers. "They are adding to their armoury," he said. The amount of spam in circulation was still growing, said Mr Stanley, but he did not think that the appearance of this trick would mean e-mail meltdown. But Kevin Hogan, senior manager at Symantec security response, said such warnings were premature. "If something like this mean the end of e-mail then e-mail would have stopped two-three years ago," said Mr Hogan. While the technique of routing mail via mail servers of net service firms might cause problems for those that use blacklists and block lists it did not mean that other techniques for stopping spam lost their efficacy too. Mr Hogan said 90% of the junk mail filtered by Symantec subsidiary Brightmail was spotted using techniques that did not rely on looking at net addresses. For instance, said Mr Hogan, filtering out e-mail messages that contain a web link can stop about 75% of spam. ', 'US', 'Warning over tsunami aid website Net users are being told to avoid a scam website that claims to collect cash on behalf of tsunami victims. The site looks plausible because it uses an old version of the official Disasters Emergency Committee webpage. However, DEC has no connection with the fake site and says it has contacted the police about it. The site is just the latest in a long list of scams that try to cash in on the goodwill generated by the tsunami disaster. The link to the website is contained in a spam e-mail that is currently circulating. The message\'s subject line reads "Urgent Tsunami Earthquake Appeal" and its text bears all the poor grammar and bad spelling that characterises many other phishing attempts. The web address of the fake site is decuk.org which could be close enough to the official www.dec.org.uk address to confuse some people keen to donate. Patricia Sanders, spokeswoman for the Disaster Emergency Committee said it was aware of the site and had contacted the Computer Crime Unit at Scotland Yard to help get it shut down. She said the spam e-mails directing people to the site started circulating two days ago shortly after the domain name of the site was registered. It is thought that the fake site is being run from Romania. Ms Sanders said DEC had contacted US net registrars who handle domain ownership and the net hosting firm that is keeping the site on the web. DEC was going to push for all cash donated via the site to be handed over to the official organisation. BT and DEC\'s hosting company were also making efforts to get the site shut down, she said. Ms Sanders said sending out spam e-mail to solicit donations was not DEC\'s style and that it would never canvass support in this way. She said that DEC hoped to get the fake site shut down as soon as possible. All attempts by the BBC News website to contact the people behind the site have failed. None of the e-mail addresses supplied on the site work and the real owner of the domain is obscured in publicly available net records. This is not the first attempt to cash in on the outpouring of goodwill that has accompanied appeals for tsunami aid. One e-mail sent out in early January came from someone who claimed that he had lost his parents in the disaster and was asking for help moving an inheritance from a bank account in the Netherlands. The con was very similar to the familiar Nigerian forward fee fraud e-mails that milk money out of people by promising them a cut of a much larger cash pile. Other scam e-mails included a link to a website that supposedly let people donate money but instead loaded spyware on their computers that grabbed confidential information. In a monthly report anti-virus firm Sophos said that two e-mail messages about the tsunami made it to the top 10 hoax list during January. Another tsunami-related e-mail is also circulating that carries the Zar worm which tries to spread via the familiar route of Microsoft\'s Outlook e-mail program. Anyone opening the attachment of the mail will have their contact list plundered by the worm keen to find new addresses to send itself to. ', 'UK', 'Solutions to net security fears Fake bank e-mails, or phishing, and stories about ID theft are damaging the potential of using the net for online commerce, say e-business experts. Trust in online security is falling as a result. Almost 70% of those asked in a poll said that net firms are not doing enough to protect people. The survey of more than 1,000 people reported that 43% were not willing to hand over personal information online. It is worrying for shopaholics and firms who want to exploit the net. More people are becoming aware of online security issues but they have little confidence that companies are doing enough to counter the threats, said security firm RSA, which carried out the poll. An estimated 12 million Britons now use the net as a way of managing their financial affairs. Security experts say that scare stories and the vulnerabilities dogging e-commerce and e-banking are being taken seriously - by banks in particular. "I don\'t think the threat is overplayed," Barry Beal, global security manager for Capgemini, told the BBC News website. He added: "The challenge for banks is to provide the customer with something that improves security but balances that with usability." Ensuring extra security measures are in place protects them too, as well as the individual, and it is up to both parties to make sure they do what is necessary to prevent fraud, he said. "Card issuers will keep us informed of types of attacks and what procedure to take to protect ourselves. If we do that, they will indemnify us," he said. Many believe using login details like usernames and passwords are simply not good enough anymore though. One of the biggest challenges to improving security online is how to authenticate an individual\'s identity. Several security companies have developed methods which complement or replace passwords, which are easily compromised and easy to forget. Last year, a street survey found that more than 70% of people would reveal their password for a bar of chocolate. On average, people have to remember four different passwords. Some resort to using the same one for all their online accounts. Those who use several passwords often write them down and hide them in a desk or in a document on their computer. In a separate survey by RSA, 80% said they were fed up with passwords and would like a better way to login to work computer systems. For many, the ideal is a single online identity that can be validated once with a series of passwords and questions, or some biometric measurement like a fingerprint or iris scan with a token like a smartcard. Activcard is just one of the many companies, like RSA Security, which has been trying to come up with just that. RSA has a deal with internet provider AOL that lets people pay monthly for a one-time passcode generation service. Users get a physical token which automatically generates a code which stays active for 60 seconds. Many companies use a token-based method already for employees to access networks securely already. Activcard\'s method is more complex. It is currently trailing its one-time passcode generation technology with UK banks. Steve Ash, from Activcard, told the BBC News website there are two parts to the process of identification. The most difficult is to ascertain whether an individual is who they say they are when they are online. "The end solution is to provide a method where you combine something the user knows with something they have and present those both." The method it has developed makes use of the chip embedded in bank cards and a special card reader which can generate unique codes that are active for a specified amount of time. This can be adjusted at any time and can be active for as little as 30 seconds before it changes. It combines that with usual usernames and passwords, as well as other security questions. "You take the card, put it in the reader, enter your pin number, and a code is given. "If you wanted then to transfer funds, for instance, you would have to have the code to authorise the transaction." The clever bit happens back at the bank\'s secure servers. The code is validated by the bank\'s systems, matching the information they expect with the customer\'s unique key. "Each individual gets a key which is unique to them. It is a 2048-bit long number that is virtually impossible to crack," said Mr Ash. It means that in a typical security attack, explains Mr Ash, even if password information is captured by a scammer using keystroke software or just through spoof websites, they need the passcode. "By the time they go back [to use the information], the code has expired, so they can\'t prove who they are," according to Mr Ash. In the next few years, Mr Ash predicts that this kind of method will be commonplace before we see biometric authentication that is acceptable for widespread use. "PCs will have readers built into them, the cost of readers will be very cheap, and more people will have the cards." The gadgets we carry around, like personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobiles, could also have integrated card reader technology in them. "The PDA or phone method is a possible alternative as people are always carrying phones around," he said. ', 'US', 'Movie body hits peer-to-peer nets The movie industry has struck out at file-sharing networks with another round of lawsuits in the US. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) also said it had succeeded in getting a network called LokiTorrent closed down. It is the latest network which uses the peer-to-peer system called BitTorrent to be hit by the MPAA. The MPAA began its legal campaign against operators of similar networks across four continents in December. A Dallas court agreed that Hollywood lawyers would be allowed access to LokiTorrent\'s server records which could let them single out those who were sharing files illegally. In October 2004, the site had provided links to more than 30,000 files. The action came after the operators of LokiTorrent agreed a settlement with the MPAA. A stark message has appeared on the site from the MPAA warning "You can click, but you can\'t hide". In BitTorrent systems, server sites do not host the files being shared. They host links, called "trackers" that direct people to others that have it instead. As well as filing an unspecified number of file suits across the US, the MPAA said it had given operators that host eDonkey servers "take down" notices. Hollywood studios are aggressively clamping down on file-sharers who it says infringe copyright laws by copying films and TV programmes then share the files online. But it is now targeting the operators of BitTorrent networks themselves. It has filed 100 lawsuits against operators of BitTorrent server sites since December. The strategy of hitting those who run the servers which link to copyrighted material is intended to stunt file-sharers\' ability to swap content using BitTorrent systems. The film industry says the black market for illegally copied videos and DVDs already costs them billions every year and it is worried that illegal file-sharing is adding to their losses. In December, the legal action claimed its most high-profile victim. The popular Suprnova.org website was forced to close, and others like Phoenix Torrent followed soon after. ', 'US', 'Security warning over \'FBI virus\' The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning that a computer virus is being spread via e-mails that purport to be from the FBI. The e-mails show that they have come from an fbi.gov address and tell recipients that they have accessed illegal websites. The messages warn that their internet use has been monitored by the FBI\'s Internet Fraud Complaint Center. An attachment in the e-mail contains the virus, the FBI said. The message asks recipients to click on the attachment and answer some questions about their internet use. But rather than being a questionnaire, the attachment contains a virus that infects the recipient\'s computer, according to the agency. It is not clear what the virus does once it has infected a computer. Users are warned never to open attachment from unsolicited e-mails or from people they do not know. "Recipients of this or similar solicitations should know that the FBI does not engage in the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails to the public in this manner," the FBI said in a statement. The bureau is investigating the phoney e-mails. The agency earlier this month shut down fbi.gov accounts, used to communicate with the public, because of a security breach. A spokeswoman said the two incidents appear to be unrelated. ', 'UK', 'Hotspot users gain free net calls People using wireless net hotspots will soon be able to make free phone calls as well as surf the net. Wireless provider Broadreach and net telephony firm Skype are rolling out a service at 350 hotspots around the UK this week. Users will need a Skype account - downloadable for free - and they will then be able to make net calls via wi-fi without paying for net access. Skype allows people to make free PC-based calls to other Skype users. Users of the system can also make calls to landlines and mobiles for a fee. The system is gaining in popularity and now has 28 million users around the world. Its paid service - dubbed Skype Out - has so far attracted 940,000 users. It plans to add more paid services with forthcoming launches of video conferencing, voice mail and Skype In, a service which would allow users to receive phone calls from landlines and mobiles. London-based software developer Connectotel has unveiled software that will expand the SMS functions of Skype, allowing users to send text messages to mobile phones from the service. Broadreach Networks has around two million users and hotspots in places such as Virgin Megastores, the Travelodge chain of hotels and all London\'s major rail terminals. The company is due to launch wi-fi on Virgin Trains later in the year. "Skype\'s success at spreading the world about internet telephony is well-known and we are delighted to be offering free access to Skype users in our hotspots," commented Broadreach chief executive Magnus McEwen-King. ', 'US', 'Apple attacked over sources row Civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has joined a legal fight between three US online journalists and Apple. Apple wants the reporters to reveal 20 sources used for stories which leaked information about forthcoming products, including the Mac Mini. The EFF, representing the reporters, has asked California\'s Superior court to stop Apple pursuing the sources. It argues that the journalists are protected by the American constitution. The EFF says the case threatens the basic freedoms of the press. Apple is particularly keen to find the source for information about an unreleased product code-named Asteroid and has asked the journalists\' e-mail providers to hand over communications relevant to that. "Rather than confronting the issue of reporter\'s privilege head-on, Apple is going to the journalist\'s ISPs for his e-mails," said EFF lawyer Kurt Opsahl. "This undermines a fundamental First Amendment right that protects all reporters. "If the court lets Apple get away with this, and exposes the confidences gained by these reporters, potential confidential sources will be deterred from providing information to the media and the public will lose a vital outlet for independent news, analysis and commentary," he said. The case began in December 2004 when Apple asked a local Californian court to get the journalists to reveal their sources for articles published on websites AppleInsider.com and PowerPage.org. Apple also sent requested information from the Nfox.com, the internet service provider of PowerPage\'s publisher Jason O-Grady. As well as looking at how far corporations can go in preventing information from being published, the case will also examine whether online journalists have the same privileges and protections as those writing for newspapers and magazines. The EFF has gained some powerful allies in its legal battle with Apple, including Professor Tom Goldstein, former dean of the Journalism School at the University of California and Dan Gillmor, a well-known Silicon Valley journalist. Apple was not immediately available for comment. ', 'UK', 'Sony PSP tipped as a \'must-have\' Sony\'s Playstation Portable is the top gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine. It beats the iPod into second place in the Top Ten Essentials list which predicts what gadget-lovers are likely to covet this year. Owning all 10 gadgets will set the gadget lover back £7,455. That is £1,000 cheaper than last year\'s list due to falling manufacturing costs making gadgets more affordable. Portable gadgets dominate the list, including Sharp\'s 902 3G mobile phone, the Pentax Optio SV digital camera and Samsung\'s Yepp YH-999 video jukebox. "What this year\'s Essentials shows is that gadgets are now cheaper, sexier and more indispensable than ever. We\'ve got to the point where we can\'t live our lives without certain technology," said Adam Vaughan, editor of Stuff Essentials. The proliferation of gadgets in our homes is inexorably altering the role of the high street in our lives thinks Mr Vaughan. "Take digital cameras, who would now pay to develop an entire film of photos? Or legitimate downloads, who would travel miles to a record shop when they could download the song in minutes for 70p?" he asks. Next year will see a new set of technologies capturing the imaginations of gadget lovers, Stuff predicts. The Xbox 2, high-definition TV and MP3 mobiles will be among the list of must-haves that will dominate 2006, it says. The spring launch of the PSP in the UK is eagerly awaited by gaming fans. ', 'US', 'Millions buy MP3 players in US One in 10 adult Americans - equivalent to 22 million people - owns an MP3 player, according to a survey. A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that MP3 players are the gadget of choice among affluent young Americans. The survey did not interview teenagers but it is likely that millions of under-18s also have MP3 players. The American love affair with digital music players has been made possible as more and more homes get broadband. Of the 22 million Americans who own MP3 players, 59% are men compared to 41% of women. Those on high income - judged to be $75,000 (£39,000) or above - are four times more likely to have players than those earning less than $30, 000 ( £15,000). Broadband access plays a big part in ownership too. Almost a quarter of those with broadband at home have players, compared to 9% of those who have dial-up access. MP3 players are still the gadget of choice for younger adults. Almost one in five US citizens aged under 30 have one. This compares to 14% of those aged 30-39 and 14% of those aged 40-48. The influence of children also plays a part. Sixteen percent of parents living with children under 18 have digital players compared to 9% of those who don\'t. The ease of use and growth of music available on the net are the main factors for the upsurge in ownership, the survey found. People are beginning to use them as instruments of social activity - sharing songs and taking part in podcasting - the survey found. "IPods and MP3 players are becoming a mainstream technology for consumers" said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. "More growth in the market is inevitable as new devices become available, as new players enter the market, and as new social uses for iPods/MP3 players become popular," he added. ', 'UK', 'Domain system scam fear A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned. The Internationalised Domain Names system has been a work in progress for years and has recently been approved by the Internet Electronic Task Force. But the UK Internet Forum (UKIF) is concerned that the system will let scammers create fake sites more easily. The problem lies in the computer codes used to represent language. Registering names that look like that of legitimate companies but lead users to fake sites designed to steal passwords and credit card details could become a whole lot easier for determined scammers, says Stephen Dyer, director of UKIF. Domain names are the "real language" addresses of websites, rather than their internet protocol address, which is a series of numbers. They are used so people can more easily navigate the web. So-called ASCII codes are used to represent European languages but for other languages a hybrid of a system called Unicode is used. So, for example, website PayPal could now be coded using a mixture of the Latin alphabet and the Russian alphabet. The resulting domain as displayed to the users would look identical to the real site as a Russian \'a\' look just like an English \'a\'. But the computer code would be different, and the site it would lead users to could be a fake. This is more than just a theory. A fake Paypal.com has already been registered with net domain giant Verisign by someone who has followed the debate around the Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) system, said Mr Dyer. As the idea was to prove a point rather than be malicious the fake domain has now been handed back to Paypal but it sets a worrying precedent, Mr Dyer said. "Although the IDN problem is well known in technical circles, the commercial world is totally unaware how easily their websites can be faked," said Mr Dyer. "It is important to alert users that there is a new and invisible and almost undetectable way of diverting them to what looks like a perfectly genuine site," he added. There are solutions. For instance, browsers could spot domains that use mixed characters and display them in different colours as a warning to users. Mr Dyer acknowledged that it would be a huge undertaking to update all the world\'s browsers. Another solution, to introduce IDN-disabled browsers could be a case of "throwing out the baby with the bath water," he said. CENTR, the Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries, agrees. "A rush to introduce IDN-disabled browsers into the marketplace is an overly-zealous step that will harm public confidence in IDNs - a technology that is desperately needed in the non-English speaking world," the organisation said in a statement. ', 'Europe', 'Xbox 2 may be unveiled in summer Details of the next generation of Microsoft\'s Xbox games console - codenamed Xenon - will most likely be unveiled in May, according to reports. It was widely expected that gamers would get a sneak preview of Xbox\'s successor at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March. But a Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed that it would not be at GDC. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all expected to release their more powerful machines in the next 18 months. The next Xbox console is expected to go on sale at the end of the year, but very few details about it have been released. It is thought that the machine may be unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, which takes place in May, according to a Reuters news agency report. E3 concentrates on showing off the latest in gaming to publishers, marketers and retailers. The GDC is aimed more at game developers. Microsoft chief, Bill Gates, used the GDC event to unveil the original Xbox five years ago. Since its launch, Microsoft has sold 19.9 million units worldwide. At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, there was very little mention of the next generation gaming machine. In his keynote speech, Mr Gates only referred to it as playing an essential part of his vision of the digital lifestyle. But the battle between the rival consoles to win gamers\' hearts and thumbs will be extremely hard-fought. Sony has traditionally dominated the console market with its PlayStation 2. But earlier this year, Microsoft said it had reached a European milestone, selling five million consoles since its European launch in March 2002. Hit games like Halo 2, which was released in November, helped to buoy the sales figures. Gamers are looking forward to the next generation of machines because they will have much more processing and graphical power. They are also likely to pack in more features and technologies that make them more central as entertainment and communications hubs. Although details of PlayStation 3, Xenon, and Nintendo\'s so-called Revolution, are yet to be finalised, developers are already working on titles. Rory Armes, studio general manager for games giant Electronic Arts (EA) in Europe, recently told the BBC News website in an interview that EA was beginning to get a sense of the capabilities of the new machines. Microsoft had delivered development kits to EA, but he said the company was still waiting on Sony and Nintendo\'s kits. But, he added, the PlayStation 3 was rumoured to have "a little more under the hood [than Xbox 2]". ', 'Japan', "Moving mobile improves golf swing A mobile phone that recognises and responds to movements has been launched in Japan. The motion-sensitive phone - officially titled the V603SH - was developed by Sharp and launched by Vodafone's Japanese division. Devised mainly for mobile gaming, users can also access other phone functions using a pre-set pattern of arm movements. The phone will allow golf fans to improve their swing via a golfing game. Those who prefer shoot-'em-ups will be able to use the phone like a gun to shoot the zombies in the mobile version of Sega's House of the Dead. The phone comes with a tiny motion-control sensor, a computer chip that responds to movement. Other features include a display screen that allows users to watch TV and can rotate 180 degrees. It also doubles up as an electronic musical instrument. Users have to select a sound from a menu that includes clapping, tambourine and maracas and shake their phone to create a beat. It is being recommended for the karaoke market. The phone will initially be available in Japan only and is due to go on sale in mid-February. The new gadget could make for interesting people-watching among Japanese commuters, who are able to access their mobiles on the subway. Fishing afficiandos in South Korea are already using a phone that allows them to simulate the movement of a rod. The PH-S6500 phone, dubbed a sports-leisure gadget, was developed by Korean phone giant Pantech and can also be used by runners to measure calorie consumption and distance run. ", 'US', 'Ask Jeeves joins web log market Ask Jeeves has bought the Bloglines website to improve the way it handles content from web journals or blogs. The Bloglines site has become hugely popular as it gives users one place in which to read, search and share all the blogs they are interested in. Ask Jeeves said it was not planning to change Bloglines but would use the 300 million articles it has archived to round out its index of the web. How much Ask Jeeves paid for Bloglines was not revealed. Bloglines has become popular because it lets users build a list of the blogs they want to follow without having to visit each journal site individually. To do this it makes use of a technology known as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) that many blogs have adopted to let other sites know when new entries are made on their journals. The acquisition follows similar moves by other search sites. Google acquired Pyra Labs, makers of the Blogger software, in 2003. In 2004 MSN introduced its own blog system and Yahoo has tweaked its technology to do a better job of handling blog entries. Jim Lanzone, vice president of search properties at Ask Jeeves in the US, said it did not acquire Bloglines just to get a foothold in the blog publishing world. He said Ask Jeeves was much more interested in helping people find information they were looking for rather than helping them write it. "The universe of readers is vastly larger than the universe of writers," he said. Mr Lanzone said the acquisition would sit well with Ask\'s My Jeeves service which lets people customise their own web experience and build up a personal collection of useful links. "Search engines are about discovering information for the first time and RSS is the ideal way to keep track of and monitor those sites," he said. It would also help drive information and entries from blogs to the portals that Ask Jeeves operates. There would be no instant sweeping changes to Bloglines, said Mr Lanzone. "Our intent is to take our time to figure out the right business model not to try to monetise it right away," he said. Though Mr Lanzone added that Ask Jeeves would be helping organise the database of 300m blog entries Bloglines holds with its own net indexing technology. "Being able to search the blogosphere as one corpus of information will be very useful in its own right," said Mr Lanzone. Rumours about the acquisition were broken by the Napsterization weblog which said it got the hint from Ask Jeeves insiders. ', 'UK', 'Tough rules for ringtone sellers Firms that flout rules on how ringtones and other mobile extras are sold could be cut off from all UK phone networks. The rules allow offenders to be cut off if they do not let consumers know exactly what they get for their money and how to turn off the services. The first month under the new rules has seen at least ten firms suspended while they clean up the way they work. The rules have been brought in to ensure that the problems plaguing net users do not spread to mobile phones. In the last couple of years ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers and lots of other extras for phones have become hugely popular. But fierce competition is making it difficult for firms to get their wares in front of consumers, said Jeremy Flynn, head of third party services at Vodafone. "If you are not on the operator\'s portal you are going to have quite heavy marketing costs because it\'s a problem of how people discover your services," he said. To combat this many ringtone and other mobile content sellers started using a new tactic to squeeze more cash out of customers. This tactic involved signing people up for a subscription to give them, for instance, several ringtones per week or month instead of the single track they thought they were getting. Mr Flynn said that the move to using subscriptions happened over the space of a few weeks at the end of 2004. Websites such as grumbletext.co.uk started getting reports from customers who were racking up large bills for phone content they did not know they had signed up for. "What made us uncomfortable was that these services were not being marketed transparently," said Mr Flynn. "People did not know they were being offered a subscription service." "We saw potential for substantial consumer harm here," he added. The swift adoption of subscription services led to the creation of a new code of conduct for firms that want to sell content for mobile phones. The drafting of the new rules was led by the Mobile Entertainment Forum and the UK\'s phone firms. "Everyone is required to conform to this code of conduct," said Andrew Bud, regulatory head of the MEF and executive chairman of messaging firm MBlox. "It\'s all about transparency," he said. "Consumers have to be told what they have got themselves into and how to get out of it." "The consumer has a right to be protected," he said. Christian Harris, partnership manager of mobile content firm Zed, said the new system was essential if consumers were to trust companies that sell ringtones and other downloads. "The groundrules must be applied across the whole industry and if that\'s done effectively we will see the cowboys driven out," he said. The new rules came in to force on 15 January and the first month under the new regime has seen many firms cautioned for not honouring them. Some have been told to revamp websites so customers know what they get for their money and what they are signing up for, said Mr Flynn. Also, said Mr Flynn, Vodafone has briefly cut off between eight and ten content sellers flouting the rules. "We have quite draconian contracts with firms," he said. "We do not have to say why. We can just cut them off." Under the rules consumers must be able to switch off the services by using a universal "stop" command sent via text message. He said the system had been designed to limit how much a consumer will pay if they inadvertently signed up for a service. "The mobile is so personal that people really resent the abuse of what is effectively part of their personality," said Mr Flynn. ', 'UK', '\'Friends fear\' with lost mobiles People are becoming so dependent on their mobile phones that one in three are concerned that losing their phone would mean they lose their friends. More than 50% of mobile owners reported they had had their phone stolen or lost in the last three years. More than half (54%) of those asked in a poll for mobile firm Intervoice said that they do not have another address book. A fifth rely entirely on mobiles. About 80% of UK adults own at least one mobile, according to official figures. It is estimated that 53% of over 65s own a mobile, according to Intervoice, but the figures are higher for those aged between 15 and 34. Most 15 to 24-year-olds (94%), and 25 to 34-year-olds (92%), own at least one. Nineteen percent of mobile owners were more concerned about how long it would take to find their contacts\' information again if the phone was lost, stolen or replaced. The survey showed that extent to which people have become reliant on their phones as address book. Many mobile owners do not bother to make back-ups of their contact details, and with people changing their phones once a year on average, it becomes a problem. They also are becoming less likely to remember numbers by heart, relying on the mobile phone book instead. "We\'re a nation of lazy so-and-sos," David Noone from Intervoice said. "We put the numbers in our phones so we can call a friend at the touch of just one or two buttons and we certainly can\'t be bothered to write them down in an old fashioned address book. "The mobile phone plays such a key role in modern relationships; take the phone away and the way we manage these relationships falls apart." One in three women, the survey said, thought if they lost their phones, it would mean they would lose touch with people altogether. Most (62%) said they had no idea what their partner\'s number was. Mr Noone said it should be up to mobile operators to provide back-up services on the network itself, instead of relying on mobile owners to find ways themselves. Generally, information from Sim cards can be backed up on physical memory cards, or can be copied onto computers via cables if the phone is a smartphone model with the right software. Sim back-up devices can be bought from phone shops for just a few pounds. But some operators offer customers free web-based back-up services too. Orange told the BBC News website that those with Orange Smartphones could use the My Phone syncing service which means back-ups of address books and other data are created online. For non-smartphone users, a Memory Mate card could be used to back up data on the phone. O2 also offers a free, web-based syncing service which works over GPRS and GSM. Neither Vodafone or T-Mobile currently offer a free network service for back-ups, but encourage people to use Sim back-up devices. It is thought that about 10,000 phones are lost or stolen every month and 50% of total street crime involves a mobile. Mobile phone sales are expected to continue growing over the next year. Globally, more than 167 million mobile phones were sold in the third quarter of 2004, 26% more than the previous year, according to analysts. It is predicted that there will be two billion handsets in use worldwide by the end of 2005. ', 'UK', 'Telewest to challenge Sky Plus Cable firm Telewest is to offer a personal video recorder (PVR) in a set -top box to challenge Sky Plus. Sky Plus is the market leader in the field of digital video recorders in the UK, with 474,000 subscribers. PVRs record TV programmes to a hard drive, letting viewers pause, and rewind live television and effectively "time shift" the viewing experience. A number of PVRs incorporating Freeview digital terrestrial TV are also on the market but their success is limited. Telewest\'s PVR will offer a 160GB hard drive, which has storage for up to 80 hours of programmes. The box has three tuners, which means viewers can record two channels simultaneously while watching a third channel. Sky Plus boxes come in two versions - a 20GB version for £99 and a 160GB version for £399. Sky also charges a £10 subscription fee to the service, unless viewers have a subscription to one of its premium packages. Telewest has yet to reveal pricing for the new box or if it will be charging a subscription fee for the service. Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer at Telewest Broadband, said: "We will make our PVR set-top box available later this year, putting a stop to missed soaps, interrupted films and arguments over which programmes to record." PVRs and recordable DVD players are set to replace video recorders as the standard method of recording and saving favourite TV programmes. Last year, high street retailer Dixons said it was going to stop selling VHS machines in favour of PVRs and recordable DVD machines. Sky has said it aims to have 25% of its subscribers using Sky Plus by 2010 - it is predicting 10 million total subscribers by that date. It currently has 7.4 million subscribers, while Telewest provides digital cable to 1.7 million customers. ', 'UK', '\'Evil twin\' fear for wireless net People using wireless high-speed net (wi-fi) are being warned about fake hotspots, or access points. The latest threat, nicknamed evil twins, pose as real hotspots but are actually unauthorised base stations, say Cranfield University experts. Once logged onto an Evil Twin, sensitive data can be intercepted. Wi-fi is becoming popular as more devices come with wireless capability. London leads the global wi-fi hotspots league, with more than 1,000. The number of hotspots is expected to reach 200,000 by 2008, according to analysts. "Users need to be wary of using their wi-fi enabled laptops or other portable devices in order to conduct financial transactions or anything that is of a sensitive or personal nature," said Professor Brian Collins, head of information systems at Cranfield University. "Users can also protect themselves by ensuring that their wi-fi device has its security measures activated," he added. BT Openzone, which operates a vast proportion of public hotspots in the UK, told the BBC News website that it made every effort to make its wi-fi secure. "Naturally, people may have security concerns," said Chris Clark, chief executive for BT\'s wireless broadband. "But wi-fi networks are no more or less vulnerable than any other means of accessing the internet, like broadband or dial-up." He said BT Openzone, as well as others, have sophisticated encryption from the start of the login process to the service at a hotspot. "This means that users\' personal information and data, logon usernames and passwords are protected and secure," said Mr Clark. In the vast majority of cases, base stations straight out of the box from the manufacturers are automatically set up with the least secure mode possible, said Dr Nobles. Cybercriminals who try to glean personal information using the scam, jam connections to a legitimate base station by sending a stronger signal near to the wireless client. Anyone with the right gear can find a real hotspot and substitute it with an evil twin. "Cybercriminals don\'t have to be that clever to carry out such an attack," said Dr Phil Nobles, a wireless net and cybercrime expert at Cranfield. "Because wireless networks are based on radio signals they can be easily detected by unauthorised users tuning into the same frequency." Although wi-fi is increasing in popularity as more people want to use high-speed net on the move, there have been fears over how secure it is. Some companies have been reluctant to use them in large numbers because of fears about security. A wireless network that is not protected can provide a backdoor into a company\'s computer system. Public wi-fi hotspots offered by companies like BT Openzone and The Cloud, are accessible after users sign up and pay for use. But many home and company wi-fi networks are left unprotected and can be "sniffed out" and hi-jacked by anyone with the correct equipment. "BT advises that customers should change all default settings, make sure that their security settings on all equipment are configured correctly," said Mr Clark. "We also advocate the use of personal firewalls to ensure that only authorised users can have access and that data cannot be intercepted." Dr Nobles is due to speak about wireless cybercrime at the Science Museum\'s Dana Centre in London on Thursday. ', 'US', 'US peer-to-peer pirates convicted The first convictions for piracy over peer-to-peer networks have been handed down in the US. New Yorker William Trowbridge and Texan Michael Chicoine have pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. The two men faced charges following raids in August on suspected pirates by the FBI. The pair face jail terms of up to five years and a $250,000 (£130,000) fine. In a statement the US Department of Justice said the two men operated the central hubs in a piracy community organised across the Direct Connect peer-to-peer network. The piracy group called itself the Underground Network and membership of it demanded that users share between one and 100 gigabytes of files. Direct Connect allows users to set themselves up as central servers that act as co-ordinating spots for sharers. Users would swap files, such as films and music, by exchanging data over the network. During its investigation FBI agents reportedly downloaded 84 movies, 40 software programs, 13 games and 178 "sound recordings" from the five hubs that made up the larger piracy group. The raids were organised under the umbrella of Operation Digital Gridlock which was aimed at fighting "criminal copyright theft on peer-to-peer networks". In total, six raids were carried out in August. Five were on the homes of suspected copyright thieves and one on a net service firm. The Department of Justice said that both men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement. They also pleaded guilty to acting for commercial advantage. The two men are due to be sentenced on 29 April. ', 'US', 'Google launches TV search service The net search giant Google has launched a search service that lets people look for TV programmes. The service, Google Video beta, searches closed caption information that comes with programmes. It only searches US channel content currently. Results list programmes with still images and text from the point where the search phrase was spoken. It should expand over time to include content from more channels, said a Google spokesperson. The first version of the service is part of Google\'s expanding efforts to be a ubiquitous search engine for people to find what they want on the web and beyond. "We think TV is a big part of people\'s lives," said Jonathan Rosenberg, Google\'s vice president of product management. "Ultimately, we would like to have all TV programming indexed." Google Video has been indexing US-based programmes from PBS, the NBA, Fox News, and C-SPAN since December. But there were few clues from Google about when more global broadcasters would be included. "Over time, we plan to increase the number of television channels and video content available via Google Video but don\'t have more product details to share with you today," a Google spokesperson told the BBC News website. The results thrown up by the search will also include programme and episode information like channel, date and time. It also lets people find the next time and channel where a programme will aired locally using a US zip code search function. Rival search engine Yahoo has been developing a similar type of video search for webcasts and TV clips which it promotes from its homepage. It offers direct links to websites with movies or other clips relevant to the search query, but does not pinpoint when the search query occurred. A spokeswoman told the Financial Times on Monday that Yahoo was adding captioning for Bloomberg, BBC and BSkyB broadcasts. A smaller service, blinkx.tv, was launched last month. It searches for and links to TV news, film trailers, and other video and audio clips. ', 'Europe', 'Rich pickings for hi-tech thieves Viruses, trojans and other malicious programs sent on to the net to catch you out are undergoing a subtle change. The shift is happening as tech savvy criminals turn to technology to help them con people out of cash, steal valuable data or take over home PCs. Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are getting rarer. Instead programs are now crafted for directly criminal ends and firms are tightening up networks with defences to combat the new wave of malicious code. The growing criminal use of malware has meant the end of the neat categorisation of different sorts of viruses and malicious programs. Before now it has been broadly possible to name and categorise viruses by the method they use to spread and how they infect machines. But many of the viruses written by criminals roll lots of technical tricks together into one nasty package. "You cannot put them in to the neat little box that you used to," said Pete Simpson, head of the threat laboratory at security firm Clearswift. Now viruses are just as likely to spread by themselves like worms, or to exploit loopholes in browsers or hide in e-mail message attachments. "It\'s about outright criminality now," said Mr Simpson, explaining why this change has come about. He said many of the criminal programs came from Eastern Europe where cash-rich organised gangs can find a ready supply of technical experts that will crank out code to order. Former virus writer Marek Strihavka, aka Benny from the 29A virus writing group, recently quit the malware scene partly because it was being taken over by spyware writers, phishing gangs, and spammers who are more interested in money rather than the technology. No longer do virus writers produce programs to show off their technical prowess to rivals in the underground world of malware authors. Not least, said Paul King, principal security consultant at Cisco, because the defences against such attacks are so common. "In many ways the least likely way to do it is e-mail because most of us have got anti-virus and firewalls now," he said. Few of the malicious programs written by hi-tech thieves are cleverly written, many are much more pragmatic and use tried and tested techniques to infect machines or to trick users into installing a program or handing over important data. "If you think of criminals they do not do clever," said Mr King, "they just do what works." As the tactics used by malicious programs change, said Mr King, so many firms were changing the way they defend themselves. Now many scan machines that connect to the corporate networks to ensure they have not been compromised while off the core network. Many will not let a machine connect and a worker get on with their job before the latest patches and settings have been uploaded. As well as using different tactics, criminals also use technology for reasons that are much more transparent. "The main motivation now is money," said Gary Stowell, spokesman for St Bernard software. Mr Stowell said organised crime gangs were turning to computer crime because the risks of being caught were low and the rates of return were very high. With almost any phishing or spyware attack, criminals are guaranteed to catch some people out and have the contacts to exploit what they recover. So-called spyware was proving very popular with criminals because it allowed them to take over machines for their own ends, to steal key data from users or to hijack web browsing sessions to point people at particular sites. In some cases spyware was being written that searched for rival malicious programs on PCs it infects and then trying to erase them so it has sole ownership of that machine. ', 'US', "Blog reading explodes in America Americans are becoming avid blog readers, with 32 million getting hooked in 2004, according to new research. The survey, conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, showed that blog readership has shot up by 58% in the last year. Some of this growth is attributable to political blogs written and read during the US presidential campaign. Despite the explosive growth, more than 60% of online Americans have still never heard of blogs, the survey found. Blogs, or web logs, are online spaces in which people can publish their thoughts, opinions or spread news events in their own words. Companies such as Google and Microsoft provide users with the tools to publish their own blogs. The rise of blogs has spawned a new desire for immediate news and information, with six million Americans now using RSS aggregators. RSS aggregators are downloaded to PCs and are programmed to subscribe to feeds from blogs, news sites and other websites. The aggregators automatically compile the latest information published online from the blogs or news sites. Reading blogs remains far more popular than writing them, the survey found. Only 7% of the 120 million US adults who use the internet had created a blog or web-based diary. Getting involved is becoming more popular though, with 12% saying they had posted material or comments on other people's blogs. Just under one in 10 of the US's internet users read political blogs such as the Daily Kos or Instapundit during the US presidential campaign. Kerry voters were slightly more likely to read them than Bush voters. Blog creators were likely to be young, well-educated, net-savvy males with good incomes and college educations, the survey found. This was also true of the average blog reader, although the survey found there was a greater than average growth in blog readership among women and those in minorities. The survey was conducted during November and involved telephone surveys of 1,324 internet users. ", 'US', 'Savvy searchers fail to spot ads Internet search engine users are an odd mix of naive and sophisticated, suggests a report into search habits. The report by the US Pew Research Center reveals that 87% of searchers usually find what they were looking for when using a search engine. It also shows that few can spot the difference between paid-for results and organic ones. The report reveals that 84% of net users say they regularly use Google, Ask Jeeves, MSN and Yahoo when online. Almost 50% of those questioned said they would trust search engines much less, if they knew information about who paid for results was being hidden. According to figures gathered by the Pew researchers the average users spends about 43 minutes per month carrying out 34 separate searches and looks at 1.9 webpages for each hunt. A significant chunk of net users, 36%, carry out a search at least weekly and 29% of those asked only look every few weeks. For 44% of those questioned, the information they are looking for is critical to what they are doing and is information they simply have to find. Search engine users also tend to be very loyal and once they have found a site they feel they can trust tend to stick with it. According to Pew Research 44% of searchers use just a single search engine, 48% use two or three and a small number, 7%, consult more than three sites. Tony Macklin, spokesman for Ask Jeeves, said the results reflected its own research which showed that people use different search engines because the way the sites gather information means they can provide different results for the same query. Despite this liking for search sites half of those questioned said they could get the same information via other routes. A small number, 17%, said they wouldn\'t really miss search engines if they did not exist. The remaining 33% said they could not live without search sites. More than two-thirds of those questioned, 68%, said they thought that the results they were presented with were a fair and unbiased selection of the information on a topic that can be found on the net. Alongside the growing sophistication of net users is a lack of awareness about paid-for results that many search engines provide alongside lists of websites found by indexing the web. Of those asked, 62% were unaware that someone has paid for some of the results they see when they carry out a search. Only 18% of all searchers say they can tell which results are paid for and which are not. Said the Pew report: "This finding is ironic, since nearly half of all users say they would stop using search engines if they thought engines were not being clear about how they presented paid results." Commenting Mr Macklin said sponsored results must be clearly marked and though they might help with some queries user testing showed that people need to be able to spot the difference. ', 'China', 'Microsoft makes anti-piracy move Microsoft says it is clamping down on people running pirated versions of its Windows operating system by restricting their access to security features. The Windows Genuine Advantage scheme means people will have to prove their software is genuine from mid-2005. It will still allow those with unauthorised copies to get some crucial security fixes via automatic updates, but their options would be "limited". Microsoft releases regular security updates to its software to protect PCs. Either PCs detect updates automatically or users manually download fixes through Microsoft\'s site. Those running pirated Windows programs would not have access to other downloads and "add-ons" that the software giant offers. People who try to manually download security patches will have to let Microsoft run an automated checking procedure on their computer or give an identification number. Microsoft\'s regular patches which it releases for newly-found security flaws are important because they stop worms, viruses and other threats penetrating PCs. Some security experts are concerned that restricting access to such patches could mean a rise in such attacks and threats, with more PCs left unprotected. But Graham Cluley, senior consultant at security firm Sophos, told the BBC News website that it was a positive decision. "It sounds like their decision to allow critical security patches to remain available to both legitimate and illegitimate users of Windows is good news for everyone who uses the net," he said. Windows Genuine Advantage was first introduced as a pilot scheme in September 2004 for English-language versions of Windows. Microsoft\'s Windows operating system is heavily exploited by virus writers because it is so widespread and they are constantly seeking out new security loopholes to take advantage of. The company is trying to tackle security threats whilst cracking down on pirated software at the same time. Software piracy has cost the company billions, it says. The company announced earlier in January that it was releasing security tools to clean up PCs harbouring viruses and spyware, which 90% of PCs are infected with. The virus-fighting program, updated monthly, is a precursor to Microsoft\'s dedicated anti-virus software. Last year it introduced the Windows XP Counterfeit Project, a UK-based pilot scheme, which ran from November to December. The scheme meant that anyone with pre-installed copies of the operating system in PCs bought before November could replace counterfeit versions of Windows XP with legal ones for free. It is also increasing efforts to squash software piracy in China, Norway and the Czech Republic, where pirated software is a huge problem, by offering discounts on legitimate software to users of pirated copies Windows. "China in particular is a problem, with piracy estimated at 92%," said Mr Cluley. ', 'UK', 'Net regulation \'still possible\' The blurring of boundaries between TV and the internet raises questions of regulation, watchdog Ofcom has said. Content on TV and the internet is set to move closer this year as TV-quality video online becomes a norm. At a debate in Westminster, the net industry considered the options. Lord Currie, chairman of super-regulator Ofcom, told the panel that protecting audiences would always have to be a primary concern for the watchdog. Despite having no remit for the regulation of net content, disquiet has increased among internet service providers as speeches made by Ofcom in recent months hinted that regulation might be an option. At the debate, organised by the Internet Service Providers\' Association (ISPA), Lord Currie did not rule out the possibility of regulation. "The challenge will arise when boundaries between TV and the internet truly blur and then there is a balance to be struck between protecting consumers and allowing them to assess the risks themselves," he said. Adopting the rules that currently exist to regulate TV content or self-regulation, which is currently the practice of the net industry, will be up for discussion. Some studies suggest that as many as eight million households in the UK could have adopted broadband by the end of 2005, and the technology opens the door to TV content delivered over the net. More and more internet service providers and media companies are streaming video content on the web. BT has already set up an entertainment division to create and distribute content that could come from sources such as BSkyB, ITV and the BBC. Head of the division, Andrew Burke, spoke about the possibility of creating content for all platforms. "How risque can I be in this new age? With celebrity chefs serving up more expletives than hot dinners, surely I can push it to the limit," he said. In fact, he said, if content has been requested by consumers and they have gone to lengths to download it, then maybe it should be entirely regulation free. Internet service providers have long claimed no responsibility for the content they carry on their servers since the Law Commission dubbed them "mere conduits" back in 2002. This defence does not apply if they have actual knowledge of illegal content and have failed to remove it. The level of responsibility they have has been tested in several high-profile legal cases. Richard Ayers, portal director at Tiscali, said there was little point trying to regulate the internet because it would be impossible. Huge changes are afoot in 2005, he predicted, as companies such as the BBC offer TV content over the net. The BBC\'s planned interactive media player which will give surfers the chance to download programmes such as EastEnders and Top Gear will make net TV mainstream and raise a whole new set of questions, he said. One of these will be about the vast sums of money involved in maintaining the network to supply such a huge quantity of data and could herald a new digital licence fee, said Mr Ayers. As inappropriate net content, most obviously pornography viewed by children, continues to dominate the headlines, internet regulation remains a political issue said MP Richard Allan, Liberal Democrat spokesman on IT. Mr Allan thinks that the answer could lie somewhere between the cries of "impossible to regulate" and "just apply offline laws online". In fact, instead of seeing regulation brought online, the future could bring an end to regulation as we know it for all TV content. After Lord Currie departed, the panel agreed that this could be a reality and that for the internet people power is likely to reign. "If content is on-demand, consumers have pulled it up rather than had pushed to them, then it is the consumers\' choice to watch it. There is no watershed on the net," said Mr Burke. ', 'US', 'Voters flock to blog awards site Voting is under way for the annual Bloggies which recognise the best web blogs - online spaces where people publish their thoughts - of the year. Nominations were announced on Sunday, but traffic to the official site was so heavy that the website was temporarily closed because of too many visitors. Weblogs have been nominated in 30 categories, from the top regional blog, to the best-kept-secret blog. Blogs had a huge year, with a top US dictionary naming "blog" word of 2004. Technorati, a blog search engine, tracks about six million blogs and says that more than 12,000 are added daily. A blog is created every 5.8 seconds, according to US research think-tank Pew Internet and American Life, but less than 40% of the total are updated at least once every two months. Nikolai Nolan, who has run the Bloggies for the past five years, told the BBC News website he was not too surprised by the amount of voters who crowded the site. "The awards always get a lot of traffic; this was just my first year on a server with a bandwidth limit, so I had to guess how much I\'d need," he said. There were many new finalists this year, he added, and a few that had won Bloggies before. Several entries reflected specific news events. "There are four nominations for the South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog, which is a pretty timely one for 2005," said Mr Nolan. The big Bloggies battle will be for the ultimate prize of blog of the year. The nominated blogs are wide-ranging covering what is in the news to quirky sites of interest. Fighting it out for the coveted award are Gawker, This Fish Needs a Bicycle, Wonkette, Boing Boing, and Gothamist. In a sign that blogs are playing an increasingly key part in spreading news and current affairs, The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog is also nominated in the best overall category. GreenFairyDotcom, Londonist, Hicksdesign, PlasticBag and London Underground Tube Blog are the nominees in the best British or Irish weblog. Included in the other categories is best "meme". This is for the top "replicating idea that spread about weblogs". Nominations include Flickr, a web photo album which lets people upload, tag, share and publish their images to blogs. Podcasting has also made an appearance in the category. It is an increasingly popular idea that makes use of RSS (really simple syndication) and audio technology to let people easily make their own radio shows, and distribute them automatically onto portable devices. Many are done by those who already have text-based blogs, so they are almost like audio blogs. Three new categories have been added to the list this year, including best food, best entertainment, and best writing of a weblog. One of the categories that was scrapped though was best music blog. The winners of the fifth annual Bloggies are chosen by the public. Public voting closes on 3 February and the winners will be announced sometime between 13 and 15 March. ', 'US', 'Movie body targets children\'s PCs The body that represents the US movie industry has released its latest tool in its campaign to clamp down on movie file-sharing, aimed at parents. The Movie Association for America\'s (MPAA) free Parent File Scan software lets parents check their children\'s computers for peer-to-peer programs. It will also list all movie and music files they have on their hard drive. Parents then have the choice to remove programs and files. The MPAA said files found would not be passed on to it. "Our ultimate goal is to help consumers locate the resources and information they need to make appropriate decisions about using and trading illegal files," said Dan Glickman, MPAA chief. "Many parents are concerned about what their children have downloaded and where they\'ve downloaded it from." But some computer users who had tested the latest software reported on some technology sites that the program had identified Windows default wav files as copyrighted material and wanted to delete them. Movie piracy cost the industry £3.7bn ($7bn) in 2003, according to analysts. The MPAA said in a statement that it would continue to provide easy access to similar tools in the coming months to combat "the deleterious effects of peer-to-peer software, including such common problems as viruses, Trojan horses and identity theft". Mr Glickman said that the film industry was embracing "digital age technologies", like Movielink and CinemaNow, which are legal movie sites. "But legal services such as these need a chance to grow and thrive without having to compete against illegitimate operations that depend on stolen property to survive," he added. The industry body also said it had launched a second round of legal action against online movie-swappers across the US, but did not say how many were being sued. Its first set of lawsuits were filed in November 2004. It also started a campaign against operators of BitTorrent, eDonkey and DirectConnect peer-to-peer networks. The first convictions for peer-to-peer piracy were handed out in the US in January. William Trowbridge and Michael Chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. ', 'UK', 'The future in your pocket If you are a geek or gadget fan, the next 12 months look like they are going to be a lot of fun. The relentless pace of development in the hi-tech world and rampant competition in many of its sectors, particularly among mobile phone firms, all suggests that 2005 is going to be a very good year. To begin with, 2005 will be the year that third-generation (3G) mobile phones become inescapable. The 3 network launched in 2003, Vodafone launched its consumer service in November, Orange followed in early December and T-Mobile and O2 are due to launch in 2005. The main result of these launches will likely be a slew of good deals for consumers as operators try to poach new customers from rivals and convince existing users to trade up. Already the extra capacity in 3G networks lets 3 offer good deals on voice calls at rates that will probably have to be matched by the other operators. But the shift in technology and low cost of voice calls means that operators lose a significant chunk of their revenue. "Show me an operator that believes their voice business can sustain them, and I\'ll write their obituary" said Niel Ransom, chief technology officer at Alcatel. Instead operators are likely to push all other things that 3G phones can do such as video messaging and other multimedia capabilities. Already camera phones look set to challenge digital cameras and are likely to win more fans as multi-megapixel devices go on sale. But 3G will not have everything its own way. It will face competition from emerging technologies such as Wimax. This wireless technology can boost data transmission speeds up to 75 megabits per second and works over distances of up to 30 miles. Kent is likely to be the site of the UK\'s first Wimax network which is due to go live in 2005 and it could be the way that rural areas get high-speed net access. Analyst firm Telecom View predicts that Wimax will steal a lot of market share from 3G and will be a clear winner. Bob Larribeau, principal analyst at Telecom View, said the better return on investment offered by technologies such as Wimax could dent the possible returns of 3G networks. And the growing ubiquity of wi-fi must not be forgotten either. The technology is popping up in more places than ever and its wider use is only held back by the price differences across countries and suppliers. Moves to unite mobile and fixed phones look set to get more emphasis in 2005 too. For a start, BT looks set to roll out its Bluephone project during the next 12 months. The service revolves around a hybrid device that uses the mobile networks when you are out and about but switches back to the fixed line when you are at home. Fixed line phones will also start to get much more serious competition from a technology that has the formidable name of Voice over IP (Voip). Voip routes calls via the net instead of the fixed line phone network. Anyone with a broadband connection, which is now more than 50% of the UK\'s net using population, can use Voip and could slash their monthly phone bills if they used it. Telecommunications regulator Ofcom has declared 056 to be the area code for Voip calls and 2005 is likely to see a lot more consumer-focused Voip call services starting up. Home broadband services will also start to increase in speed as dwindling numbers of new users signing force the pace of competition. If 2004 has been the year of the portable music player, they 2005 looks like it will be the year of the portable media player. Motorola has just announced a deal with Apple to produce a phone that works with the iTunes service and other hybrid gadgets that sport a big memory and lots of other functions will become commonplace. The pace of advancement in storage media will continue mean that the cost per megabyte of memory will plummet. Some of those devices will sport huge hard drives letting you store more data than you ever wanted or knew you had. Convergence could mean that single-function devices start to dwindle in number. Instead every gadget will be able to do almost anything and communicate almost any way you want. The only downside is that consumers will face a series of tough choices as they are confronted by a bewildering array of gadgets each with an enormous numbers of features and vast data holding capacities. But that is the kind of problem most gadget fans can live with. ', 'UK', 'Mobile games come of age The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. A brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by clicking on the links below. If you think of Snake when some mentions "mobile games" then you could be in for a bit of a surprise. This is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time. Even before Nokia\'s N-Gage game phone launched in late 2003, many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset. And given that many more people own handsets than own portable game playing gadgets such as the GameBoy it could be a very lucrative market. That audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home, game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can. Life for all these types of player has got immeasurably better in the last year as the numbers of titles you can download to your phone has snowballed. Now sites such as Wireless Gaming Review list more than 200 different titles for some UK networks and the ranges suit every possible taste. There are ports of PC and arcade classics such as Space Invaders, Lunar Lander and Bejewelled. There are also versions of titles, such as Colin McRae Rally, that you typically find on PCs and consoles. There are shoot-em-ups, adventure games, strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. Rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie-in. Increasingly such launches are all part of the promotional campaign for a film, understandable when you realise that a good game can rack up millions of downloads. The returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost £5. What has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as Wap push. By sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset. Far better than having to navigate through the menus of most mobile operator portals. The number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too. Almost half of all phones now have Java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available - even the ones that use 3D graphics. The minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too. Now double key presses are possible making familiar tactics such as moving and strafing a real option. The processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too. Some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile. Many titles, particularly racing games, let you upload your best time to see how you compare to others. Usually you can get hold of their best time and race against a "ghost" or "shadow" to see if you can beat them. A few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or, if you are sitting close to them, via Bluetooth short-range radio technology. With so much going on it is hard to do justice to the sheer diversity of what is happening. But these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing. TOO FAST TOO FURIOUS (DIGITAL BRIDGES) As soon as I start playing this I remember why I never play driving games - because I\'m rubbish at them. No matter if I drive the car via joystick or keypad I just cannot get the hang of braking for corners or timing a rush to pass other drivers. The game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit. Winning gives you cash for upgrades. Graphically the rolling road is a convincing enough evocation of speed as the palm trees and cactus whip by and the city scrolls past in the background. The cars handle pretty well despite my uselessness but it was not clear if the different models of cars were appreciably different on the track. The only niggle was that the interface was a bit confusing especially when using a joystick rather than the keypad to play. FATAL FORCE (MACROSPACE) A futuristic shooter that lets you either play various deathmatch modes against your phone or run through a series of scenarios that involves killing aliens invading Earth. Graphics are a bit cartoon-like but only helps to make clear what is going on and levels are well laid out and encourage you to leap about exploring. Both background music and sounds effects work well. The scenarios are well scripted and you regularly get hints from the Fatal Force commanders. Weapons include flamethrowers, rocket launchers, grenades and at a couple of points you even get chance to use a mech for a short while. With the right power-up you can go into a Matrix-style bullet time to cope with the onslaught of aliens. The game lets you play via Bluetooth if others are in range. Online the game has quite a following with clans, player rankings and even new downloadable maps. ', 'UK', 'Mobiles rack up 20 years of use Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend. Britain\'s first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise. In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset. Mobiles have become so popular that many people use their handset as their only phone and rarely use a landline. The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched. The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked. The first call was made from St Katherine\'s dock to Vodafone\'s head office in Newbury which at the time was over a curry house. For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK. Then on 10 January Cellnet (now O2) launched its service. Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about £2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes. "Despite that they were hugely popular in the mid-80s," he said. "They became a yuppy must-have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk." This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on. He said it took Vodafone almost nine years to rack up its first million customers but only 18 months to get the second million. "It\'s very easy to forget that in 1983 when we put the bid document in we were forecasting that the total market would be two million people," he said. "Cellnet was forecasting half that." Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T-Mobile) was launched. Orange had its UK launch in 1994. Both newcomers operated digital mobile networks and now all operators use this technology. The analogue spectrum for the old phones has been retired. Called Global System for Mobiles (GSM) this is now the most widely used phone technology on the planet and is used to help more than 1.2 billion people make calls. Mr Caudwell said the advent of digital technology also helped to introduce all those things, such as text messaging and roaming that have made mobiles so popular. ', 'US', 'Blogs take on the mainstream Web logs or blogs are everywhere, with at least an estimated five million on the web and that number is set to grow. These online diaries come in many shapes and styles, ranging from people willing to sharing their views, pictures and links, to companies interested in another way of reaching their customers. But this year the focus has been on blogs which cast a critical eye over news events, often writing about issues ignored by the big media or offering an eye-witness account of events. Most blogs may have only a small readership, but communication experts say they have provided an avenue for people to have a say in the world of politics. The most well-known examples include Iraqi Salam Pax\'s accounts of the US-led war, former Iranian vice-president Mohammad Ali Abtahi exclusive insight into the Islamic Republic\'s government, and the highs and lows of the recent US election campaign. There are already websites pulling together these first-hand reporting accounts heralded by blogs, like wikinews.com, launched last November. The blogging movement has been building up for many years. Andrew Nachison, Director of the Media Center, a US-based think-tank that studies media, technology and society, highlights the US presidential race as a possible turning point for blogs. "You could look at that as a moment when audiences exercised a new form of power, to choose among many more sources of information than they have never had before," he says. "And blogs were a key part of that transformation." Among them were blogs carrying picture messages, saying "we are sorry" for George W Bush\'s victory and the responses from his supporters. Mr Nachison argues blogs have become independent sources for images and ideas that circumvent traditional sources of news and information such as newspapers, TV and radio. "We have to acknowledge that in all of these cases, mainstream media actually plays a role in the discussion and the distribution of these ideas," he told the BBC News website. "But they followed the story, they didn\'t lead it." Some parts of the so-called traditional media have expressed concerns about this emerging competitor, raising questions about the journalistic value of blogs. Others, like the French newspaper Le Monde, have applied a different strategy, offering blogs as part of its content. "I don\'t think the mission and role of journalism is threatened. It is in transition, as society itself is in transition," says Mr Nachison. However, he agrees with other experts like the linguist and political analyst Noam Chomsky, that mainstream media has lost the traditional role of news gatekeeper. "The one-to-many road of traditional journalism, yes, it is threatened. And professional journalists need to acclimate themselves to an environment in which there are many more contributors to the discourse," says Mr Nachison. "The notion of a gatekeeper who filters and decides what\'s acceptable for public consumption and what isn\'t, that\'s gone forever." "With people now walking around with information devices in their pockets, like camera or video phones, we are going to see more instances of ordinary citizens breaking stories." It seems unlikely that we will end up living in a planet where every human is a blogger. But the current number of blogs is likely to keep on growing, in a web already overloaded with information. Blog analysis firm Technorati estimates the number of blogs in existence, the so-called blogosphere, has already exceeded five million, and is growing at exponential levels. Tools such as Google\'s Blogger, MovableType and the recently launched beta version of MSN Spaces are making it easier to run a blog. US research think-tank Pew Internet & American Life says a blog is created every 5.8 seconds, although less than 40% of the total are updated at least once every two months. But experts agree that the phenomenon, allowing individuals to publish, share ideas, exchange information, comment on current issues, post images or video on the web easily, is here to stay. "We are entering one era in which the technological infrastructure is creating a different context for how we tell our stories and how we communicate with each other," said Mr Nachison. "And there\'s going to be bad that comes with the good." ', 'UK', 'Honour for UK games maker Leading British computer games maker Peter Molyneux has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours list. The head of Surrey\'s Lionhead Studios was granted the honour for services to the computer games industry. Mr Molyneux has been behind many of the ground-breaking games of the last 15 years such as Populous, Theme Park, Dungeon Keeper and Black and White. He is widely credited with helping to create and popularise the so-called god-game genre. Speaking to the BBC News website Mr Molyneux said receiving the honour was something of a surprise. It\'s come completely out of the blue," he said, "I never would have guessed that I\'d have that kind of honour." He said he was surprised as much because, not too long ago, many people thought computer gaming was a fad. "It was thought to be like skateboarding," he said, "a craze that everyone thought would go away." Now, he said, the gaming world rivals the movie industry for sales and cultural influence. "Britain plays a big part in it," he said. "It\'s one of the founding nations that made the industry what it is." Mr Molyneux has been a pivotal figure in the computer games industry for almost 20 years. His career started at Bullfrog Studios which in 1987 produced Populous one of the first God-games. The title gave players control over the lives a small population of computerised people. Mr Molyneux said that his involvement with the games industry started almost by accident as back in the early days game making was more a hobby than a career. "I thought everyone would treat Populous as weird," he said, "but it became a huge international success." He left Bullfrog in 1997 to set up Lionhead Studios which was behind the ambitous and widely acclaimed game Black & White. One of the next titles to come from Lionhead puts players in charge of a movie studio and tasks them with producing and directing a hit film. The veteran game maker says he has one problem still to solve. "Being an absolute geek I\'ve got no idea what I\'m going to wear when I go and pick it up," he said. ', 'US', 'Blogger grounded by her airline A US airline attendant is fighting for her job after she was suspended over postings on her blog, or online diary. Queen of the Sky, otherwise known as Ellen Simonetti, evolved into an anonymous semi-fictional account of life in the sky. But after she posted pictures of herself in uniform, Delta Airlines suspended her indefinitely without pay. Ms Simonetti was told her suspension was a result of "inappropriate" images. Delta Airlines declined to comment. "I was really shocked, I had no warning," Ms Simonetti told BBC News Online. "I never thought I would get in trouble because of the blog. I thought if they had a problem, someone would have said something before taking action." The issue has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest, employment law and free speech on personal websites. Ms Simonetti was suspended on 25 September pending an investigation and has since lodged a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). A spokesperson for Delta Airlines told BBC News Online: "All I can tell you is we do not discuss internal employee issues with the media." She added she could not say whether a similar situation over personal websites had occurred in the past. Ms Simonetti started her personal blog in January to help her get over her mother\'s death. She had ensured she made no mention of which airline she worked for, and created fictional names for cities and companies. The airline\'s name was changed to Anonymous Airline and the city in which she was based was called Quirksville. A large part of the blog contained fictional stories because Queen of the Sky developed over the months as a character in her own right, according to Ms Simonetti. The images were taken from a digital camera she had inherited from her mother. "We often take pictures on flight or on layovers. I just though why not include them on my blog for fun. "I never meant it as something to harm my company and don\'t understand how they think it did harm them," Ms Simonetti said. She has also claimed that pictures of male Delta Airline employees in uniform are freely available on the web. Of the 10 or so images on the site, only one showed Ms Simonetti\'s flight "wings". "They did not tell me which pictures they had a problem with. I am just assuming it was the one of me posing on seats where my skirt rode up," she said. The images were removed as soon as she learned she had been suspended. As far as Ms Simonetti knows, there is no company anti-blogging policy. There is guidance which suggests the company uniform cannot be used without approval from management, but use in personal pictures on websites is unclear. Jeffrey Matsuura, director of the law and technology programme at the University of Dayton, said personal websites can be hazardous for both employers and their employees. "There are many examples of employees who have presented some kind of material online that have gotten them in trouble with employers," he said. It was crucial that any policy about what was and what was not acceptable was expressed clearly, was reasonable, and enforced fairly in company policy. "You have to remember that as an employee, you don\'t have total free speech anymore," he said. Mr Matsuura added that some companies actively encouraged employees to blog. "One of the areas where it does become a problem is that they encourage this when it suits them, but they may not be particularly clear when they [employees] do cross the line." He speculated that Delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images of Ms Simonetti in uniform were posted. "Whether or not that is successful will depend on what exactly is prohibited, and whether you can reasonably say this content now crosses that line," he said. Ms Simonetti said her suspension has caused two of her friends to discontinue their blogs. One of them was asked to stop blogging by his company before any action was taken. "If they had asked me just take down the blog, I would have done it, but that was not been given to me as an option," she said. "This blogging thing is obviously a new problem for employers and they need to get a policy about it. If I had known it would cost me my job, I would not have done that." ', 'India', 'Web logs aid disaster recovery Some of the most vivid descriptions of the devastation in southern Asia are on the internet - in the form of web logs or blogs. Bloggers have been offering snapshots of information from around the region and are also providing some useful information for those who want to help. Indian writer Rohit Gupta edits a group blog called Dogs without Borders. When he created it, the site was supposed to be a forum to discuss relations between India and Pakistan. But in the wake of Sunday\'s tsunami, Mr Gupta and his fellow bloggers switched gears. They wanted to blog the tsunami and its aftermath. One Sri Lankan blogger in the group goes by the online name Morquendi. With internet service disrupted by the tsunami, Morquendi started sending SMS text messages via cell phone from the affected areas of Sri Lanka. "We started publishing these SMSes," says Mr Gupta. "Morquendi was describing scenes like 1,600 bodies washed up on a shore, and people burying, and burying and burying them. People digging holes with their hands. And this was coming through an SMS message. "We didn\'t have visual accounts on radio or on TV, or in the print media." Soon, thousands of web users around the world were logging on to read Morquendi\'s first hand accounts. In one message, Morquendi wrote about a Sri Lankan woman who was running home with a friend when the wave hit. "She was being swept away," Morquendi\'s message read. "She grabbed a tree with one hand and her friend with the other. She says she watched the water pull her friend away." Mr Gupta says the power of Morquendi\'s text message blogs was palpable. "He was running around, looking for friends, burying bodies, carrying bodies," Mr Gupta says of Morquendi. "I can\'t even begin to imagine the psychological state he was in when he was sending us reports, and doing the relief work at the same time. "He was caught between being a journalist and being a human being." Others blogs are helping to spread information about relief efforts. Dina Mehta is an Indian blogger who\'s helping with the newly created South East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog. She says the blog is not meant to be filled with first person accounts. "What we\'re doing is we\'re building a resource," she says. "Anyone who says, OK, I want to come and do some work in India, volunteer in India, or in Sri Lanka or Malaysia, this is the sort of one-stop-shop that they can come to for all sorts of resources - emergency help lines, relief agencies, aid agencies, contacts for them etc." Ms Mehta also says she wishes that governments in the region would realise the power of blogs. "Imagine if they had this resource available to them, if there was a disaster, how quickly you could funnel aid in, and get people to help," she says. Bloggers in the United States are also getting involved. Ramdhan Yadav Kotamaraja is originally from India, but now lives in Dallas. Mr Kotamaraja wanted to help those affected by the tsunami by pooling money with concerned friends. So, he set up an online payment system on his website. Then, says Mr Kotamaraja, the blogging world found out. "All my blogger friends started linking up my site, and I saw a lot of people other than my friends. I\'d say 70% of the donations came from people I don\'t know. "It\'s simply unbelievable to me, that people that I don\'t know will come and start donating." News spreads quickly on weblogs, a phenomenon that helps bloggers expand their audience and scope. In Sri Lanka, blogger Morquendi is recruiting others to help. One recruit calls himself Heretic. In one of his latest posts, Heretic asks: "Have you ever seen fishing trawlers on the road? Ever seen a bus inside a house? "Well," Heretic writes, "that was just the least affected areas - so you can just imagine - or can you?" He concludes: "Keep it blogged." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. ', 'UK', 'Games maker fights for survival One of Britain\'s largest independent game makers, Argonaut Games, has been put up for sale. The London-based company behind the Harry Potter games has sacked about 100 employees due to a severe cash crisis. The administrators told BBC News Online that selling Argonaut was the only way to save it as it had run out of cash. Argonaut warned that it was low on cash 10 days ago when its shares were suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange. Argonaut has been making games for some 18 years and is one the largest independent games developers in the UK. Along with its headquarters in north London, it operates studios in Cambridge and Sheffield. Argonaut was behind the Harry Potter games which provided a healthy flow of cash into the company. But, like all software developers, Argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. Signs that it was in trouble emerged in August, when it warned it was heading for losses of £6m in the financial year due to delays in signing new contracts for games. Those new deals were further delayed, leading Argonaut to warn in mid-October that it was running out of cash and suspend trading of its shares on the London Stock Exchange. As part of cost-cutting measures, some 100 employees were fired. "When the news about the £6m loss came out, we knew there were going to be redundancies," said Jason Parkinson, one of the game developers sacked by Argonaut. "A lot of people suspected that Argonaut had been in trouble for some time," he told BBC News Online. Mr Parkinson said staff were told the job losses were necessary to save Argonaut from going under. At the start of the year, the company employed 268 people. After the latest round of cuts there are 80 staff at Argonaut headquarters in Edgware in north London, with 17 at its Morpheme offices in Kentish Town, London, and 22 at the Just Add Monsters base in Cambridge. Argonaut called in administrators David Rubin & Partners on Friday to find a way to rescue the company from collapse. It spent the weekend going over the company\'s finances and concluded that the only way to save the business was to put it up for sale. The administrator told BBC News Online that the costs of restructuing would be too high, partly because of the overheads from the company\'s four premises across the UK. It said it was hopeful that it could save some 110 jobs by selling the business, saying it had had expressions of interest from several quarters and were looking for a quick sale. The administrator said it would ensure that staff made redundant would receive any wages, redundancy or holiday pay due to them, hopefully by Christmas. ', 'UK', 'Argonaut founder rebuilds empire Jez San, the man behind the Argonaut games group which went into administration a week ago, has bought back most of the company. The veteran games developer has taken over the Cambridge-based Just Add Monsters studios and the London subsidiary Morpheme. The Argonaut group went into administration due to a severe cash crisis, firing about half of its staff. In August it had warned of annual losses of £6m for the year to 31 July. Jez San is one of the key figures in the UK\'s games industry. The developer, who received an OBE in 2002, was estimated to have been worth more than £200m at the peak of the dotcom boom. He founded Argonaut in 1982 and has been behind titles such as 1993 Starfox game. More recently it was behind the Harry Potter games for the PlayStation. But, like all software developers, Argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. In August it warned of annual losses of £6m, blaming delays in signing new contracts and tough conditions in the software industry. The group\'s three subsidiaries were placed in administration a week ago, with Mr Sans resigning as the company\'s CEO and some 100 staff being fired. After the latest round of cuts, there were 80 workers at Argonaut headquarters in Edgware in north London, with 17 at its Morpheme offices in Kentish Town, London, and 22 at the Just Add Monsters base in Cambridge. Mr San has re-emerged, buying back Morpheme and Just Add Monsters. "We are pleased to announce the sale of these two businesses as going concerns," said David Rubin of administrators David Rubin & Partners. "This has saved over 40 jobs as well as the substantial employment claims that would have arisen had the sales not been achieved." Mr Rubin said the administrators were in talks over the sale of the Argonaut software division in Edgware and were hopeful of finding a buyer. "This is a very difficult time for all the employees there, but I salute their commitment to the business while we work towards a solution," he said. Some former employees are angry at the way cash crisis was handled. One told BBC News Online that the staff who had been fired had been "financially ruined in the space of a day". ', 'UK', "'Ultimate game' award for Doom 3 Sci-fi shooter Doom 3 has blasted away the competition at a major games ceremony, the Golden Joystick awards. It was the only title to win twice, winning Ultimate Game of the year and best PC game at the awards, presented by Little Britain star Matt Lucas. The much-anticipated sci-fi horror Doom 3 shot straight to the top of the UK games charts on its release in August. Other winners included Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which took the Most Wanted for Christmas prize. Only released last week, it was closely followed by Halo 2 and Half-Life 2, which are expected to be big hits when they are unleashed later this month. But they missed out on the prize for the Most Wanted game of 2005, which went to the Nintendo title, The Legend of Zelda. The original Doom, released in 1994, heralded a new era in computer games and introduced 3D graphics. It helped to establish the concept of the first-person shooter. Doom 3 was developed over four years and is thought to have cost around $15m (£8.3m). The top honour for the best online game of the year went to Battlefield Vietnam. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay was handed the Unsung Hero Game of 2004. Its release was somewhat eclipsed by Doom 3, which was released on the same week. It was, however, very well received by gamers and was praised for its storyline which differed from the film released around the same time. Electronic Arts was named top publisher of the year, taking the crown from Nintendo which won in 2003. The annual awards are voted for by more than 200,000 readers of computer and video games magazines. Games awards like this have grown in importance. Over the last six years, the UK market for games grew by 100% and was worth a record £1,152m in 2003, according to a recent report by analysts Screen Digest. ", 'Japan', 'Gadget show heralds MP3 season Partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this Christmas. With Apple\'s iPod topping wish lists again, there may not be enough iPod minis to go round, predicts Oliver Irish, editor of gadget magazine Stuff. "The iPod mini is likely to be this year\'s Tracey Island," said Mr Irish. Stuff has compiled a list of the top 10 gadgets for 2004 and the iPod is at number one. For anyone bewildered by the choice of gadgets on the market, Stuff and What Hi-Fi? are hosting a best-of gadget show in London this weekend. Star of the show will be Sony\'s Qrio Robot, an all-singing, all-dancing, football-playing man-machine who can even hold intelligent conversations. But he is not for sale and Sony has no commercial plans for the robot. "He will greet visitors and is flying in from Japan. He probably has his own airplane seat, that is how highly Sony prize him," said Mr Irish. Also on display will be a virtual keyboard which projects itself onto any flat surface. The event will play host to a large collection of digital music players, from companies such as Creative, Sony and Philips as well as the ubiquitously fashionable iPod from Apple. Suggestions that it could be a gaming or wireless Christmas are unlikely to come true as MP3 players remain the most popular stocking filler, said Mr Irish. "Demand is huge and Apple has promised that it can supply enough but people might struggle to get their hands on iPod minis," said Mr Irish. For those who like their gadgets to be multi-talented, the Gizmondo, a powerful gaming console with GPS and GPRS, that also doubles up as an MP3 player, movie player and camera, could be a must-have. "What is impressive is how much it can do and how well it can do them," said Mr Irish. This Christmas, gadgets will not be an all-male preserve. "Women will be getting gadgets from husbands and boyfriends as well as buying them for themselves," said Mr Irish. "Gadgets nowadays are lifestyle products rather than just for geeks." ', 'UK', 'Slim PlayStation triples sales Sony PlayStation 2\'s slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale. Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft\'s Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track. The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release. Latest figures suggest it has sold more than 677,000 copies. "It is obviously very, very encouraging for Sony because Microsoft briefly outsold them last week," John Houlihan, editor of Computerandvideogames.com told BBC News. "And with Halo 2 [for Xbox] out next week, it really is a head-to-head contest between them and Xbox." Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that. The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console. Edinburgh-based developer, Rockstar, which is behind the GTA titles, has seen San Andreas pull in an estimated £24m in gross revenues over the weekend. In comparison, blockbuster films like Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban took £11.5m in its first three days at the UK box office. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took nearly £10m over its opening weekend, although games titles are four to five times more expensive than cinema tickets. Gangster-themed GTA San Andreas is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto Vice City which previously held the record for the fastest-selling video game ever. The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year. The original title won universal acclaim in 2001, and sold more than four million copies. Mr Houlihan added that Sony had done well with the PS2, but it definitely helped that the release of San Andreas coincided with the slimline PS2 hitting the shelves. The run-up to Christmas is a huge battlefield for games consoles and titles. Microsoft\'s Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales. The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate. Sony and Microsoft have both reduced console prices recently and are preparing the way for the launches of their next generation consoles in 2005. "Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan. ', 'US', 'US duo in first spam conviction A brother and sister in the US have been convicted of sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages to AOL subscribers. It is the first criminal prosecution of internet spam distributors. Jurors in Virginia recommended that the man, Jeremy Jaynes, serve nine years in prison and that his sister, Jessica DeGroot, be fined $7,500. They were convicted under a state law that bars the sending of bulk e-mails using fake addresses. They will be formally sentenced next year. A third defendant, Richard Rutkowski, was acquitted. Prosecutors said Jaynes was "a snake oil salesman in a new format", using the internet to peddle useless wares, news agency Associated Press reported. A "Fed-Ex refund processor" was supposed to allow people to earn $75 an hour working from home. Another item on sale was an "internet history eraser". His sister helped him process credit card payments. Jaynes amassed a fortune of $24m from his sales, prosecutors said. "He\'s been successful ripping people off all these years," AP quoted prosecutor Russell McGuire as saying. Jaynes was also found guilty of breaking a state law which prohibits the sending of more than 100,000 e-mails in 30 days, Virginia State Attorney General Jerry Kilgore reportedly said. Prosecutors had asked for 15 years in jail for Jaynes, and a jail term for his sister. But Jaynes\' lawyer David Oblon called the nine-year recommended term "outrageous" and said his client believed he was innocent. He pointed out that all three of the accused lived in North Carolina and were unaware of the Virginia state law. Spam messages are estimated to account for at least 60% of all e-mails sent. ', 'US', 'US blogger fired by her airline A US airline attendant suspended over "inappropriate images" on her blog - web diary - says she has been fired. Ellen Simonetti, known as Queen of the Sky, wrote an anonymous semi-fictional account of her life in the sky. She was suspended by Delta in September. In a statement, she said she was initiating legal action against the airline for "wrongful termination". A Delta spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that Ms Simonetti was no longer an employee. Delta has repeatedly declined to elaborate on what it calls "internal employee matters". A spokesperson reiterated this position on Wednesday, confirming only that Ms Simonetti was no longer with the company. The spokesperson also confirmed that there were "very clear rules" attached to the unauthorised use of Delta branding, including uniforms. Ms Simonetti announced on her blog she had been fired on 1 November. She said in an official statement: "As a result of my suspension and subsequent termination without cause by Delta Airlines I am moving forward with filing a discrimination complaint with the Federal Government EEOC [US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]." She added she had also hired a Texas-based law firm to initiate legal action for "wrongful termination, defamation of character and lost future wages." Ms Simonetti told the BBC News website she had received no warning or further explanation when she was suspended on 25 September. Queen of the Sky has received a lot of support and advice from the global blogging community since news of her suspension was brought to light on the BBC News website and others. Her story has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest, employment law and free speech on personal websites. The blog, which she started in January as a way of getting over her mother\'s death, contains a mix of fictional and non-fictional accounts. Queen of the Sky developed over the months as a character in her own right, according to Ms Simonetti. In the postings, she made up fictional names for cities and other companies she mentioned to protect anonymity. But some postings contained images of herself in uniform. Of the 10 or so images only one showed Ms Simonetti\'s flight "wings". She removed them as soon as she was informed of her suspension. "I never meant it as something to harm my company and don\'t understand how they think it did harm them," Ms Simonetti said. A legal expert in the US speculated that Delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images were posted. Delta has been hit recently by pressures of rising fuel costs and fierce competition. It has said it needs to cut between 6,000 and 7,000 jobs and reduce costs by $5bn (£2.7bn) a year. Analysts had warned recently that the airline might have to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy prevention. Last week, it struck a $1bn cost-cutting deal with its pilots which could save it from bankruptcy. The deal would see pilots accept a 32% pay cut in return for the right to buy 30 million Delta shares, unions said. And on Monday, it negotiated a deal to defer about $135m in debt which was due next year, until 2007. The airline also said it had agreed the terms of a $600m loan from American Express. ', 'US', 'Gates opens biggest gadget fair Bill Gates has opened the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, saying that gadgets are working together more to help people manage multimedia content around the home and on the move. Mr Gates made no announcement about the next generation Xbox games console, which many gadget lovers had been hoping for. About 120,000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet and runs from 6 to 9 January. The latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies will all be on show over the three days. Mr Gates said that a lot of work had been done in the last year to sort out usability and compatibility issues between devices to make it easier to share content. "We predicted at the beginning of the decade that the digital approach would be taken for granted - but there was a lot of work to do. "What is fun is to come to the show and see what has been done. It is going even faster than we expected and we are excited about it." He highlighted technology trends over the last year that had driven the need to make technology and transferring content across difference devices "seamless". "Gaming is becoming more of a social thing and all of the social genres will use this rich communications. "And if we look at what has been going on with e-mail, instant messaging, blogging, entertainment - if we can make this seamless, we can create something quite phenomenal." Mr Gates said the PC, like Microsoft\'s Media Centre, had a central role to play in how people would be making the most out of audio, video and images but it would not be the only device. "It is the way all these devices work together which will make the difference," he said. He also cited the success of the Microsoft Xbox video game Halo 2, released in November, which pushed Xbox console sales past PlayStation in the last two months of 2004 for the first time in 2004. The game, which makes use of the Xbox Live online games service, has sold 6.23 million copies since its release. "People are online and playing together and that really points to the future," he said. Several partnerships with device and hardware manufacturers were highlighted during Mr Gates\' speech, but there were few major groundbreaking new technology announcements. Although most of these affected largely US consumers, the technologies highlighted the kind of trends to come. These included what Mr Gates called an "ecosystem of technologies", like SBC\'s IPTV, a high-definition TV and digital video recorder that worked via broadband to give high-quality and fast TV. There were also other deals announced which meant that people could watch and control content over portable devices and mobile phones. CES features several more key speeches from major technology players, such as Intel and Hewlett Packard, as well as parallel conference sessions on gaming, storage, broadband and the future of digital music. About 50,000 new products will be unleashed at the tech-fest, which is the largest yet. Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers the CEA on Tuesday. The gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the US in 2004. That trend is predicted to continue with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. ', 'US', "GTA sequel is criminally good The Grand Theft Auto series of games have set themselves the very highest of standards in recent years, but the newest addition is more than able to live up to an increasingly grand tradition. The 18 certificate GTA: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2 could have got away with merely revisiting a best-selling formula with a more-of-the-same approach. Instead, it builds and expands almost immeasurably upon the last two games and stomps, carefree, over all the Driv3r and True Crime-shaped opposition. Even in the year that will see sequels to Halo and Half-Life, it is hard to envisage anything topping this barnstorming instant classic. The basic gameplay remains familiar. You control a character, on this occasion a youth named CJ, who sets out on a series of self-contained missions within a massive 3D environment. CJ can commandeer any vehicle he stumbles across from a push-bike to a city bus to a plane. All come in handy as he seeks to establish his presence in a tough urban environment and avenge the dreadful deeds waged upon his family. To make things worse, he is framed for murder the moment he arrives in town, and blackmailed by crooked cops played by Samuel L Jackson and Chris Penn. The setting for all this rampant criminality is the fictional US state of San Andreas, comprising three major cities: Los Santos, which is a thinly-disguised Los Angeles, San Fierro, aka San Francisco and Las Venturas, a carbon copy of Las Vegas. San Andreas sucks you in with its sprawling range, cast of characters and incredibly sharp writing. Its ability to capture the ambience of the real-world versions of these cities is something to behold, assisted no end by the monumental graphical advances since Vice City. The streets, and vast swathes of countryside, are by turns gloriously menacing, grungy and preppy. Flaunting awesome levels of graphical detail, the game's overall look, particularly during the many unusual weather conditions and dramatic sunsets, is stupendous. The outstanding bread-and-butter gameplay mechanics provide a solid grounding for the elaborate plot to hang on. Cars handle more convincingly than ever, a superb motion blur kicks in when you hit high speeds, and there's more traffic to navigate than before. Park your vehicle across the lanes of a freeway, and within seconds there will be a huge pile-up. Pedestrians are also out in force, and are a loquacious bunch. CJ can interact with them using a simple system on the control pad. They will pass comments on his appearance and credibility, aspects that the player now has control over. Clothes, tattoos and haircuts can all be purchased, and funding these habits can be achieved by criminal means or by indulging in mini-games like betting on horses and challenging bar patrons to games of pool. The character will put on or lose weight according to how long he spends on foot or in the gym. He will have to pause regularly in restaurants to keep energy levels up, but will swell up as a result of over-eating. And at last, this is a GTA hero who can swim. At a time when games are once again under fire for their supposed potential to corrupt the young, San Andreas' violence, or specifically the freedom it gives the player to commit violence, are sure to inflame the pro-censorship brigade. Developers Rockstar have not shied away from brutality, and in some respects ramp it up from past outings. When hijacking a car, for example, CJ will gratuitously shove the driver's head into the steering wheel rather than just fleeing with the vehicle. Indeed, the tone is darker than the jokey Vice City. The grim subject matter here hardly lends itself to gags in quite the same way as the cheesy 80s setting of the last game. This title, incidentally, is set in 1992, but that is really neither here nor there apart from the influence it has on the radio playlists. The wit is still present, just more restrained than in previous outings. A further reason for this is that the incredible range of in-vehicle radio stations available means you will spend less time happening upon the hilarious talk radio options, where GTA games' trademark humour is anchored. The quality of voice acting and motion capture is simply off-the-chart. The game's rather odious gangland lowlifes swagger and mouth off in a way that rings very true indeed. It is a testament to San Andreas' magnificence that it has a number of prominent flaws, but plus-points are so numerous that the niggles don't detract. The on-screen map, for instance, is needlessly fiddly, an unwelcome change from past editions. There is also a very jarring slowdown at action-packed moments. And the game suffers from the age-old problem that can be relied upon to blight all games of this genre, setting you back a vast distance when you fail right at the very end of a long mission. But the gameplay experience in its entirety is overwhelmingly positive. You simply will not be bothered by these minor failings. San Andreas is among the few unmissable games of 2004. ", 'UK', 'BT offers free net phone calls BT is offering customers free internet telephone calls if they sign up to broadband in December. The Christmas give-away entitles customers to free telephone calls anywhere in the UK via the internet. Users will need to use BT\'s internet telephony software, known as BT Communicator, and have a microphone and speakers or headset on their PC. BT has launched the promotion to show off the potential of a broadband connection to customers. People wanting to take advantage of the offer will need to be a BT Together fixed-line customer and will have to sign up to broadband online. The offer will be limited to the first 50,000 people who sign up and there are limitations - the free calls do not include calls to mobiles, non-geographical numbers such as 0870, premium numbers or international numbers. BT is keen to provide extra services to its broadband customers. "People already using BT Communicator have found it by far the most convenient way of making a call if they are at their PC," said Andrew Burke, director of value-added services at BT Retail. As more homes get high-speed access, providers are increasingly offering add-ons such as cheap net calls. "Broadband and telephony are attractive to customers and BT wants to make sure it is in the first wave of services," said Ian Fogg, an analyst with Jupiter Research. "BT Communicator had a quiet launch in the summer and now BT is waving the flag a bit more for it," he added. BT has struggled to maintain its market share of broadband subscribers as more competitors enter the market. Reports say that BT has lost around 10% of market share over the last year, down from half of broadband users to less than 40%. BT is hoping its latest offer can persuade more people to jump on the broadband bandwagon. It currently has 1.3 million broadband subscribers. ', 'UK', 'When invention turns to innovation It is unlikely that future technological inventions are going to have the same kind of transformative impact that they did in the past. When history takes a look back at great inventions like the car and transistor, they were defining technologies which ultimately changed people\'s lives substantially. But, says Nick Donofrio, senior vice-president of technology and manufacturing at IBM, it was not "the thing" itself that actually improved people\'s lives. It was all the social and cultural changes that the discovery or invention brought with it. The car brought about a crucial change to how people lived in cities, giving them the ability to move out into the suburbs, whilst having mobility and access. "When we talk about innovation and creating real value in the 21st Century, we have to think more like this, but faster," Mr Donofrio told the BBC News website, after giving the Royal Academy of Engineering 2004 Hinton Lecture. "The invention, discovery is likely not to have the same value as the transistor had or the automobile had. "The equivalent of those things will be invented or discovered, but by themselves, they are just not going to able to generate real business value or wealth as these things did." These are not altogether new ideas, and academics have been exploring how technologies impact wider society for years. But what it means for technology companies is that a new idea, method, or device, will have to have a different kind thinking behind it so that people see the value that innovative technology has for them. We are in a different phase now when it comes to technology, argues Mr Donofrio, Industry Week\'s 2003 Technology Leader of the Year. The hype and over-promise is over and now technology leaders have to demonstrate that things work, make sense, make a difference and life gets better as a result. "In the dotcom era, there was something that was jumping up in your face every five minutes. "Somebody had a new thing that would awe you. You weren\'t quite sure that it did anything, you weren\'t quite sure if you needed it, you weren\'t quite sure if it had value for it, but it was cool." But change and innovation in technology that people will see affecting their daily lives, he says, will come about slowly, subtlety, and in ways that will no longer be "in your face". It will creep in pervasively. Nanotechnologies will play a key part in this kind of pervasive environment in all sorts of ways, through new superconducting materials, to coatings, power, and memory storage. "I am a very big believer in the evolution of this industry into a pervasive environment, in an incredible network infrastructure," says Mr Donofrio. Pervasive computing is where wireless computing rules, and where jewellery, clothes, and everyday objects become the interfaces instead of bulky wires, screens and keyboards. The net becomes a true network that is taken for granted and just there, like air. "People will not have to do anything to stay connected. People will know their lives are just better," says Mr Donofrio. "Trillions of devices will be connected to the net in ways people will not know." Natural interfaces will develop, devices will shape your persona, and our technologically underused voices could be telling our jewellery to sort out the finances. Ultimately, there will be, says Mr Donofrio, no value in being "computer illiterate". To some, it sounds like a technological world gone mad. To Mr Donofrio, it is a vision innovation that will happen. Behind this vision should be a rich robust network capability and "deep computing", says Mr Donofrio. Deep computing is the ability to perform lots of complex calculations on massive amounts of data, and integral to this concept is supercomputing. It has value, according to IBM, because it helps humans work out extremely complex problems to come up with valuable solutions, like how to refine millions of net search results, finding cures for diseases, or understanding of exactly how a gene or protein operates. But pervasive computing presumably means having technologies that are aware of diversity of contexts, commands, and requirements of a diverse world. As computing and technologies become part of the environment, part of furniture, walls, and clothing, physical space becomes a more important consideration. This is going to need a much broader range of skills and experience. "I am confident that the SET [science, engineering and technology] industry is going to be short on skills," he says. "If I am right about what innovation is, you need to be multidisciplinary and collaborative. "Women tend to have those traits a lot better than men." Eventually, women could win out in both life and physical sciences, he says. In the UK, a DTI-funded resource centre for women has set a target to have 40% representation on SET industry boards. IBM, according to Mr Donofrio, has 30%. "Our goal is for our research team to become the preferred organisation for women in science and technology to begin their career." The whole issue of global diversity is as much a business matter as it is a moral and social concern to Mr Donofrio. "We believe in the whole issue of global diversity," he says. "Our customers are diverse, our clients are diverse. They expect us to look like them. "As more and more women or underrepresented minorities succeed into leadership positions, it becomes and imperative for us to constantly look like them." ', 'US', "Firefox browser takes on Microsoft Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a serious rival in the long-awaited Firefox 1.0 web browser, which has just been released. Few people get excited when some new software is released, especially when the program is not a game or a music or movie player. But the release of the first full version of Firefox has managed to drum up a respectable amount of pre-launch fervour. Fans of the software have banded together to raise cash to pay for an advert in the New York Times announcing that version 1.0 of the browser is available. The release of Firefox 1.0 on 9 November might even cause a few heads to turn at Microsoft because the program is steadily winning people away from the software giant's Internet Explorer browser. Firefox has been created by the Mozilla Foundation which was started by former browser maker Netscape back in 1998. Much of the development work done since then has gone into Firefox which made its first appearance under this name in February. Earlier incarnations, but which had the same core technology, were called Phoenix and Firebird. Since then the software has been gaining praise and converts, not least because of the large number of security problems that have come to light in Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Rivals to IE got a boost in late June when two US computer security organisations warned people to avoid the Microsoft program to avoid falling victim to a serious vulnerability. Internet monitoring firm WebSideStory has charted the growing population of people using the Firefox browser and says it is responsible for slowly eroding the stranglehold of IE. Before July this year, according to WebSideStory, Internet Explorer was used by about 95% of web surfers. That figure had remained static for years. In July the IE using population dropped to 94.7% and by the end of October stood at 92.9%. The Mozilla Foundation claims that Firefox has been downloaded almost eight million times and has publicly said it would be happy to garner 10% of the Windows- using, net-browsing population. Firefox is proving popular because, at the moment, it has far fewer security holes than Internet Explorer and has some innovations lacking in Microsoft's program. For instance, Firefox allows the pages of different websites to be arranged as tabs so users can switch easily between them. It blocks pop-ups, has a neat way of finding text on a page and lets you search through the pages you have browsed. One of the most powerful features of Firefox is the many hundreds of extras, or extensions, produced for it. The Mozilla Foundation is an open source organisation which means that the creators of the browser are happy for others to play around with the core code for the program. This has resulted in many different add-ons or extensions for the browser which now include everything from a version of the familiar Google toolbar to a Homeland Security monitor that keep users aware of current threat levels. Firefox, which used to be called Firebird and before that Phoenix, also has a growing number of vocal net-based fans. A campaign co-ordinated by the Spread Firefox website attempted to raise the $50,000 needed for a full page advert in the New York Times. The campaign set itself a target of recruiting 2500 volunteers. Ten days in to the campaign 10,000 people had signed up and now about $250,000 has been raised. The ad is due to run sometime in a three-week period in late November/early December. The surplus cash will be used to help keep the Mozilla Foundation running. Microsoft is facing a growing challenge to IE's hold on the web using population. from alternative browsers such as Opera, Safari, Amaya and even Netscape. ", 'India', 'Text messages aid disaster recovery Text messaging technology was a valuable communication tool in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The messages can get through even when the cell phone signal is too weak to sustain a spoken conversation. Now some are studying how the technology behind SMS could be better used during an emergency. Sanjaya Senanayake works for Sri Lankan television. The blogging world, though, might know him better by his online name, Morquendi. He was one of the first on the scene after the tsunami destroyed much of the Sri Lankan coast. Cell phone signals were weak. Land lines were unreliable. So Mr Senanayake started sending out text messages. The messages were not just the latest news they were also an on-the-ground assessment of "who needs what and where". Blogging friends in India took Mr Senanayake\'s text messages and posted them on a weblog called Dogs without Borders. Thousands around the world followed the story that unfolded in the text messages that he sent. And that\'s when Mr Senanayake started to wonder if SMS might be put to more practical use. "SMS networks can handle so much more traffic than the standard mobile phone call or the land line call," he says. "In every rural community, there\'s at least one person who has access to a mobile phone, or has a mobile phone, and can receive messages." Half a world away, in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Taran Rampersad read Morquendi\'s messages. Mr Rampersad, who used to work in the military, knew how important on the ground communication can be in times of disaster. He wondered if there might be a way to automatically centralise text messages, and then redistribute them to agencies and people who might be able to help. Mr Rampersad said: "Imagine if an aid worker in the field spotted a need for water purification tablets, and had a central place to send a text message to that effect. "He can message the server, so the server can send out an e-mail message and human or machine moderators can e-mail aid agencies and get it out in the field." He added: "Or, send it at the same time to other people who are using SMS in the region, and they might have an excess of it, and be able to shift supplies to the right places." Mr Rampersad and others had actually been thinking about such a system since Hurricane Ivan ravaged the Caribbean and the southern United States last September. Last week, he sent out e-mail messages asking for help in creating such a system for Asia. In only 72 hours, he found Dan Lane, a text message guru living in Britain. The pair, along with a group of dedicated techies, are creating what they call the Alert Retrieval Cache. The idea is to use open-source software - software can be used by anyone without commercial restraint - and a far-flung network of talent to create a system that links those in need with those who can help. "This is a classic smart mobs situation where you have people self-organizing into a larger enterprise to do things that benefit other people," says Paul Saffo, a director at the California-based Institute for the Future. "You may be halfway around the world from someone, but in cyberspace you\'re just one click or one e-mail away," he said, "That\'s put a whole new dimension on disaster relief and recovery, where often people halfway around the world can be more effective in making something happen precisely because they\'re not right on top of the tragedy." It is still very early days for the project, though. In an e-mail, Dan Lane calls it "an early proof of concept." Right now, the Alert Retrieval Cache can only take a text message and automatically upload it to a web-page, or distribute it to an e-mail list. In the near future, the group says it hopes to take in messages from people in affected areas, and use human moderators to take actions based on the content of those messages. But there\'s still another challenge. You have to get people to know that the system is there for them to use. "It\'s amazing how difficult it is to find someone to pass it along to, and say, look this is what we\'re trying to do and everything like that," says Mr Rampersad. "So the big problem right now is the same problem we\'re trying to solve - human communication." He is optimistic, however. He thinks that the Alert Retrieval Cache is an idea whose time has come and he hopes governments, too, will sit up and take notice. And he stands by his motto, courtesy of Michelangelo: criticise by creating. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. ', 'Europe', "Football Manager scores big time For the past decade or so the virtual football fans among us will have become used to the annual helping of Championship Manager (CM). Indeed, it seems like there has been a CM game for as many years as there have been PCs. However, last year was the final time that developers Sports Interactive (SI) and publishers Eidos would work together. They decided to go their separate ways, and each kept a piece of the franchise. SI kept the game's code and database, and Eidos retained rights to the CM brand, and the look and feel of the game. So at the beginning of this year, fans faced a new situation. Eidos announced the next CM game, with a new team to develop it from scratch, whilst SI developed the existing code further to be released, with new publishers Sega, under the name Football Manager. So what does this mean? Well, Football Manager is the spiritual successor to the CM series, and it has been released earlier than expected. At this point CM5 looks like it will ship early next year. But given that Football Manager 2005 is by and large the game that everybody knows and loves, how does this new version shape up? A game like FM2005 could blind you with statistics. It has an obscene number of playable leagues, an obscene number of manageable teams and a really obscene number of players and staff from around the world in the database, with stats faithfully researched and compiled by a loyal army of fans. But that does not do justice to the game really. What we are talking about is the most realistic and satisfying football management game to ever grace the Earth. You begin by picking the nations and leagues you want to manage teams from, for instance England and Scotland. That will give you a choice not just of the four main Scottish leagues, but the English Premiership all the way down to the Conference North and South. Of course you might be looking for European glory, or to get hold of Abramovich's millions, in which case you can take control at Chelsea, or even Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan ... the list goes on a very long way. Once in a team you will be told by the board what they expect of you. Sometimes it is promotion, or a place in Europe, sometimes it is consolidation or a brave relegation battle. It might even be a case of Champions or else. Obviously the expectations are linked to the team you choose, so choose wisely. Then it is time to look at your squad, work out your tactics, seeing how much cash, if any, you have got to splash, having a look at the transfer market, sorting out the training schedule and making sure your backroom staff are up to it. Then bring on the matches, which are once more available in the ever-improving top down 2D view. With the exception of the improved user interface on the surface, not much else seems to have changed. However, there have been a lot of changes under the bonnet as well - things like the manager mind-games, which let you talk to the media about the opposition bosses. The match engine is also much improved, and it is more of a joy than ever to watch. In fact just about every area of the game has been tweaked, and it leads to an ever more immersive experience. With a game that is so complex and so open-ended, there are of course a few glitches, but nowhere near the sorts of problems that have blighted previous releases. With so many calculations to perform the game can take some time to process in between matches, though there have been improvements in this area. And a sport like football, which is so high profile and unpredictable itself, can never be modelled quite to everybody's satisfaction. But this time around a great deal of hard work has been put in to ensure that any oddities that do crop up are cosmetic only, and do not affect gameplay. And if there are problems further down the line, Sports Interactive have indicated their usual willingness to support and develop the game as far as possible. In all there are many more tweaks and improvements. If you were a fan of the previous CM games, then FM2005 might make you forget there was anything else before it. If you are new to the genre but like the idea of trying to take Margate into the Premiership, Spurs into Europe, or even putting Rangers back on the top of the tree, FM2005 could be the best purchase you ever made. Just be warned that the family might not see you much at Christmas. Football Manager 2005 out now for the PC and the Mac ", 'US', 'Musicians \'upbeat\' about the net Musicians are embracing the internet as a way of reaching new fans and selling more music, a survey has found. The study by US researchers, Pew Internet, suggests musicians do not agree with the tactics adopted by the music industry against file-sharing. While most considered file-sharing as illegal, many disagreed with the lawsuits launched against downloaders. "Even successful artists don\'t think the lawsuits will benefit musicians," said report author Mary Madden. For part of the study, Pew Internet conducted an online survey of 2,755 musicians, songwriters and music publishers via musician membership organisations between March and April 2004. They ranged from full-time, successful musicians to artists struggling to make a living from their music. "We looked at more of the independent musicians, rather than the rockstars of this industry but that reflects more accurately the state of the music industry," Ms Madden told the BBC News website. "We always hear the views of successful artists like the Britneys of the world but the less successful artists rarely get represented." The survey found that musicians were overwhelming positive about the internet, rather than seeing it as just a threat to their livelihood. Almost all of them used the net for ideas and inspiration, with nine out of 10 going online to promote, advertise and post their music on the web. More than 80% offered free samples online, while two-thirds sold their music via the net. Independent musicians, in particular, saw the internet as a way to get around the need to land a record contract and reach fans directly. "Musicians are embracing the internet enthusiastically," said Ms Madden. "They are using the internet to gain inspiration, sell it online, tracking royalties, learning about copyright." Perhaps surprisingly, opinions about online file-sharing were diverse and not as clear cut as those of the record industry. Through the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it has pursued an aggressive campaign through the courts to sue people suspected of sharing copyrighted music. But the report suggests this campaign does not have the wholehearted backing of musicians in the US. It found that most artists saw file-sharing as both good and bad, though most agreed that it should be illegal. "Free downloading has killed opportunities for new bands to break without major funding and backing," said one musician quoted by the report. "It\'s hard to keep making records if they don\'t pay for themselves through sales." However 60% said they did not think the lawsuits against song swappers would benefit musicians and songwriters. Many suggested that rather than fighting file-sharing, the music industry needed to recognise the changes it has brought and embrace it. "Both successful and struggling musicians were more likely to say that the internet has made it possible for them to make more money from their music, rather than make it harder for them to protect their material from piracy," said Ms Madden. ', 'Europe', 'Freeze on anti-spam campaign A campaign by Lycos Europe to target spam-related websites appears to have been put on hold. Earlier this week the company released a screensaver that bombarded the sites with data to try to bump up the running costs of the websites. But the site hosting the screensaver now displays a pink graphic and the words "Stay tuned". No one at Lycos was available for comment on latest developments in its controversial anti-spam campaign. Lycos Europe\'s "Make love not spam" campaign was intended as a way for users to fight back against the mountain of junk mail flooding inboxes. People were encouraged to download the screensaver which, when their PC was idle, would then send lots of data to sites that peddle the goods and services mentioned in spam messages. Lycos said the idea was to get the spam sites running at 95% capacity and generate big bandwidth bills for the spammers behind the sites. But the plan has proved controversial. Monitoring firm Netcraft analysed response times for some of the sites targeted by the screensaver and found that a number were completely knocked offline. The downing of the sites could dent Lycos claims that what it is doing does not amount to a distributed denial of service attack. In such attacks thousands of computers bombard sites with data in an attempt to overwhelm them. Laws in many countries do not explicitly outlaw such attacks but many nations are re-drafting computer use laws to make them specific offences. Lycos Europe now appears to have put the plan on hold. The site hosting the screensaver currently shows a holding page, with the words, "Stay tuned". The numerical internet address of the site has also changed. This is likely to be in response to spammers who have reportedly redirected traffic from their sites back to the Lycos screensaver site. The campaign has come under fire from some corners of the web. Many discussion groups have said that it set a dangerous precedent and could incite vigilantism. "Attacking a spammer\'s website is like poking a grizzly bear sleeping in your back garden with a pointy stick," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Not only is this screensaver similar in its approach to a potentially illegal distributed denial of service attack, but it also is in danger of turning innocent computer users into vigilantes, who may not be prepared for whatever retaliation the spammers care to dream up." ', 'US', 'ITunes user sues Apple over iPod A user of Apple\'s iTunes music service is suing the firm saying it is unfair he can only use an iPod to play songs. He says Apple is breaking anti-competition laws in refusing to let other music players work with the site. Apple, which opened its online store in 2003 after launching the iPod in 2001, uses technology to ensure each song bought only plays on the iPod. Californian Thomas Slattery filed the suit in the US District Court in San Jose and is seeking damages. "Apple has turned an open and interactive standard into an artifice that prevents consumers from using the portable hard drive digital music player of their choice," the lawsuit states. The key to such a lawsuit would be convincing a court that a single brand like iTunes is a market in itself separate from the rest of the online music market, according to Ernest Gellhorn, an anti-trust law professor at George Mason University. "As a practical matter, the lower courts have been highly sceptical of such claims," Prof Gellhorn said. Apple has sold more than six million iPods since the gadget was launched and has an 87% share of the market for portable digital music players, market research firm NPD Group has reported. More than 200 million songs have been sold by the iTunes music store since it was launched. "Apple has unlawfully bundled, tied, and/or leveraged its monopoly in the market for the sale of legal online digital music recordings to thwart competition in the separate market for portable hard drive digital music players, and vice-versa," the lawsuit said. Mr Slattery called himself an iTunes customer who "was also forced to purchase an Apple iPod" if he wanted to take his music with him to listen to. A spokesman for Apple declined to comment. Apple\'s online music store uses a different format for songs than Napster, Musicmatch, RealPlayer and others. The rivals use the MP3 format or Microsoft\'s WMA format while Apple uses AAC, which it says helps thwart piracy. The WMA format also includes so-called Digital Rights Management which is used to block piracy. ', 'UK', 'Broadband fuels online change Fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online, research suggests. A quarter of broadband users in Britain regularly upload content and have personal sites, according to a report by UK think-tank Demos. It said that having an always-on, fast connection is changing the way people use the internet. More than five million households in the UK have broadband and that number is growing fast. The Demos report looked at the impact of broadband on people\'s net habits. It found that more than half of those with broadband logged on to the web before breakfast. One in five even admitted to getting up in the middle of the night to browse the web. More significantly, argues the report, broadband is encouraging people to take a more active role online. It found that one in five post something on the net everyday, ranging from comments or opinions on sites to uploading photographs. "Broadband is putting the \'me\' in media as it shifts power from institutions and into the hands of the individual," said John Craig, co-author of the Demos report. "From self-diagnosis to online education, broadband creates social innovation that moves the debate beyond simple questions of access and speed." The Demos report, entitled Broadband Britain: The End Of Asymmetry?, was commissioned by net provider AOL. "Broadband is moving the perception of the internet as a piece of technology to an integral part of home life in the UK," said Karen Thomson, Chief Executive of AOL UK, "with many people spending time on their computers as automatically as they might switch on the television or radio." According to analysts Nielsen//NetRatings, more than 50% of the 22.8 million UK net users regularly accessing the web from home each month are logging on at high speed They spend twice as long online than people on dial-up connections, viewing an average of 1,444 pages per month. The popularity of fast net access is growing, partly fuelled by fierce competition over prices and services. ', 'US', '\'Blog\' picked as word of the year The term "blog" has been chosen as the top word of 2004 by a US dictionary publisher. Merriam-Webster said "blog" headed the list of most looked-up terms on its site during the last twelve months. During 2004 blogs, or web logs, have become hugely popular and some have started to influence mainstream media. Other words on the Merriam-Webster list were associated with major news events such as the US presidential election or natural disasters that hit the US. Merriam-Webster defines a blog as: "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks". Its list of most looked-up words is drawn up every year and it discounts terms such as swear words, that everyone likes to look up, or those that always cause problems, such as "affect" and "effect". Merriam-Webster said "blog" was the word that people have asked to be defined or explained most often over the last 12 months. The word will now appear in the 2005 version of Merriam-Webster\'s printed dictionary. However, the word is already included in some printed versions of the Oxford English Dictionary. A spokesman for the Oxford University Press said that the word was now being put into other dictionaries for children and learners, reflecting its mainstream use. "I think it was the word of last year rather than this year," he said. "Now we\'re getting words that derive from it such as \'blogosphere\' and so on," he said. "But," he added, "it\'s a pretty recent thing and in the way that this happens these days it\'s got established very quickly." Blogs come in many different forms. Many act as news sites for particular groups or subjects, some are written from a particular political slant and others are simply lists of interesting sites. Other terms in the top 10 were related to natural disasters that have struck the US, such as "hurricane" or were to do with the US election. Words such as "incumbent", "electoral" and "partisan" reflected the scale of interest in the vote. Blogs also proved very useful to both sides in the US election battle because many pundits who maintain their own journals were able to air opinions that would never appear in more mainstream media. Speculation that President Bush was getting help during debates via a listening device was first aired on web logs. Online journals also raised doubts about documents used by US television news organisation CBS in a story about President Bush\'s war record. The immediacy of many blogs also helped some wield influence over topics that made it in to national press. This is despite the fact that the number of people reading even the most influential blogs is tiny. Statistics by web influence ranking firm HitWise reveal that the most popular political blog racks up only 0.0051% of all net visits per day. One of the reasons that blogs and regularly updated online journals have become popular is because the software used to put them together make it very easy for people to air their views online. According to blog analysis firm Technorati the number of blogs in existence, the blogosphere, has doubled every five and a half months for the last 18 months. Technorati now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million. Some speculate that less than a quarter of this number are regularly maintained. According to US research firm Pew Internet & American Life a blog is created every 5.8 seconds. Another trend this year has been the increasing numbers of weblogs that detail the daily lives of many ordinary workers in jobs that few people know much about. In many repressive regimes and developing nations, blogs have been embraced by millions of people keen to give their plight a voice. ', 'UK', 'New Year\'s texting breaks record A mobile phone was as essential to the recent New Year\'s festivities as a party mood and Auld Lang Syne, if the number of text messages sent is anything to go by. Between midnight on 31 December and midnight on 1 January, 133m text messages were sent in the UK. It is the highest ever daily total recorded by the Mobile Data Association (MDA). It represents an increase of 20% on last year\'s figures. Wishing a Happy New Year to friends and family via text message has become a staple ingredient of the year\'s largest party. While texting has not quite overtaken the old-fashioned phone call, it is heading that way, said Mike Short, chairman of the MDA. "In the case of a New Years Eve party, texting is useful if you are unable to speak or hear because of a noisy background," he said. There were also lots of messages sent internationally, where different time zones made traditional calls unfeasible, he said. The British love affair with texting shows no signs of abating and the annual total for 2004 is set to exceed 25bn, according to MDA. The MDA predicts that 2005 could see more than 30bn text messages sent in the UK. "We thought texting might slow down as MMS took off but we have seen no sign of that," said Mr Short. More and more firms are seeing the value in mobile marketing. Restaurants are using text messages to tell customers about special offers and promotions. Anyone in need of a bit of January cheer now the party season is over, can use a service set up by Jongleurs comedy club, which will text them a joke a day. For those still wanting to drink and be merry as the long days of winter draw in, the Good Pub Guide offers a service giving the location and address of their nearest recommended pub. Users need to text the word GOODPUB to 85130. If they want to turn the evening into a pub crawl, they simply text the word NEXT. And for those still standing at the end of the night, a taxi service in London is available via text, which will locate the nearest available black cab. ', 'US', 'Online games play with politics After bubbling under for some time, online games broke through onto the political arena in 2004. The US presidential election provided a showcase for many, aimed at talking directly to a generation that has grown up with joysticks and gamepads. Experts say this reflects how video games are becoming a mainstream part of culture and society. The first official political campaign game was technically launched during the last week of 2003: the Iowa Game, commissioned by the Democrat hopeful Howard Dean. More than 20 followed suit, including Frontrunner, eLections, President Forever and The Political Machine, which allowed players to run an entire presidential campaign, including having to cope with the media. Others helped raise the stakes during the Bush/Kerry contest by highlighting a candidate\'s virtues or his vices. The phenomenon has astonished the forefathers of political games, a handful of multi-discipline games enthusiasts keen to push frontiers. "When I started researching political games at the university, about five years ago, I thought it was going to be something that would take decades to happen," said Gonzalo Frasca, computer games specialist at the Information Technology University of Copenhagen. "I must admit that I was the first person to be surprised at seeing how fast they have evolved," added the Uruguayan-born researcher, who has so far created games for two political campaigns. Many artists and designers are experimenting with this form of gaming with an agenda in projects such as newsgaming.com. The aim is to comment on international news events via games. The ability of games to simulate reality makes them a powerful modelling tool to interact with actual situations in an original way. "Video games generate strong reactions mainly because they are new, but also because our culture needs to learn how to deal with simulation," Mr Frasca told the BBC News website. This was the case with the one he created for a political party in Uruguay, Cambiemos, an online puzzle game that offered a view on how the country\'s problems could be solved by working together. "It\'s up to us to explore what we can learn from ourselves through play and video games." Ultimately, Dr Frasca sees games as a small laboratory where we can play with our hopes, fears and beliefs. "Children learn a lot about the world through play. There is no reason why we adults should stop doing it as we grow up." But experts estimate it will still take at least about a decade until this new breed of video gaming communication become a common tool for political campaigns. This is hardly surprising, compared to other forms of mass media like the worldwide web. Only a few years ago, most politicians did not have a webpage, while now it is almost a must-have. Dr Frasca said: "Political campaigns will continue to experiment with video games. They represent a new tool of communication that can reach a younger audience in a language that can clearly speak to them." "It will not replace other forms of political propaganda, but it will integrate itself on to the media ecology of political campaigns." ', 'Europe', 'Freeze on anti-spam campaign A campaign by Lycos Europe to target spam-related websites appears to have been put on hold. Earlier this week the company released a screensaver that bombarded the sites with data to try to bump up the running costs of the websites. But the site hosting the screensaver now displays a pink graphic and the words "Stay tuned". No one at Lycos was available for comment on latest developments in its controversial anti-spam campaign. Lycos Europe\'s "Make love not spam" campaign was intended as a way for users to fight back against the mountain of junk mail flooding inboxes. People were encouraged to download the screensaver which, when their PC was idle, would then send lots of data to sites that peddle the goods and services mentioned in spam messages. Lycos said the idea was to get the spam sites running at 95% capacity and generate big bandwidth bills for the spammers behind the sites. But the plan has proved controversial. Monitoring firm Netcraft analysed response times for some of the sites targeted by the screensaver and found that a number were completely knocked offline. The downing of the sites could dent Lycos claims that what it is doing does not amount to a distributed denial of service attack. In such attacks thousands of computers bombard sites with data in an attempt to overwhelm them. Laws in many countries do not explicitly outlaw such attacks but many nations are re-drafting computer use laws to make them specific offences. Lycos Europe now appears to have put the plan on hold. The site hosting the screensaver currently shows a holding page, with the words, "Stay tuned". The numerical internet address of the site has also changed. This is likely to be in response to spammers who have reportedly redirected traffic from their sites back to the Lycos screensaver site. The campaign has come under fire from some corners of the web. Many discussion groups have said that it set a dangerous precedent and could incite vigilantism. "Attacking a spammer\'s website is like poking a grizzly bear sleeping in your back garden with a pointy stick," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Not only is this screensaver similar in its approach to a potentially illegal distributed denial of service attack, but it also is in danger of turning innocent computer users into vigilantes, who may not be prepared for whatever retaliation the spammers care to dream up." ', 'US', 'Doors open at biggest gadget fair Thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. About 50,000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. Microsoft chief Bill Gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on Wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation Xbox. The thrust of this year\'s show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store, listen to, and watch what they want on devices any time, anywhere. About 120,000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. Highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies. The show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard among others. "The story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them," Jeff Joseph, from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) told the BBC News website. "It is about personalisation - taking your MP3 player and creating your own playlist, taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters." Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers, the CEA, on Tuesday. The gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the US in 2004. Shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. That trend is predicted to continue, according to CEA analysts, with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. The fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank DVD media, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, digital video recorders (DVRs), and portable music players. "This year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your PVR [personal video recorder] in your living room, you can move that content around the house. "Some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere," said Mr Joseph. He said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the "democratisation" of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music, video, and images. There will also be more focus on the design of technologies, following the lead that Apple\'s iPod made, with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern. The CEA predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. Gaming would continue to thrive, especially on mobile devices, and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. Games consoles sales have been declining, but the launch of next generation consoles, such as Microsoft\'s Xbox and PlayStation, could buoy up sales. Although it has been widely predicted that Mr Gates would be showcasing the new Xbox, some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. Some have suggested the announcement may take place at the Games Developers Conference in the summer instead. With more than 52% of US homes expected to have home networks, the CEA suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images, video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home, will be more commonplace. Portable devices that combine mobile telephony, digital music and video players, will also be more popular in 2005. Their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films, TV, and audio wherever they are. This means more storage technologies will be in demand, such as external hard drives, and flash memory like SD cards. CES runs officially from 6 to 9 January. ', 'US', "Who do you think you are? The real danger is not what happens to your data as it crosses the net, argues analyst Bill Thompson. It is what happens when it arrives at the other end. The Financial Services Authority has warned banks and other financial institutions that members of criminal gangs may be applying for jobs which give them access to confidential customer data. The fear is not that they will steal money from our bank accounts but that they will instead steal something far more valuable in our digital society - our identities. Armed with the personal details that a bank holds, plus a fake letter or two, it is apparently easy to get a loan, open a bank account with an overdraft or get a credit card in someone else's name. And it is then a simple matter to move the money into another account and leave the unwitting victim to sort out the mess when statements and demands for payment start arriving. Identity theft is an increasingly significant economic crime, and we are all becoming more aware of the dangers of leaving bills, receipts and bank statements unshredded in our rubbish. But, however careful you may be, if the organisations you trust with your personal data, bank accounts and credit cards are not able to look after their databases properly then you are in trouble. It is surprising that it has taken the gangs so long to realise that a well-placed insider is by far the simplest way to break the security of a computer system. In fact, I suspect that the FSA is probably very late to this particular party and that this sort of thing has been going on for rather a long time. Has anyone checked Bob Cratchit's family links to the criminal underworld, I wonder? And it is hardly likely to be only banks that are being targeted. Health authorities, government agencies and of course the big e-commerce sites like Amazon must also offer rich pickings for the fraudsters. The good news is that better auditing is likely to catch out those who access account details that they are not supposed to. And as we all become aware of the danger of identity theft and look more carefully for unexpected transactions on our statements, banks should have good enough records and logs to trace the people who might have accessed the account details. Fortunately there are now ways to keep bank systems more secure from the sort of data theft that involves taking a portable hard drive or flash memory card into the office, plugging it into a USB slot and sucking down customer files. Companies like SecureWave, for example, can restrict the use of USB ports just to authorised devices or even to an individual's personal memory card. These solutions are not perfect, but it does not feel like a wave of fraud is about to wash away the entire financial system. However the warning does highlight one of the major issues with e-commerce and online trading - the security or otherwise of the servers and other systems that make up the 'back office'. It has been clear for years that the real danger in paying for goods online with a credit card is not that the number will be intercepted in transit but that the shop you are dealing with will be hacked. In fact I do not know of a single case where an e-mail containing payment details has led to card fraud. There are simply too many e-mails passing over the net for interception to be a sensible tool for anyone out to commit fraud. CD Universe, Powergen and many other companies have left their databases open and suffered the consequences. And just last week the online bank Cahoot admitted that its customer account details could be read by anyone who could guess a login name. Whether it is external hackers breaking in because of poor system security or internal staff abusing the access they get as part of their job, the issue is the same: how do we make sure that our personal data is not abused? Any organisation that processes personal data is, of course, bound by the Data Protection Act and must take proper care of it. Unauthorised disclosure is not allowed, but the penalties are small and the process of prosecuting under the Act so convoluted as to be worthless in practice. This is not something we can just leave it to the market. The consequences of having one's identity stolen are too serious, and markets respond too slowly. After all, I bank with Cahoot but it would be so much hassle to move my accounts that I did not even consider it when I heard about their security problems. I doubt many others have closed their accounts, especially when there is little guarantee that other banks are not going to make the same sort of mistake in future. The two options would seem to be more stringent data protection law, so that companies really feel the pressure to improve their internal processes, or a wave of civil lawsuits against financial institutions with sloppy practices whose customers suffer from identity theft. I have never felt comfortable with the US practice of suing everything that moves, partly because it seems to make lawyers richer than their clients, so I know which I'd prefer. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ", 'UK', "'Ultimate game' award for Doom 3 Sci-fi shooter Doom 3 has blasted away the competition at a major games ceremony, the Golden Joystick awards. It was the only title to win twice, winning Ultimate Game of the year and best PC game at the awards, presented by Little Britain star Matt Lucas. The much-anticipated sci-fi horror Doom 3 shot straight to the top of the UK games charts on its release in August. Other winners included Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which took the Most Wanted for Christmas prize. Only released last week, it was closely followed by Halo 2 and Half-Life 2, which are expected to be big hits when they are unleashed later this month. But they missed out on the prize for the Most Wanted game of 2005, which went to the Nintendo title, The Legend of Zelda. The original Doom, released in 1994, heralded a new era in computer games and introduced 3D graphics. It helped to establish the concept of the first-person shooter. Doom 3 was developed over four years and is thought to have cost around $15m (£8.3m). The top honour for the best online game of the year went to Battlefield Vietnam. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay was handed the Unsung Hero Game of 2004. Its release was somewhat eclipsed by Doom 3, which was released on the same week. It was, however, very well received by gamers and was praised for its storyline which differed from the film released around the same time. Electronic Arts was named top publisher of the year, taking the crown from Nintendo which won in 2003. The annual awards are voted for by more than 200,000 readers of computer and video games magazines. Games awards like this have grown in importance. Over the last six years, the UK market for games grew by 100% and was worth a record £1,152m in 2003, according to a recent report by analysts Screen Digest. ", 'Japan', 'Gadget show heralds MP3 Christmas Partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this Christmas. With Apple\'s iPod topping wish lists again, there may not be enough iPod minis to go round, predicts Oliver Irish, editor of gadget magazine Stuff. "The iPod mini is likely to be this year\'s Tracey Island," said Mr Irish. Stuff has compiled a list of the top 10 gadgets for 2004 and the iPod is at number one. For anyone bewildered by the choice of gadgets on the market, Stuff and What Hi-Fi? are hosting a best-of gadget show in London this weekend. Star of the show will be Sony\'s Qrio Robot, an all-singing, all-dancing, football-playing man-machine who can even hold intelligent conversations. But he is not for sale and Sony has no commercial plans for the robot. "He will greet visitors and is flying in from Japan. He probably has his own airplane seat, that is how highly Sony prize him," said Mr Irish. Also on display will be a virtual keyboard which projects itself onto any flat surface. The event will play host to a large collection of digital music players, from companies such as Creative, Sony and Philips as well as the ubiquitously fashionable iPod from Apple. Suggestions that it could be a gaming or wireless Christmas are unlikely to come true as MP3 players remain the most popular stocking filler, said Mr Irish. "Demand is huge and Apple has promised that it can supply enough but people might struggle to get their hands on iPod minis," said Mr Irish. For those who like their gadgets to be multi-talented, the Gizmondo, a powerful gaming console with GPS and GPRS, that also doubles up as an MP3 player, movie player and camera, could be a must-have. "What is impressive is how much it can do and how well it can do them," said Mr Irish. This Christmas, gadgets will not be an all-male preserve. "Women will be getting gadgets from husbands and boyfriends as well as buying them for themselves," said Mr Irish. "Gadgets nowadays are lifestyle products rather than just for geeks." ', 'US', 'US duo in first spam conviction A brother and sister in the US have been convicted of sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages to AOL subscribers. It is the first criminal prosecution of internet spam distributors. Jurors in Virginia recommended that the man, Jeremy Jaynes, serve nine years in prison and that his sister, Jessica DeGroot, be fined $7,500. They were convicted under a state law that bars the sending of bulk e-mails using fake addresses. They will be formally sentenced next year. A third defendant, Richard Rutkowski, was acquitted. Prosecutors said Jaynes was "a snake oil salesman in a new format", using the internet to peddle useless wares, news agency Associated Press reported. A "Fed-Ex refund processor" was supposed to allow people to earn $75 an hour working from home. Another item on sale was an "internet history eraser". His sister helped him process credit card payments. Jaynes amassed a fortune of $24m from his sales, prosecutors said. "He\'s been successful ripping people off all these years," AP quoted prosecutor Russell McGuire as saying. Jaynes was also found guilty of breaking a state law which prohibits the sending of more than 100,000 e-mails in 30 days, Virginia State Attorney General Jerry Kilgore reportedly said. Prosecutors had asked for 15 years in jail for Jaynes, and a jail term for his sister. But Jaynes\' lawyer David Oblon called the nine-year recommended term "outrageous" and said his client believed he was innocent. He pointed out that all three of the accused lived in North Carolina and were unaware of the Virginia state law. Spam messages are estimated to account for at least 60% of all e-mails sent. ', 'UK', 'Slimmer PlayStation triple sales Sony PlayStation 2\'s slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale. Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft\'s Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track. The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release. Latest figures suggest it has sold more than 677,000 copies. "It is obviously very, very encouraging for Sony because Microsoft briefly outsold them last week," John Houlihan, editor of Computerandvideogames.com told BBC News. "And with Halo 2 [for Xbox] out next week, it really is a head-to-head contest between them and Xbox." Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that. The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console. Edinburgh-based developer, Rockstar, which is behind the GTA titles, has seen San Andreas pull in an estimated £24m in gross revenues over the weekend. In comparison, blockbuster films like Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban took £11.5m in its first three days at the UK box office. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took nearly £10m over its opening weekend, although games titles are four to five times more expensive than cinema tickets. Gangster-themed GTA San Andreas is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto Vice City which previously held the record for the fastest-selling video game ever. The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year. The original title won universal acclaim in 2001, and sold more than four million copies. Mr Houlihan added that Sony had done well with the PS2, but it definitely helped that the release of San Andreas coincided with the slimline PS2 hitting the shelves. The run-up to Christmas is a huge battlefield for games consoles and titles. Microsoft\'s Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales. The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate. Sony and Microsoft have both reduced console prices recently and are preparing the way for the launches of their next generation consoles in 2005. "Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan. ', 'US', 'US blogger fired by her airline A US airline attendant suspended over "inappropriate images" on her blog - web diary - says she has been fired. Ellen Simonetti, known as Queen of the Sky, wrote an anonymous semi-fictional account of her life in the sky. She was suspended by Delta in September. In a statement, she said she was initiating legal action against the airline for "wrongful termination". A Delta spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that Ms Simonetti was no longer an employee. Delta has repeatedly declined to elaborate on what it calls "internal employee matters". A spokesperson reiterated this position on Wednesday, confirming only that Ms Simonetti was no longer with the company. The spokesperson also confirmed that there were "very clear rules" attached to the unauthorised use of Delta branding, including uniforms. Ms Simonetti announced on her blog she had been fired on 1 November. She said in an official statement: "As a result of my suspension and subsequent termination without cause by Delta Airlines I am moving forward with filing a discrimination complaint with the Federal Government EEOC [US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]." She added she had also hired a Texas-based law firm to initiate legal action for "wrongful termination, defamation of character and lost future wages." Ms Simonetti told the BBC News website she had received no warning or further explanation when she was suspended on 25 September. Queen of the Sky has received a lot of support and advice from the global blogging community since news of her suspension was brought to light on the BBC News website and others. Her story has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest, employment law and free speech on personal websites. The blog, which she started in January as a way of getting over her mother\'s death, contains a mix of fictional and non-fictional accounts. Queen of the Sky developed over the months as a character in her own right, according to Ms Simonetti. In the postings, she made up fictional names for cities and other companies she mentioned to protect anonymity. But some postings contained images of herself in uniform. Of the 10 or so images only one showed Ms Simonetti\'s flight "wings". She removed them as soon as she was informed of her suspension. "I never meant it as something to harm my company and don\'t understand how they think it did harm them," Ms Simonetti said. A legal expert in the US speculated that Delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images were posted. Delta has been hit recently by pressures of rising fuel costs and fierce competition. It has said it needs to cut between 6,000 and 7,000 jobs and reduce costs by $5bn (£2.7bn) a year. Analysts had warned recently that the airline might have to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy prevention. Last week, it struck a $1bn cost-cutting deal with its pilots which could save it from bankruptcy. The deal would see pilots accept a 32% pay cut in return for the right to buy 30 million Delta shares, unions said. And on Monday, it negotiated a deal to defer about $135m in debt which was due next year, until 2007. The airline also said it had agreed the terms of a $600m loan from American Express. ', 'Germany', 'Mobiles double up as bus tickets Mobiles could soon double up as travel cards, with Nokia planning to try out a wireless ticket system on German buses. Early next year travellers in the city of Hanau, near Frankfurt, will be able to pay for tickets by passing their phone over a smart-card reader already installed on the buses. Passengers will need to own a Nokia 3220 handset which will have a special shell attached to it. The system would reduce queues and make travelling easier, said Nokia. Transport systems around the world are seeing the advantage of using ticketless smartcards. Using a mobile phone is the next step, said Gerhard Romen, head of market development at Nokia. The ticketless trial will start early in 2005 and people will also be able to access transport information and timetables via their phones. Nokia has worked with electronics giant Philips to develop a shell for the mobile phone that will be compatible with Hanau\'s existing ticketing system. The system opens up possibilities for mobile devices to be interact with everyday environments, said Mr Romen. "It could be used in shops to get product information, at bus-stops to get information about the next bus or, for example, by being passed over an advert of a rock star to find out details of concerts or get ringtones," he told the BBC News website. He is confident that the trial being run in Germany could be extended to transport systems in other countries. "The technology offers access to a lot of services and makes it easy to get the information you want," he said. ', 'UK', 'Mobile gig aims to rock 3G Forget about going to a crowded bar to enjoy a gig by the latest darlings of the music press. Now you could also be at a live gig on your mobile, via the latest third generation (3G) video phones. Rock outfit Rooster are playing what has been billed as the first ever concert broadcast by phone on Tuesday evening from a London venue. The 45-minute gig is due to be "phone cast" by the 3G mobile phone operator, 3. 3G technology lets people take, watch and send video clips on their phones, as well as swap data much faster than with 2G networks like GSM. People with 3G phones in the UK can already download football and music clips on their handsets. Some 1,000 fans of the London-based band will have to pay five pounds for a ticket and need a 3G handset. "Once you have paid, you can come and go as much as you like, because we expect the customers to be mobile," said 3 spokesperson Belinda Henderson. "It\'s like going to a concert hall, except that you are virtually there." The company behind the trial hopes to learn more about how people use their video phones. "We are looking on how long people will stay on average on the streams. Some people may stay the whole time, some may dip in and out," said Ms Henderson. "We actually expect people to dip in and out because they are mobile and they will be doing other things." 3 is looking to music as a way of persuading more people to take up the latest video phones. It is already planning regular gigs throughout 2005. And during the intermission, of course, you would still be able to make a phone call. ', 'Europe', 'Consumers \'snub portable video\' Consumers want music rather than movies while on the move, says a report. Produced by Jupiter Research the analysis of the portable media player market found only 13% of Europeans want to watch video while out and about. By contrast, almost a third are interested in listening to music on a portable player such as an iPod. The firm said gadget makers should avoid hybrid devices and instead make sure music reproduction was as good as possible. The report concluded that the driving force behind the growth of Europe\'s portable player market was likely to be music, rather than films or any combination of the two. Barely 5% of those questioned said they wanted a player that could play back both music and movies. Only 7% wanted a player that could handle games and video. "Dedicated music players are the only established digital media players in Europe today despite their high prices," said Ian Fogg, Jupiter analyst. Mr Fogg said although video players and smartphones were trying to cash in on this success they faced a tough job because of the compromises that had to be made when creating a dual-purpose device. "Europeans care most about music playback," he said. The report showed that 27% of consumers asked are interested in portable music players. The research revealed that French, 39%, and British, 31%, consumers were most interested in music players. Mr Fogg said portable video players were likely to remain a niche product that would not be able to compete with devices dedicated to music playback. A separate report by Jupiter forecasts that the European digital music market will grow to 836m euros (£581m) by 2009. At the end of 2003, the market was worth 10.6m euros (£7.36m). Digital music players will be behind this market growth said Jupiter . Apple\'s iPod was launched in October 2001, but the portable music player market has been growing steadily since the launch of the Creative Nomad Jukebox in mid-2000. Now consumers face an almost overwhelming choice of high-capacity portable music players that let them store every track on every CD that they own. ', 'China', 'China \'blocks Google news site\' China has been accused of blocking access to Google News by the media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders. The Paris-based pressure group said the English-language news site had been unavailable for the past 10 days. It said the aim was to force people to use a Chinese edition of the site which, according to the watchdog, does not include critical reports. Google told the BBC News website it was aware of the problems and was investigating the causes. China is believed to extend greater censorship over the net than any other country in the world. A net police force monitors websites and e-mails, and controls on gateways connecting the country to the global internet are designed to prevent access to critical information. Popular Chinese portals such as Sina.com and Sohu.com maintain a close eye on content and delete politically sensitive comments. And all 110,000 net cafes in the country have to use software to control access to websites considered harmful or subversive. "China is censoring Google News to force internet users to use the Chinese version of the site which has been purged of the most critical news reports," said the group in a statement. "By agreeing to launch a news service that excludes publications disliked by the government, Google has let itself be used by Beijing," it said. For its part, the search giant said it was looking into the issue. "It appears that many users in China are having difficulty accessing Google News sites in China and we are working to understand and resolve the issue," said a Google spokesperson. Google News gathers information from some 4,500 news sources. Headlines are selected for display entirely by a computer algorithm, with no human editorial intervention. It offers 15 editions of the service, including one tailored for China and one for Hong Kong. Google launched a version in simplified Chinese in September. The site does not filter news results to remove politically sensitive information. But Google does not link to news sources which are inaccessible from within China as this would result in broken links. ', 'UK', "A question of trust and technology A major government department is without e-mail for a week, and technology analyst Bill Thompson wants to know what happened. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how my girlfriend had suffered when her cable modem blew up and she was offline for several days. It seems that thousands of civil servants at the UK's Department of Work and Pensions went through the same thing last week. It has emerged that the internal network crashed in a particularly horrible way, depriving staff of e-mail and access to the application software they use to calculate people's benefit and pension entitlement or note changes in personal circumstances. Senior consultants from EDS, the computer firm which manage the system, and Microsoft, which supplied the software, were running around trying to figure out what had to be done to fix it all, while staff resorted to phone, fax and probably carrier pigeon to get work done. Fortunately the back-office systems which actually pay people their money were still working, so only new claims and updates were affected done properly. This is bad enough for those affected, but it does mean that the impact is not devastating for millions of pensioners. I am sure regular readers will be expecting one of my usual diatribes against poor software, badly specified systems and inadequate disaster recovery plans. Although the full story has not yet been told, it seems that the problem started when a plan to upgrade some of the computers from Windows 2000 to Windows XP went wrong, and XP code was inadvertently copied to thousands of machines across the network. This is certainly unfortunate, but I have a lot of sympathy for the network managers and technology staff involved. Today's computer networks are large, complex and occasionally fragile. The interconnectedness that we all value also gives us a degree of instability and unpredictability that we cannot design out of the systems. It is the network equivalent of Godel's Theorem - any system sufficiently complex to be useful is also able to collapse catastrophically. So I will reserve judgment on the technology aspects until we all know what actually happened and whether it was a consequence of software failure or just bad luck. What is really disturbing, and cannot be excused, is the fact that it took four days for news of this systems failure to leak out into the technical press. It is, without a doubt, a major story and was the second or third lead item on BBC Radio 4's Today programme throughout Friday morning. So why did not the prime minister's official spokesman mention it at any lobby briefings before Friday? Why was not the pensions minister in Parliament to make an emergency statement on Tuesday, when it was clear that there was a serious problem? If there had been an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in the air conditioning system we would have been told, but it seems that major technology problems do not merit the same treatment. While EDS and Microsoft will no doubt be looking for technical lessons to learn from their week of pain, we can learn some political lessons too. And the most important is that in this digital world, technology failures are matters of public interest, not something that can be ignored in the hope that nobody will notice, care or understand. That means we need a full report on what went wrong and what was done to fix it. It would be unacceptable for any of the parties involved to hide behind commercial confidentiality or even parliamentary privilege. A major system has evidently collapsed and we need to know what went wrong and what is being done differently. Anything less is a betrayal of public trust. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ", 'France', 'Call for action on internet scam Phone companies are not doing enough to warn customers about internet "rogue-dialling" scams, according to premium phone line regulator Icstis. It has received 45,000 complaints in recent months about dial-up internet connections diverting to premium rate numbers without users\' knowledge. Phone companies refuse to pay compensation because they say calls must be paid for. They must warn people earlier about possible fraud, Icstis said. People who use dial-up connections can be affected by the scams. Without realising, a program can be downloaded which diverts internet calls via a premium phone line. Victims often fail to notice until they receive an unusually high bill. Icstis spokesman Rob Dwight said: "Phone companies should get in touch with their customers sooner. "If my bill goes over the usual £50 a month I want to know about it straight away - I don\'t want to be told when it\'s hit £750." Phone companies had the systems in place to spot fraudulent activity and artificially-inflated traffic, he said. "We alert them to the numbers that we have under investigation and they should be looking out for these numbers," he added. Telecoms ombudsman Elizabeth France said: "Certainly I would not be surprised to find my credit card company phoning me if I do something out of the ordinary. "So I would expect phone companies to be looking to see if they can have a similar approach." The biggest phone company BT says it is doing what it can to monitor fraud and warn people about rogue dialling. Its advice to customers is to use call barring if they want to prevent calls to premium lines because, under the current system, once the call has been made there\'s little that can be done. Gavin Patterson, group managing director for BT Consumer, said "We do look at customer\'s calling patterns and we do make interventions when they are out of the ordinary. "We\'re looking at the moment at whether we can improve this." But as BT handled 180 million calls a day monitoring was "quite a task in itself", he added. The government has ordered a review of premium line services and is likely to say Icstis should have more power to deal with rogue diallers in future. At the moment, it cannot demand pay-outs on the behalf of customer - it can only close illegal services down. I use free anti-virus software (AVG) and free firewall protection (ZoneAlarm). Both of these tools have prevented unauthorised access and outgoing calls inadvertently and innocently caused by my daughter\'s love of music sites. How about ISPs informing all customers of such facilities? The responsibility clearly falls with the customer but many fall prey through simply not knowing how to avoid these issues. Ignorance is and always has been an expensive business. Does any one know what happens once this fraud has been committed and recognised? The phone companies pay the people who obtaining money fraudulently, so are these people followed up and prosecuted ? These diallers are mainly downloaded from sites offering illegal MP3s, porn and pirated software. If people didn\'t visit such sites they\'d be considerably less at risk. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? It seems everyone has to be a \'victim\' these days! Part of the blame has to rest with the manufacturers of home computer operating systems. A secure system should not allow a web page or email to download and install anything without the user\'s knowledge. These scams are illegal and telephone companies should have nothing to do with them. They should refuse to pay money over to the perpetrators. Or are they themselves receiving such good returns that it is in their interest to keep the scam going? Why don\'t BT et al block all premium numbers by default and only turn it off at the customer\'s request? To anyone who falls foul of this scam - refuse to pay your telephone provider for these calls. After you notify your telephone provider of these fraudulent transactions, they cannot insist on you paying the bill. To do so would be to knowingly assist the fraudsters to commit the fraud. No customers have yet been taken to court for refusing to pay these bills. Disable or remove your modem and use broadband instead - then you have nothing to worry about. Or buy some decent firewall software and anti-virus. You would not walk out in the freezing cold without a coat - you would not drive your car without any insurance - so why not protect your PC? Stop blaming the phone companies - it\'s not their fault! I was very impressed with our phone company recently. I had kept ringing a hotline number for Kylie tickets and next day they rang back to ask if I was aware there were 40-odd calls to the same number. Great service. And I got the tickets as well! I have a colleague who has fallen victim to this kind of scam. He informed the phone company about it, they subsequently put a block on premium rate numbers. Three months later another huge bill of over £1,000 came in - the block apparently didn\'t work and he still has to pay for it, even though a block was in place. Phone companies are probably quite happy for their customers to be hit with a huge bill, otherwise they\'d be taking extra steps to prevent this kind of problem. I have been scammed of £139. The operator will do nothing about this and, to add insult to injury, I was charged VAT by the government. Premium rate numbers have been subject to various scams ever since they were invented. One example was where thieves would set up a premium rate number and then dial it day and night from phones whose quarterly bills were never paid. The telephone company was the victim here and you can bet that loophole was blocked very quickly. I know people who have run up large bills, despite being IT-literate. From talking to BT in Belfast, I believe that they will shortly be giving out a free application that can stop you dialling expensive numbers without knowing. It\'s not the fault of phone companies, and at last they are doing something about it. It\'s about time that the profiteering by the \'legitimate\' phone companies came to an end, mainly by doing away with dial-up altogether and bring broadband down to the same price as dial-up! Not only will this ruin things for the dialler scammers but also allow people to update and upgrade their security more easily and quickly. I haven\'t "fallen victim to a rogue-dialling scam" but I think you\'re seriously remiss in not pointing out that the vast majority of these scams arise from people trying to access services purporting to provide free pornography. In most cases the user is entirely at fault, which is probably why the telephone companies are rightly unwilling to refund them. My telephone supplier did not inform me that my monthly bill had risen from its normal £3 to £5, to £320. This was because of the scam. They simply billed me. What particularly galls me, over and above having over £300 stolen, is that the supplier and the government (through VAT) are profiting from this crime and will not reimburse me their portion of my losses. How about an automatic monthly cap of say £20 on premium rate calls that you would have to contact your provider to have lifted? That way you could use legitimate premium rate numbers while limiting fraudulent usage. At least any disputed amount would be limited, far easier for a telecoms operator to write off £20 than it is £750. A few years back I was also the target of such scams but thank God I have already upgraded to broadband and nothing was connected to my modem so all I heard was the sound of an attempted connection. How about home users take some responsibility and ensure their anti-virus and firewall software is up to date? That should prevent the vast majority of these scams. ', 'Europe', 'Screensaver tackles spam websites Net users are getting the chance to fight back against spam websites Internet portal Lycos has made a screensaver that endlessly requests data from sites that sell the goods and services mentioned in spam e-mail. Lycos hopes it will make the monthly bandwidth bills of spammers soar by keeping their servers running flat out. The net firm estimates that if enough people sign up and download the tool, spammers could end up paying to send out terabytes of data. "We\'ve never really solved the big problem of spam which is that its so damn cheap and easy to do," said Malte Pollmann, spokesman for Lycos Europe. "In the past we have built up the spam filtering systems for our users," he said, "but now we are going to go one step further." "We\'ve found a way to make it much higher cost for spammers by putting a load on their servers." By getting thousands of people to download and use the screensaver, Lycos hopes to get spamming websites constantly running at almost full capacity. Mr Pollmann said there was no intention to stop the spam websites working by subjecting them with too much data to cope with. He said the screensaver had been carefully written to ensure that the amount of traffic it generated from each user did not overload the web. "Every single user will contribute three to four megabytes per day," he said, "about one MP3 file." But, he said, if enough people sign up spamming websites could be force to pay for gigabytes of traffic every single day. Lycos did not want to use e-mail to fight back, said Mr Pollmann. "That would be fighting one bad thing with another bad thing," he said. The sites being targeted are those mentioned in spam e-mail messages and which sell the goods and services on offer. Typically these sites are different to those that used to send out spam e-mail and they typically only get a few thousand visitors per day. The list of sites that the screensaver will target is taken from real-time blacklists generated by organisations such as Spamcop. To limit the chance of mistakes being made, Lycos is using people to ensure that the sites are selling spam goods. As these sites rarely use advertising to offset hosting costs, the burden of high-bandwidth bills could make spam too expensive, said Mr Pollmann. Sites will also slow down under the weight of data requests. Early results show that response times of some sites have deteriorated by up to 85%. Users do not have to be registered users of Lycos to download and use the screensaver. While working, the screensaver shows the websites that are being bothered with requests for data. The screensaver is due to be launched across Europe on 1 December and before now has only been trialled in Sweden. Despite the soft launch, Mr Pollmann said that the screensaver had been downloaded more than 20,000 times in the last four days. "There\'s a huge user demand to not only filter spam day-by-day but to do something more," he said "Before now users have never had the chance to be a bit more offensive." ', 'US', 'First look at PlayStation 3 chip Some details of the chip inside Sony\'s PlayStation 3 have been revealed. Sony, IBM and Toshiba have released limited data about the so-called Cell chip that will be able to carry out trillions of calculations per second. The chip will be made of several different processing cores that work on tasks together. The PlayStation 3 is expected in 2006 but developers are expecting to get prototypes early next year to tune games that will appear on it at launch. The three firms have been working on the chip since 2001 but before now few details have been released about how it might function. In a joint statement the three firms gave hints about how the chip will work but fuller details will be released in February next year at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. The three firms claim that the Cell chip will be up to 10 times more powerful than existing processors. When put inside powerful computer servers, the Cell consortium expects it to be capable of handling 16 trillion floating point operations, or calculations, every second. The chip has also been refined to be able to handle the detailed graphics common in games and the data demands of films and broadband media. IBM said it would start producing the chip in early 2005 at manufacturing plants in the US. The first machines off the line using the Cell processor will be computer workstations and servers. A working version of the PS3 is due to be shown off in May 2005 but a full launch of the next generation console is not expected to start until 2006. As well as being inside the PlayStation 3, the chip will also be used inside high-definition TVs and powerful computers. "In the future, all forms of digital content will be converged and fused onto the broadband network," said Ken Kutaragi, Chief Operating Officer of Sony. "Current PC architecture is nearing its limits." ', 'UK', 'Online commons to spark debate Online communities set up by the UK government could encourage public debate and build trust, says the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR). Existing services such as eBay could provide a good blueprint for such services, says the think-tank. Although the net is becoming part of local and central government, its potential has not yet been fully exploited to create an online "commons" for public debate. In its report, Is Online Community A Policy Tool?, the IPPR also asks if ID cards could help create safer online communities. Adopting an eBay-type model would let communities create their own markets for skills and services and help foster a sense of local identity and connection. "What we are proposing is a civic commons," Will Davies, senior research fellow at the IPPR told the BBC News website. "A single publicly funded and run online community in which citizens can have a single place to go where you can go to engage in diversity and in a way that might have a policy implication - like a pre-legislation discussion." The idea of a "civic commons" was originally proposed by Stephen Coleman, professor of e-democracy at the Oxford Internet Institute. The IPPR report points to informal, small scale examples of such commons that already exist. It mentions good-practice public initiatives like the BBC\'s iCan project which connects people locally and nationally who want to take action around important issues. But he adds, government could play a bigger role in setting up systems of trust for online communities too. Proposals for ID cards, for instance, could also be widened to see if they could be used online. They could provide the basis for a secure authentication system which could have value for peer-to-peer interaction online. "At the moment they have been presented as a way for government to keep tabs on people and ensuring access to public services," said Mr Davies. "But what has not been explored is how authentication technology may potentially play a role in decentralised online communities." The key idea to take from systems such as eBay and other online communities is letting members rate each other\'s reputation by how they treat other members. Using a similar mechanism, trust and cooperation between members of virtual and physical communities could be built. This could mean a civic commons would work within a non-market system which lets people who may disagree with one another interact within publicly-recognised rules. E-government initiatives over the last decade have very much been about putting basic information and service guides online as well as letting people interact with government via the web. Many online communities, such as chatrooms, mailing lists, community portals, message boards and weblogs often form around common interests or issues. With 53% of UK households now with access to the net, the government, suggests Mr Davies, could act as an intermediary or "middleman" to set up public online places of debate and exchange to encourage more "cosmopolitan politics" and public trust in policy. "Government already plays a critical role in helping citizens trade with each other online. "But it should also play a role in helping citizens connect to one another in civic, non-market interactions," said Mr Davies. There is a role for public bodies like the BBC, libraries, and government to bring people back into public debate again instead of millions of "cliques" talking to each other, he added. The paper is part of the IPPR\'s Digital Society initiative which is producing a number of conferences and research papers leading up to the publication of A Manifesto For A Digital Britain. ', 'India', 'Mobile gaming takes off in India Gaming on the move is one of the fastest-growing activities among the tech-savvy in India, says a report. The Indian mobile gaming market is expected to generate about $26m (£13.8m) by the end of 2004, according to market analysts In-Stat/MDR. In October, mobile phone users grew by 1.4 million to 44.9 million, overtaking the number of landlines, said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Analysts say cheap rates and a huge youth market is driving the market. India has a large population of under-25s, and many in urban areas are fast adopting mobiles as must-have gadgets. India\'s mobile gaming market will bring in about $336m (£178m) by 2009, according to the report. Mobile gaming is expected to explode globally over the next few years. Analysts predict that 220 million people will be playing games on phones by 2009, generating billions for mobile companies. Services other than just voice calls which are offered by mobile operators in India have, as a result of the huge rise in subscribers, grown significantly and rapidly. "The growth of this market sector has attracted publishers, developers, animators, musicians, and content providers, and is also stimulating the development of innovative business models," said Clint Wheelock, director of In-Stat/MDR\'s wireless research group. "Mobile gaming is not just about fun; it also represents one key element of a rich mobile entertainment experience for consumers, and a lucrative market opportunity for industry players." Currently, India has six big games developers and four mobile operators that offer games to their subscribers, said the report. According to In-Stat/MDR, it is tipped to make up one of the most important markets in the next wave of mobile multimedia growth. In January 2003, there were only 10 million mobile subscribers in India. Many choose mobiles in rural areas in order to bypass poorer telecoms infrastructure. Despite this, the penetration rate is still much lower that other countries. Less than 20% of India\'s total population own a mobile in India, compared to well over 50% in most European countries. The trend echoes the uptake of mobiles in many developing economies, which continues to grow as people opt to leapfrog slower and more expensive state-run fixed-line operators. ', 'UK', 'Ban hits Half-Life 2 pirates hard About 20,000 people have been banned from playing the Half-Life 2 game. Game maker Valve shut down the online accounts of the players because it had evidence that their copy of the game had been obtained illegally. Copies of Half-Life 2 had been circulating on file-sharing systems soon after it was officially released. Experts said the success of the Half-Life 2 anti-piracy system might tempt other game makers into creating their own version. Half-Life 2 was officially released on 16 November but before gamers could get to grips with the long-awaited title they were forced to authenticate their copy of the game online. Authentication involved setting up an account with Valve\'s gaming community system called Steam and letting that check which copy of the game was being run. In a statement detailing the banning of the accounts Valve said this system helped identify who had got hold of pirated copies. "The method used was extremely easy for Valve to trace and confirm, and so there is no question that the accounts disabled were used to try and illegally obtain Half-Life 2," read the statement. Valve spokesman Doug Lombardi said that the company had not yet released sales figures for the game and would not say what proportion of all Steam players the 20,000 represented. One effect of Steam\'s popularity has been to limit the copies of the game sold in shops and artificially depress the game\'s ranking in the top ten. Even so the title debuted at No 3 in the UK charts. Valve also said that a small number of accounts were closed because people were using stolen credit cards to buy copies of the game or were using stolen Steam accounts. Some of those who have been banned by the move protested their innocence in the online forums on the main Steam site and said they were being punished for what other people did with their account. Some contributors to the forums wondered if the action might force more piracy as people tried to get hold of successive copies of the game to keep ahead of Valve\'s anti-piracy actions. In its statement Valve also said that rumours that it distributed fake Half-Life 2 keys, copies of the game or instructions on how to hack the game, just to catch pirates and cheats were false. The company said: "The hack came from the \'community\' as do they all." It added that most of those banned simply tried to use copies of Half-Life 2 circulating on file-swapping systems such as Bit Torrent rather than use hacks to get around the need for CD keys. Rob Fahey, editor of online news site gamesindustry.biz, said the mass banning showed off the power of the Steam system. Before now, he said, it has been hard for game makers to do anything about piracy once the game was being played. "But with this, Valve is taking really effective steps against people using illegitimate copies of Half-Life 2," he said. If Steam proves effective at cutting the piracy of games to a minimum, said Mr Fahey, other game makers may be tempted to set up copycat systems. "It\'s not hard to see a point in the near future when every publisher wants you to run an application on your system purely to allow you to play their games," he said. This could mean that computers get cluttered with poorly written Steam-type systems that are used to batter people with adverts. Unless game firms were careful, he said, they could face a backlash from consumers who soon get tired of maintaining different accounts for every game they play. ', 'US', 'New browser wins over net surfers The proportion of surfers using Microsoft\'s Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped to below 90%, say web analysts. Net traffic monitor, OneStat.com, has reported that the open-source browser Firefox 1.0, released on 9 November, seems to be drawing users away from IE. While IE\'s market share has dropped 5% since May to 88.9%, Mozilla browsers - including Firefox - have grown by 5%. Firefox is made by the Mozilla Foundation which was set up by former browser maker Netscape in 1998. Although there have been other preview versions of Firefox, version 1.0 was the first complete official program. "It seems that people are switching from Microsoft\'s Internet Explorer to Mozilla\'s new Firefox browser," said Niels Brinkman, co-founder of Amsterdam-based OneStat.com. Mozilla browsers - including Firefox 1.0 - now have 7.4% of the market share, the figures suggest. Mozilla said that more than five million have downloaded the free software since its official release. Supporters of the open-source software in the US managed to raise $250,000 (£133,000) to advertise the release of Firefox 1.0 in The New York Times, and support the Mozilla Foundation. There was a flurry of downloads on its first day of release. The figures echo similar research from net analyst WebSideStory which suggested that IE had 92.9% of users in October compared to 95.5% in June. Microsoft IE has dominated the browser market for some time after taking the crown from Netscape, and its share of users has always stayed at around the 95% mark. Firefox is attractive to many because it is open-source. That means people are free to adapt the software\'s core code to create other innovative features, like add-ons or extensions to the program. Fewer security holes have also been discovered so far in Firefox than in IE. Paul Randle, Microsoft Windows Client product manager, responded to the figures: "We certainly respect that some customers will choose alternative browsers and that choosing a browser is about more than a handful of features. "Microsoft continues to make significant investments in IE, including Service Pack 2 with advanced security technologies, and continues to encourage a vibrant ecosystem of third party add-ons for Internet Explorer." Firefox wants to capture 10% of the market by the end of 2005. Other browser software, like Opera and Apple\'s Safari, are also challenging Microsoft\'s grip on the browser market. Opera is set to release its version 7.60 by the end of the year. OneStat.com compiled the statistical measurements from two million net users in 100 countries. ', 'UK', 'Musical future for phones Analyst Bill Thompson has seen the future and it is in his son\'s hands. I bought my son Max a 3G phone, partly because they are so cheap and he needed a phone, and partly because I am supposed to know about the latest technology and thought I should see how they work in real life. After using it for a while I am not at all tempted to get rid of my SonyEricsson P800 smart phone. That has a relatively large screen, even if it does only have slower GPRS access to the network. I can read my e-mail, surf the web using a proper browser and write stuff using the stylus on its touch screen. Last week someone e-mailed me a document that had been compressed into a ZIP file, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my phone even knew how to decompress it for me. By contrast the confusing menus, complicated keyboard and truly irritating user interface of Max\'s 3G phone simply get in the way, and I did not see much value in the paid-for services, especially the limited web access. The videos of entertainment news, horoscopes and the latest celebrity gossip did not appeal, and I did not see how the small screen could be useful for any sort of image, never mind micro-TV. But then Max started playing, and I realised I was missing the point entirely. It is certainly not a great overall experience, but that is largely due to the poor menu system and the phone layout: the video content itself is compelling. The quality was at least as good as the video streaming from the BBC website, and the image is about the same size. Max was completely captivated, and I was intrigued to discover that I had nearly missed the next stage of the network revolution. It is easy to be dismissive of small screens, and indeed anyone of my generation, with failing eyesight and the view that \'there\'s never anything worth watching on TV\', is hardly going to embrace these phones. But just as the World Wide Web was the "killer application" that drove internet adoption, music videos are going to drive 3G adoption. With Vodafone now pushing its own 3G service, and 3 already established in the UK, video on the phone is clearly going to become a must-have for kids sitting on the school bus, adults waiting outside clubs and anyone who has time to kill and a group of friends to impress. This will please the network operators, who are looking for some revenue from their expensively acquired 3G licences. But it goes deeper than that: playing music videos on a phone marks the beginning of a move away from the \'download and play\' model we have all accepted for our iPods and MP3 players. After all, why should I want to carry 60GB of music and pictures around with me in my pocket when I can simply listen to anything I want, whenever I want, streamed to my phone? Oh - and of course you can always use the phone to make voice calls and send texts, something which ensures that it is always in someone\'s pocket or handbag, available for other uses too. I have never really approved of using the Internet Protocol (IP), to do either audio or video streaming, and I think that technically it is a disaster to make phone calls over the net using "voice over IP". But I have to acknowledge that the net, at least here in the developed Western countries, is fast and reliable enough to do both. I stream radio to my computer while I work, and enjoy hearing the bizarre stations from around the world that I can find online but nowhere else. I am even playing with internet telephony, despite my reservations, and I appear on Go Digital on the World Service, streamed over the web each week. But 3G networks have been designed to do this sort of streaming, both for voice and video, which gives them an edge over net-based IP services. The 3G services aren\'t quite there yet, and there is a lot to be sorted out when it comes to web access and data charges. Vodafone will let you access its services on Vodafone Live! as part of your subscription cost but it makes you pay by the megabyte to download from other sites - this one, for example. This will not matter to business users, but will distort the consumer market and keep people within the phone company\'s collection of partner sites, something that should perhaps be worrying telecoms regulator Ofcom. But we should not see these new phones simply as cut-down network terminals. If I want fast access to my e-mail I can get a 3G card for my laptop or hook up to a wireless network. The phone is a lot more, and it is as a combination of mini-TV, personal communications device and music/video player that it really works. There is certainly room in the technology ecosystem for many different sorts of devices, accessing a wide range of services over different networks. 3G phones and iPods can co-exist, at least for a while, but if I had to bet on the long term I would go for content on demand over carrying gigabytes in my pocket. Or perhaps some enterprising manufacturer will offer me both. An MP3G player, anyone? Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ', 'India', 'Multi-purpose TV aids India Two-thirds of the world\'s population, 4 billion people, live on $2,000 a year or less. You might think that the last thing on their minds would be getting a television set or a computer. But that\'s not the case. Many people in the developing world give up one of their daily meals so they can afford to buy a TV. And now, an Indian-born computer engineer thinks he\'s come up with a way to give them cheap access to the internet. Carnegie Mellon Professor Raj Reddy has spent the bulk of his professional career trying to find ways to make technology accessible to poor people. The first step is to figure out why poor people would want a personal computer and Professor Reddy thinks he has a pretty good idea of why they might. "I come from a village," says Prof Reddy, "I know what the population is like, many of them are illiterate, and many of them have other concerns." "There, nobody will use it for the conventional uses of a PC, word processing and Powerpoint," he said. "So it\'s clear to me that if people wanted to use PCs in a village - it has to usable by illiterate people and it must be primarily for entertainment, education, telemedicine, and access to expert advice." Prof Reddy also thinks that tying it into some kind of aid package was the wrong approach. After all, he asked -- what aid group could possibly give expensive computers to 250 million less fortunate Indians, let alone the billions of poor people around the world? Instead, Prof Reddy decided to think of those 250 million Indians as a potential market. The problem then becomes one of making the product compelling enough. "It must be so compelling that you would give up your third meal in order to have this," Prof Reddy says. "People do this today with television sets. If you go to India, and many other countries, they will first go get a television set before they worry about one more meal. Why? Because personalized entertainment has become very important." This hatched a completely new idea. He calls it a PCtvt - A personal computer, television and telephone all in one that runs on a normal desktop machine. Literate users can surf through the applications with a keyboard and mouse but illiterate users can use what looks like a television remote control. On the screen, pictures - not words - designate applications like TV, voice mail, and video e-mail. This dependence on graphics, video and audio means that a computer for an illiterate person needs 100 times more power and more memory than one for a PhD. Prassana Rambathla, one of Prof Reddy\'s graduate students, says that "when you\'re talking illiterate you\'re talking audio and video, and that demands exponentially high bandwidth.\' "It can\'t choke at any point in time, and it has to withstand anything no matter what you\'re pressing." "The major part is making it foolproof, very tough, so that it never breaks," he says. The Carnegie Mellon team says this project is only possible because PCs are now so much cheaper and have built-in audio and video hardware and software. Limited trials of the PCtvt are due to start this month in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Although Andhra Pradesh has a fairly good infrastructure but work has to be done to ensure reliable connections to the net. Prof Reddy has teamed up with Eric Brewer at the University of California at Berkeley. The answer, says Prof Brewer, is wi-fi. "We\'re looking at the thing you\'ll see in Starbuck\'s or many other hotspots," he says. "We\'re doing a lot of work on long-distance wireless and how to make the network work better in the presence of intermittency, when the power goes up and down, and the links go up and down, and the computers you\'re connected to just get turned off for no reason." Prof Reddy says he hopes to lease the PCtvts for about $10 a month, and thinks Indians will rent the units for the television and DVD capabilities. Reddy says he can then introduce the PCtvt\'s other technologies - such as video mail. For example, a farmer could use the PCtvt\'s webcam to send a picture of a harmful insect to a local official who could send back a proposed course of action to the farmer. Prof Reddy thinks this kind of communication is the real pay-off. "The underlying problem," he says, "is how you can increase their wealth and reduce their poverty and reduce their illiteracy, and improve their health care.\' "And what I\'m postulating is that this is the technology that will enable them. If I didn\'t have it, it would be an uphill battle. Even with the technology it\'s an uphill battle. But I have a tool. There is hope. I can reach them in ways that have not been possible before." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production ', 'US', 'How to make a gigapixel picture The largest digital panoramic photo in the world has been created by researchers in the Netherlands. The finished image is 2.5 billion pixels in size - making it about 500 times the resolution of images produced by good consumer digital cameras. The huge image of Delft was created by stitching together 600 single snaps of the Dutch city taken at a fixed spot. If printed out in standard 300 dots per inch resolution, the picture would be 2.5m high and 6m long. The researchers have put the image on a website which lets viewers explore the wealth of detail that it captures. Tools on the page let viewers zoom in on the city and its surroundings in great detail. The website is already proving popular and currently has more than 200,000 visitors every day. The image was created by imaging experts from the Dutch research and technology laboratory TNO which created the 2.5 gigapixel photo as a summer time challenge. The goal of the project was to be one of the first groups to make gigapixel images. The first image of such a size was manually constructed by US photographer Max Lyons in November 2003. That image portrayed Bryce Canyon National Park, in Utah, and was made up of 196 separate photographs. The panorama of Delft is a little staid in contrast to the dramatic rockscape captured in Mr Lyons\' image. "He did it all by hand, which was an enormous effort, and we got the idea that if you use automatic techniques, it would be feasible to build a larger image," said Jurgen den Hartog, one of the TNO researchers behind the project. "We were not competing with Mr Lyons, but it started as a lunchtime bet." The Dutch team used already available technologies, although it had to upgrade them to be able to handle the high-resolution image. "We had to rewrite almost all the tools," Me den Hartog told the BBC News website. "All standard Windows viewers available would not be able to load such a large image, so we had to develop one ourselves." The 600 component pictures were taken on July 2004 by a computer-controlled camera with a 400 mm lens. Each image was made to slightly overlap so they could be accurately arranged into a composite. The stitching process was also done automatically using five powerful PCs over three days. Following the success of this project, and with promises of help from others, the TNO team is considering creating a full 360-degree panoramic view of another Dutch city, with even higher resolution. ', 'UK', 'Gangsters dominate gaming chart Video games on consoles and computers proved more popular than ever in 2004. Gamers spent more than £1.34bn in 2004, almost 7% more than they did in 2003 according to figures released by the UK gaming industry\'s trade body. Sales records were smashed by the top title of the year GTA: San Andreas - in which players got the job of turning central character CJ into a crime boss. The game sold more than 1 million copies in the first nine days that it was on sale. This feat made it the fastest selling video game of all time in the UK. Although only released in November the sprawling story of guns, gangsters game beat off strong competition and by year end had sold more than 1.75 million copies. There were also records set for the number of games that achieved double-platinum status by selling more than 600,000 copies. Five titles, including Sony EyeToy Play and EA\'s Need for Speed: Underground 2, managed this feat according to figures compiled by Chart-Track for the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (Elspa). Electronic Arts, the world\'s biggest games publisher, had 9 games in the top 20. 2004 was a "stellar year" said Roger Bennett, director general of Elspa. "In a year with no new generation consoles being released, the market continued to be buoyant as the industry matured and the increasingly diverse range of games reached new audiences and broadened its player base - across ages and gender," he said. Part of the success of games in 2004 could be due to the fact that so many of them are sequels. 16 out of the top 20 titles were all follow-ups to established franchises or direct sequels to previously popular games. Halo, The Sims, Driver, Need for Speed, Fifa football, Burnout were just a few that proved as popular as the original titles. Despite this fondness for older games, Doom 3 did not make it to the top 20. Movie tie-ins also proved their worth in 2004. Games linked to Shrek, The Incredibles, Spider-Man, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings were all in the top 20. Elspa noted that sales of Xbox games rose 37.9% during the year. However, Sony\'s PlayStation 2 was the top seller with 47% of the £1.34bn spent on games in 2004 used to buy titles for that console. Despite winning awards and rave reviews Half-Life 2 did not appear in the list. This was because it was only released on PC and, compared to console titles, sold in relatively small numbers. Also the novel distribution system adopted by developer Valve meant that many players downloaded the title rather than travel to the shops to buy a copy. Valve has yet to release figures which show how many copies of the game were sold in this way. ', 'UK', 'British Library gets wireless net Visitors to the British Library will be able to get wireless internet access alongside the extensive information available in its famous reading rooms. Broadband wireless connectivity will be made available in the eleven reading rooms, the auditorium, café, restaurant, and outdoor Piazza area. A study revealed that 86% of visitors to the Library carried laptops. The technology has been on trial since May and usage levels make the Library London\'s most active public hotspot. Previously many were leaving the building to go to a nearby internet café to access their e-mail, the study found. "At the British Library we are continually exploring ways in which technology can help us to improve services to our users," said Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library. "Surveys we conducted recently confirmed that, alongside the materials they consult here, our users want to be able to access the internet when they are at the Library for research or to communicate with colleagues," she said. The service will be priced at £4.50 for an hour\'s session or £35 for a monthly pass. The study, conducted by consultancy Building Zones, found that 16% of visitors came to the Library to sit down and use it as a business centre. This could be because of its proximity to busy mainline stations such as Kings Cross and Euston. The study also found that people were spending an average of six hours in the building, making it an ideal wireless hotspot. Since May the service has registered 1,200 sessions per week, making it London\'s most active public hotspot. The majority of visitors wanted to be able to access their e-mail as well as the British Library catalogue. The service has been rolled out in partnership with wireless provider The Cloud and Hewlett Packard. It will operate independently from the Library\'s existing network. The British Library receives around 3,000 visitors each day and serves around 500,000 readers each year. People come to view resources which include the world\'s largest collection of patents and the UK\'s most extensive collection of science, technology and medical information. The Library receives between three and four million requests from remote users around the world each year. ', 'US', 'Man auctions ad space on forehead A 20-year-old US man is selling advertising space on his forehead to the highest bidder on website eBay. Andrew Fisher, from Omaha, Nebraska, said he would have a non-permanent logo or brand name tattooed on his head for 30 days. "The way I see it I\'m selling something I already own; after 30 days I get it back," he told the BBC Today programme. Mr Fisher has received 39 bids so far, with the largest bid currently at more than $322 (£171). "The winner will be able to send me a tattoo or have me go to a tattoo parlour and get a temporary ink tattoo on my forehead and this will be something they choose, a company name or domain name, perhaps their logo," he told the Radio 4 programme. On the online auction, Mr Fisher describes himself as an "average American Joe, give or take". His sales pitch adds: "Take advantage of this radical advertising campaign and become a part of history." Mr Fisher said that while he would accept any brand name or logo, "I wouldn\'t go around with a swastika or anything racial". He added: "I wouldn\'t go around with 666, the mark of the beast. "Other than that I wouldn\'t promote anything socially unacceptable such as adult websites or stores." He said he would use the money to pay college - he is planning to study graphic design. The entrepreneur said his mother was initially surprised by his decision but following all the media attention she felt he was "thinking outside the box". ', 'UK', 'Millions to miss out on the net By 2025, 40% of the UK\'s population will still be without internet access at home, says a study. Around 23 million Britons will miss out on a wide range of essential services such as education and medical information, predicts the report by telecoms giant BT. It compares to 27 million, or 50%, of the UK, who are not currently online. The idea that the digital divide will evaporate with time is "wishful thinking", the report concludes. The study calls on the government and telecoms industry to come up with new ways to lure those that have been bypassed by the digital revolution. Although the percentage of Britons without home access will have fallen slightly, those that remain digital refuseniks will miss out on more, the report suggests. As more and more everyday tasks move online and offline services become less comprehensive, the divide will become more obvious and more burdensome for those that have not got net access, it predicts. The gap between "have-nets" and "have-nots" has been much talked about, but predictions about how such a divide will affect future generations has been less discussed. BT set out to predict future patterns based on current information and taking account of the way technology is changing. Optimists who predict that convergence and the emergence of more user-friendly technology will bridge the digital divide could be way off mark, the report suggests. "Internet access on other devices tends to be something taken up by those who already have it," said Adrian Hosford, director of corporate responsibility at BT. Costs of internet access have fallen dramatically and coverage in remote areas have vastly improved over the last year but the real barrier remains psychological. "There is a hard rump of have-nots who are not engaging with the net. They don\'t have the motivation or skills or perceive the benefits," said Mr Hosford. As now, the most disadvantaged groups are likely to remain among low income families, the older generation and the disabled. Those on low incomes will account for a quarter of the digital have-nots, the disabled will make up 16% and the elderly nearly a third by 2025, the report forecasts. Organisations such as BT have a responsibility to help tackle the problem, said Mr Hosford. The telco has seen positive results with its Everybody Online project which offers internet access to people in eight deprived communities around Britain. In one area of Cornwall with high levels of unemployment, online training helped people rewrite CVs and learn skills to get new jobs, explained Mr Hosford. Such grassroot activity addressing the specific needs of individual communities is essential is the problem of the digital divide is to be overcome, he said. "If we don\'t address this problem now, it will get a lot worse and people will find it more difficult to find jobs, education opportunities will be limited and they\'ll simply not be able to keep up with society," he said. The Alliance for Digital Inclusion, an independent body with members drawn from government, industry and the voluntary sector has recently been set up to tackle some of the issues faced by the digital refuseniks. ', 'Europe', 'Anti-spam screensaver scrapped A contentious campaign to bump up the bandwidth bills of spammers by flooding their sites with data has been dropped. Lycos Europe\'s Make Love, Not Spam campaign began in late November but its tactics proved controversial. Lycos has shut down the campaign saying it had been started to stimulate debate about anti-spam measures and had now achieved this aim. The anti-spammer screensaver came under fire for encouraging vigilante activity and skirting the edge of the law. Through the Make Love, Not Spam website, users could download a screensaver that would endlessly request data from the net sites mentioned in many junk mail messages. More than 100,000 people are thought to have downloaded the screensaver that Lycos Europe offered. The company wanted to keep the spam sites running at near total capacity to make it much less financially attractive to spammers to operate the sites. But the campaign was controversial from the moment it kicked off and many net veterans criticised it for using spamming-type tactics against the senders of junk mail. Some net service firms began blocking access to the Lycos Europe site in protest at the action. Monitoring firm Netcraft found that the anti-spam campaign was proving a little too successful. According to response-time figures gathered by Netcraft, some of the sites that the screensaver targeted were being knocked offline by the constant data requests. In a statement from Lycos Europe announcing the scrapping of the scheme, the company denied that this was its fault. "There is nothing to suggest that Make Love, Not Spam has brought down any of the sites that it has targeted," it said. "At the time that Netcraft measured the sites it claims may have been brought down, they were not in fact part of the Make Love, Not Spam attack cycle," it added. The statement issued by Lycos also said that the centralised database it used ensured that traffic to the target sites left them with 5% spare capacity. "The idea was simply to slow spammers\' sites and this was achieved by the campaign," the company said. Many security organisations said users should not participate in the Lycos Europe campaign. The closure comes only days after the campaign was suspended following the outbreak of criticism. ', 'Japan', "Disney backs Sony DVD technology A next generation DVD technology backed by Sony has received a major boost. Film giant Disney says it will produce its future DVDs using Sony's Blu-ray Disc technology, but has not ruled out a rival format developed by Toshiba. The two competing DVD formats, Blu-ray developed by Sony and others, and Toshiba's HD-DVD, have been courting top film studios for several months. The next generation of DVDs promise very high quality pictures and sound, as well as a lot of data. Both technologies use a blue laser to write information. It has a shorter wavelength so more data can be stored. Disney is the latest studio to announce which technology it is backing in a format battle which mirrors the 1980s Betamax versus VHS war. Sony lost out to JVC in that fight. The current battle for Hollywood's hearts and minds is a crucial one because high-definition films will bring in billions of revenue and the studios would prefer to use one standard. Last month, Paramount, Universal and Warner Brothers said they were opting for the Toshiba and NEC-backed format, HD-DVD high-definition discs. Those studios currently produce about 45% of DVD content. Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM Studios have already staked their allegiance with the Blu-ray Disc Association, whose members also include technology companies Dell, Samsung and Matsushita. Twentieth Century Fox is still to announce which technology it will be supporting. If Fox decided to go with Blu-ray too, it would mean the format would have a 47% share of DVD content. Disney said its films would be available on the Blu-ray format when DVD players for the standard went on sale on North America and Japan, expected in 2006. Universal is to start producing films on the HD-DVD format in 2005, and Paramount will start releasing titles using the standard in 2006. Toshiba expects sales of HD-DVDs to reach 300bn yen ($2.9bn, £1.5bn) by 2010. ", 'UK', 'Britons growing \'digitally obese\' Gadget lovers are so hungry for digital data many are carrying the equivalent of 10 trucks full of paper in "weight". Music, images, e-mails, and texts are being hoarded on mobiles, cameras laptops and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), a Toshiba study found. It found that more than 60% kept 1,000 to 2,000 music files on their devices, making the UK "digitally fat". "Virtual weight" measurements are based on research by California Institute of Technology professor Roy Williams. He calculated physical comparisons for digital data in the mid-1990s. He worked out that one gigabyte (1,000,000,000 bytes) was the equivalent of a pick-up truck filled with paper. The amount of data people are squirreling away on their gadgets is clearly a sign that people are finding more things to do with their shiny things. If digital hoarding habits continue on this scale, people could be carrying around a "digitally obese" 20 gigabytes by next year. "Britain has become a nation of information hoarders with a ferocious appetite for data," said Martin Larsson, general manager of Toshiba\'s European storage device division. "As storage capabilities increase and the features and functionalities of mobile devices expand to support movie files and entire libraries of multi-media content, we will all become virtually obese," he told the BBC News website. The survey reflects the increasing trend for portable devices with built-in hard drives like music and media players from Apple, Creative Labs, Archos, iRiver and others. This trend is set to grow, according to analysts. They suggest the number of hard drives in consumer electronics gadgets could grow from 17 million last year to 55 million in 2006. "Consumers are driving the move towards smaller devices that have greater functionality, and industry is trying to keep up," said Mr Larsson. "People are looking for more than just phone calls and text messages on the move, they want things like web browsing, e-mailing, music, photos and more." Many are finding memory keys and memory sticks are simply not big enough to hold everything. "Floppies and memory keys have their place, but they don\'t have anything like the capacity or flexibility of a hard drive so are unable to meet the demand for more and more storage capacity in consumer devices," said Mr Larsson. The cost of making hard drives has dropped and is continuing to do so because of improved technologies so they are proving to be more cost-effective than other forms of memory, he added. The amount of data that can be stored has grown by 400% in the last three years, while the cost for every gigabyte has fallen by 80%. It is also getting easier to transfer files from one device to another, which has traditionally been a slow and problematic area. "Transfer of data between different memory types has improved significantly in recent times, and will be further helped by the standards for hard drives which are currently being developed by the major manufacturers," said Mr Larsson. According to technology analysts IDC, a fifth of all hard drives produced will be used in consumer electronics by 2007. ', 'US', 'Media gadgets get moving Pocket-sized devices that let people carry around video and images are set to have a big year in 2005, according to industry experts. Last year saw the emergence of portable media players, such as the Windows-based Creative Zen portable media player, the Samsung Yepp, the iRiver PMC-100, and the Archos AV400 series among others. But this year, they are set to get smarter and more connected, to allow people to find more video to watch on them. Archos launched its latest range of its Linux-based portable media devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday. Dubbed the Pocket Media Assistant PMA430, it crucially has wi-fi capability built-in for the first time. "Consumers are showing a great thirst for devices that store all their media in one place for anywhere access," said Henri Crohas, chief of Archos. "And now those consumers can stay connected and productive at the same time." Archos said the focus for the device is to be the second gadget in people\'s pockets, after the mobile. Unlike Windows-based players, the Archos AV400 series devices have always been able to record from any video source, such as TVs, as well as playback. The content put onto the devices is copy protected so cannot then be swapped to another device. Recording is perhaps a crucial functionality for those who have not seen the point of portable video if there is not a lot of video to watch on it. And wi-fi connectivity opens up the possibility of content delivery via a high-speed wireless link. Archos also announced that it would open up the software development kit to Linux developers so that more applications could be created for the device. Microsoft also made some announcements in the portable media arena at CES, primarily for US consumers though. It has agreed a content deal with personal video recorder company TiVo, which Bill Gates also showcased in his keynote speech at CES. The TiVo To Go service means that US consumers will be able to take any programmes they record on their TiVos and transfer it for free to watch on any of the Windows-based portable media players or smartphones. It also said it had launched a service with MTV to let people watch Comedy Central, VH1 and Country Music TV on its devices. And a service is launching with MSN to provide people with shortened versions of news, entertainment and other video on a subscription basis for download via the PC onto the portable devices. But the ability to record directly from TV, VCR, and digital cable and satellite boxes, which Windows-based devices do not offer, certainly gives people more content to watch on the go too. The increased capability of these devices, and the content deals that are being done, may go some way to persuading people to use them. Recent research by Jupiter suggested that people would prefer a device that was dedicated to music. Only 13% of Europeans wanted to watch video while on the move. More seemed interested in spending their cash on music-only devices. "This year, we are ready for an explosion of portable media," Microsoft\'s Mike Coleman told the BBC News website. "We are very bullish about it. The fact that I can put photos on here too and share them is super-cool to the consumer," he added. The fact that Europeans are far larger public transport users than Americans is one reason why portable media will take off in the coming year too. There is a burgeoning market there for commuters to watch news and other programmes on their way to work. Although Microsoft\'s content distribution deals are for the US market at the moment, talks were "always on-going" with European content suppliers to offer similar services. Various rights management issues have to be ironed out first however. But that does not prevent people from finding ways to create their own content to share online and swap on portable devices, particularly via those which are wi-fi enabled. The possibility is open for non-professional makers of video and audio to take advantage of the growing portable media market to distribute their work. CES, which runs from 6 to 9 January, showcases more than 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005. ', 'Japan', "Disney backs Sony DVD technology A next generation DVD technology backed by Sony has received a major boost. Film giant Disney says it will produce its future DVDs using Sony's Blu-ray Disc technology, but has not ruled out a rival format developed by Toshiba. The two competing DVD formats, Blu-ray developed by Sony and others, and Toshiba's HD-DVD, have been courting top film studios for several months. The next generation of DVDs promises very high quality pictures and sound, as well as a lot of data. Both technologies use a blue laser to write information. It has a shorter wavelength so more data can be stored. Disney is the latest studio to announce which technology it is backing in a format battle which mirrors the 1980s Betamax versus VHS war. Sony lost out to JVC in that fight. The current battle for Hollywood's hearts and minds is a crucial one because high-definition films will bring in billions of revenue and the studios would prefer to use one standard. Last month, Paramount, Universal and Warner Brothers said they were opting for the Toshiba and NEC-backed format, HD-DVD high-definition discs. Those studios currently produce about 45% of DVD content. Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM Studios have already staked their allegiance with the Blu-ray Disc Association, whose members also include technology companies Dell, Samsung and Matsushita. Twentieth Century Fox is still to announce which technology it will be supporting. If Fox decided to go with Blu-ray too, it would mean the format would have a 47% share of DVD content. Disney said its films would be available on the Blu-ray format when DVD players for the standard went on sale on North America and Japan, expected in 2006. Universal is to start producing films on the HD-DVD format in 2005, and Paramount will start releasing titles using the standard in 2006. Toshiba expects sales of HD-DVDs to reach 300bn yen ($2.9bn, £1.5bn) by 2010. ", 'UK', 'Millions to miss out on the net By 2025, 40% of the UK\'s population will still be without internet access at home, says a study. Around 23 million Britons will miss out on a wide range of essential services such as education and medical information, predicts the report by telecoms giant BT. It compares to 27 million, or 50%, of the UK, who are not currently online. The idea that the digital divide will evaporate with time is "wishful thinking", the report concludes. The study calls on the government and telecoms industry to come up with new ways to lure those that have been bypassed by the digital revolution. Although the percentage of Britons without home access will have fallen slightly, those that remain digital refuseniks will miss out on more, the report suggests. As more and more everyday tasks move online and offline services become less comprehensive, the divide will become more obvious and more burdensome for those that have not got net access, it predicts. The gap between "have-nets" and "have-nots" has been much talked about, but predictions about how such a divide will affect future generations has been less discussed. BT set out to predict future patterns based on current information and taking account of the way technology is changing. Optimists who predict that convergence and the emergence of more user-friendly technology will bridge the digital divide could be way off mark, the report suggests. "Internet access on other devices tends to be something taken up by those who already have it," said Adrian Hosford, director of corporate responsibility at BT. Costs of internet access have fallen dramatically and coverage in remote areas have vastly improved over the last year but the real barrier remains psychological. "There is a hard rump of have-nots who are not engaging with the net. They don\'t have the motivation or skills or perceive the benefits," said Mr Hosford. As now, the most disadvantaged groups are likely to remain among low income families, the older generation and the disabled. Those on low incomes will account for a quarter of the digital have-nots, the disabled will make up 16% and the elderly nearly a third by 2025, the report forecasts. Organisations such as BT have a responsibility to help tackle the problem, said Mr Hosford. The telco has seen positive results with its Everybody Online project which offers internet access to people in eight deprived communities around Britain. In one area of Cornwall with high levels of unemployment, online training helped people rewrite CVs and learn skills to get new jobs, explained Mr Hosford. Such grassroot activity addressing the specific needs of individual communities is essential is the problem of the digital divide is to be overcome, he said. "If we don\'t address this problem now, it will get a lot worse and people will find it more difficult to find jobs, education opportunities will be limited and they\'ll simply not be able to keep up with society," he said. The Alliance for Digital Inclusion, an independent body with members drawn from government, industry and the voluntary sector has recently been set up to tackle some of the issues faced by the digital refuseniks. ', 'UK', 'Parents face video game lessons Ways of ensuring that parents know which video games are suitable for children are to be considered by the games industry. The issue was discussed at a meeting between UK government officials, industry representatives and the British Board of Film Classification. It follows concerns that children may be playing games aimed at adults which include high levels of violence. In 2003, Britons spent £1,152m on games, more than ever before. And this Christmas, parents are expected to spend millions on video games and consoles. Violent games have been hit by controversy after the game Manhunt was blamed by the parents of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah, who was stabbed to death in Leicester in February. His mother, Giselle, said her son\'s killer, Warren Leblanc, 17 - who was jailed for life in September - had mimicked behaviour in the game. Police investigating Stefan\'s murder dismissed its influence and said Manhunt was not part of its legal case. The issue of warnings on games for adults was raised on Sunday by Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt. This was the focus of the talks between government officials, representatives from the games industry and the British Board of Film Classification. "Adults can make informed choices about what games to play. Children can\'t and they deserve to be protected," said Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell after the meeting. "Industry will consider how to make sure parents know what games their children should and shouldn\'t play." Roger Bennett, director general of Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, said: "A number of initiatives were discussed at the meeting. "They will be formulated to create specific proposals to promote greater understanding, recognition and awareness of the games rating system, ensuring that young people are not exposed to inappropriate content." Among the possible measures could be a campaign to explain to parents that many games are made for an adult audience, as well as changes to the labelling of the games themselves. According to industry statistics, a majority of players are over 18, with the average age of a gamer being 29. Academics point out that there has not been any definitive research linking bloodthirsty games such as Manhunt with violent responses in players. In a report published this week for the Video Standards Council, Dr Guy Cumberbatch said: "The research evidence on media violence causing harm to viewers is wildly exaggerated and does not stand up to scrutiny." Dr Cumberbatch, head of the social policy think tank, the Communications Research Group, reviewed the studies on the issue. He concluded that there was an absence of convincing research that media violence caused harm. ', 'France', "Go-ahead for new internet names The internet could soon have two new domain names, aimed at mobile services and the jobs market. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) has given preliminary approval to two new addresses - .mobi and .jobs. They are among 10 new names being considered by the net's oversight body. Others include a domain for pornography, an anti-spam domain as well as .post and .travel, for the postal and travel industries. The .mobi domain would be aimed at websites and other services that work specifically around mobile phones, while the .jobs address could be used by companies wanting a dedicated site for job postings. The process to see the new domain names go live in cyberspace could take months and Icann officials warned that there were no guarantees they would ultimately be accepted. Applicants paid £23,000 apiece to have their proposals considered. The application for .mobi was sponsored by technology firms including Nokia, Microsoft and T-Mobile. Of the 10 currently under consideration, the least likely to win approval is the .xxx domain for pornographic websites. There are currently around 250 domain names in use around the globe, mostly for specific countries such as .fr for France and .uk for Britain. Perhaps unsurprisingly, .com remains the most popular address on the web. ", 'Europe', 'Humanoid robot learns how to run Car-maker Honda\'s humanoid robot Asimo has just got faster and smarter. The Japanese firm is a leader in developing two-legged robots and the new, improved Asimo (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) can now run, find his way around obstacles as well as interact with people. Eventually Asimo could find gainful employment in homes and offices. "The aim is to develop a robot that can help people in their daily lives," said a Honda spokesman. To get the robot running for the first time was not an easy process as it involved Asimo making an accurate leap and absorbing the impact of landing without slipping or spinning. The "run" he is now capable of is perhaps not quite up to Olympic star Kelly Holmes\' standard. At 3km/h, it is closer to a leisurely jog. Its makers claim that it is almost four times as fast as Sony\'s Qrio, which became the first robot to run last year. The criteria for running robots is defined by engineers as having both feet off the ground between strides. Asimo has improved in other ways too, increasing his walking speed, from 1.6km/h to 2.5km, growing 10cm to 130cm and putting on 2kg in weight. While he may not quite be ready for yoga, he does have more freedom of movement, being able to twist his hips and bend his wrists, thumbs and neck. Asimo has already made his mark on the international robot scene and in November was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame. He has wowed audiences around the world with his ability to walk upstairs, recognise faces and come when beckoned. In August 2003 he even attended a state dinner in the Czech Republic, travelling with the Japanese prime minister as a goodwill envoy. He is one of a handful of robots used by tech firms to trumpet their technological advances. Technology developed for Asimo could be used in the automobile industry as electronics increasingly take over from mechanics in car design. For the moment Asimo\'s biggest role is an entertainer and the audience gathered to see his first public run greeted his slightly comical gait with amusement, according to reports. Robots can fulfil serious functions in society and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe predicts that the worldwide market for industrial robots will swell from 81,000 units in 2003 to 106,000 in 2007. ', 'Japan', 'Nintendo adds media playing to DS Nintendo is releasing an adapter for its DS handheld console so it can play music and video. The add-on for the DS means people can download TV programmes, film clips or MP3 files to the adaptor and then play them back while on the move. The release of the media add-on is an attempt by the Japanese games giant to protect its dominance of the handheld gaming market. Nintendo said the media adapter will be available from February in Japan. The Nintendo DS is the successor to the hugely successful GameBoy handheld game console and went on sale in Japan on 2 December. The DS has two screens, one of which is touch sensitive, and also has on-board a short-range wireless link that lets people play against each other. The launch of the media adapter, and the attempt to broaden the appeal of the device, is widely seen as a response to the unveiling of the Sony PSP which was built as a multi-purpose media player and game gadget from the start. Sony is thought to be preparing pre-packaged movies and music for the PSP. The add-on will also work with the GameBoy Advance SP. Nintendo dominates the handheld gaming console world thanks to successive versions of the GameBoy. More than 28 million GameBoy Advance handhelds have been sold around the world. The dual-screen DS is also thought to be selling well with more than 2.5 million expected to be sold by the end of 2004. Nintendo said it had no plans to sell the media adapter outside Japan. When it goes on sale the adapter is expected to cost about 5000 yen (£25), roughly the difference in price between the DS and the higher-priced Sony PSP. ', 'US', 'Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land A 22-year-old gamer has spent $26,500 (£13,700) on an island that exists only in a computer role-playing game (RPG). The Australian gamer, known only by his gaming moniker Deathifier, bought the island in an online auction. The land exists within the game Project Entropia, an RPG which allows thousands of players to interact with each other. Entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, while fans of other titles often use auction site eBay to sell their virtual wares. Earlier this year economists calculated that these massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have a gross economic impact equivalent to the GDP of the African nation of Namibia. "This is a historic moment in gaming history, and this sale only goes to prove that massive multi-player online gaming has reached a new plateau," said Marco Behrmann, director of community relations at Mindark, the game\'s developer. The virtual island includes a gigantic abandoned castle and beautiful beaches which are described as ripe for developing beachfront property. Deathifier will make money from his investment as he is able to tax other gamers who come to his virtual land to hunt or mine for gold. He has also begun to sell plots to people who wish to build virtual homes. "This type of investment will definitely become a trend in online gaming," said Deathifier. The Entopia economy lets gamers exchange real currency into PED (Project Entropia Dollars) and back again into real money. Ten PEDs are the equivalent to one US dollar and typical items sold include iron ingots ($5) and shogun armour ($1.70) Gamers can theoretically earn money by accumulating PEDs through the acquisition of goods, buildings, and land in the Entropia universe. MMORPGs have become enormously popular in the last 10 years with hundreds of thousands of gamers living out alternate lives in fantasy worlds. Almost 200,000 people are registered players on Project Entropia. ', 'Italy', 'Virus poses as Christmas e-mail Security firms are warning about a Windows virus disguising itself as an electronic Christmas card. The Zafi.D virus translates the Christmas greeting on its subject line into the language of the person receiving infected e-mail. Anti-virus firms speculate that this multilingual ability is helping the malicious program spread widely online. Anti-virus firm Sophos said that 10% of the e-mail currently on the net was infected with the Zafi virus. Like many other Windows viruses, Zafi-D plunders Microsoft Outlook for e-mail addresses and then uses mail-sending software to despatch itself across the web to new victims. To be infected users must open up the attachment travelling with the message which bears the code for the malicious bug. The attachment on the e-mail poses as an electronic Christmas card but anyone opening it will simply get a crude image of two smiley faces. The virus\' subject line says "Merry Christmas" and translates this into one of 15 languages depending of the final suffix of the e-mail address the infected message has been sent to. The message in the body of the e-mail reads: "Happy Holidays" and this too is translated. On infected machines the virus tries to disable anti-virus and firewall software and opens up a backdoor on the PC to hand over control to the writer of the virus. The virus is thought to have spread most widely in South America, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Hungary. The original Zafi virus appeared in April this year. "We have seen these hoaxes for several Christmases already, and personally I prefer traditional pen and paper cards, and we recommend this to all our clients too," said Mikko Hypponen, who heads F-Secure\'s anti-virus team. ', 'UK', 'Broadband in the UK gathers pace One person in the UK is joining the internet\'s fast lane every 10 seconds, according to BT. The telecoms giant said the number of people on broadband via the telephone line had now surpassed four million. Including those connected via cable, almost six million people have a fast, always-on connection. The boom has been fuelled by fierce competition and falling prices, as well as the greater availability of broadband over the phone line. "The take-up rate for broadband is accelerating at a terrific pace," said Ben Verwaayen, BT\'s chief executive. "We will be in a very strong position to hit our five million target by summer 2006 much earlier than we had previously expected." The last million connections were made over the past four months, with thousands of people being added to the total every day of the week. Those signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond six kilometres. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. According to BT, more than 95% of UK homes and businesses can receive broadband over the phone line. It aims to extend this figure to 99.4% by next summer. There are also an estimated 1.7 million cable broadband customers in the UK. ', 'US', 'Poles play with GameBoy \'blip-pop\' A group of artists in Poland has taken the cacophony of blips, boops and beeps created as players bash buttons on Nintendo\'s handheld GameBoy console to a new level. The Gameboyzz Orchestra Project has taken the game sounds to put together music tunes they have dubbed "blip-pop." Think of it as Donkey Kong meets Norman Cook, or maybe Tetris takes on Kraftwerk. Any way you slice it, the sound is distinct. All the sounds are made by six Nintendo GameBoys, with a mixture of older models and newer Advance SP handhelds. The Gameboyzz Orchestra Project tweaks the software a bit, and then connects the units through a mixing board. Jarek Kujda, one of the project\'s founding members has been into electronic music and video games, for a while now. "I was playing some experimental music and three, four years ago when I first used a GameBoy in my band as a drum machine," said Kujda. He realised that the console could be used as a rudimentary synthesizer. He wondered, if one GameBoy can make music, what would happen if he put six of them together? Kujda found five other people who were interested and the Gameboyzz Orchestra Project was born. "Gameboyzz Orchestra Project is more of an improvisational project," said Kudja. "We prepare some patterns before a concert, and then improvise during the concert." The group plays maybe four or five shows a year. Malgorzata Kujda, Jarek\'s younger sister and a fellow band member, describes a Gameboyzz Orchestra Project concert as a lot of noise. "For example, I make music with more hard beats and noises," she said. "But each of us makes another music, a different sound. And then in the concert we just improvise, and that I think is more fun for us." The Gameboyzz Orchestra Project admits they get mixed reactions from audiences. Some love the group\'s music, and others are not quite sure what to make of it. In the world of electronic music, these purveyors of blip-pop are not unique. But Jarek Kujda says they try to be unique. "We have lots of people making music on old school stuff, electronic old school stuff like Commodore, Atari, Spectrum," he said. "We want to play only experimental music, not cover songs. We\'re something like an electronic jam session." The Gameboyzz Orchestra Project\'s tracks are available online and the group hopes to make a CD next year. And they have sponsorship, courtesy of the Polish distributor of Nintendo products. The members of the Gameboyzz Orchestra Project do not expect serious competition anytime soon. A GameBoy Advance costs about US $200 in Poland these days, which is still way beyond the reach of most Polish gamers, or musicians. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production ', 'US', 'Apple sues \'Tiger\' file sharers Apple has taken more legal action to stop online leaks of its new products. The computer giant has sued three men for releasing preview versions of its latest Mac OSX software onto file-sharing sites prior to its release. It said two versions of the operating system, codenamed Tiger, were put onto the net in October and December. It is the second time in two weeks Apple has taken legal action to protect its future products. Tiger is due to be shipped in early 2005. Last week, it filed a lawsuit against "unnamed individuals" who leaked details about new products onto the web. The latest action was against members of the Apple Developer Connection, a group of programmers which gets to see test versions of upcoming software so they can develop or change their own programs to work with them. "Members of Apple Developer Connection receive advance copies of Apple software under strict confidentiality agreements, which we take very seriously to protect our intellectual property," Apple said in a statement. It added that its future financial results were very much dependent on developing and improving its operating systems and other software. It is thought the men used sites which employ BitTorrent technology. With BitTorrent technology, sites do not host actual files being shared, instead they host a link that points people to others that have the particular file. Last week, the Motion Picture Association of America launched a legal campaign targeting websites that operate using the BitTorrent system in an effort to clamp down on movie piracy. Apple is no stranger to taking legal action against those who leak product information. In December 2002, it sued a former contractor who allegedly put drawings, images and engineering details of its PowerMac G4 computer online. The latest action was filed on Monday in the US District Court in California. It comes just weeks before the MacWorld conference in San Francisco, used to showcase new products. ', 'UK', 'Apple unveils low-cost \'Mac mini\' Apple has unveiled a new, low-cost Macintosh computer for the masses, billed as the Mac mini. Chief executive Steve Jobs showed off the new machine at his annual MacWorld speech, in San Francisco. The $499 Macintosh, sold for £339 in the UK, was described by Jobs as the "most important Mac" made by Apple. Mr Jobs also unveiled the iPod shuffle, a new music player using cheaper flash memory rather than hard drives, which are used in more expensive iPods. The new computer shifts the company into new territory - traditionally, the firm is known as a design and innovation-led firm rather than as a mass-market manufacturer. The Mac mini comes without a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and a second version with a larger hard drive will also be sold for $599. The machine - which will be available from 22 January - was described by Jobs as "BYODKM... bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse". In an attempt to win over Windows PC customers, Mr Jobs said it would appeal to people thinking of changing operating systems. "People who are thinking of switching will have no more excuses," he said. "It\'s the newest and most affordable Mac ever." The new computer has been the subject of speculation for several weeks and while few people will be surprised by the announcement many analysts had already said it was a sensible move. In January, Apple sued a website after it published what it said were specifications for the new computer. Ian Harris, deputy editor of UK magazine Mac Format, said the machine would appeal to PC-owning consumers who had purchased an iPod. "They want a further taste of Mac because they like what they have seen with iPod." Harris added: "Everybody thought that Apple was happy to remain a niche maker of luxury computers, and moving into a market dominated by low margin manufacturers like Dell is a bold move. "But it shows that Apple is keen to capitalise on the mass market success it\'s had with the iPod. The Mac mini will appeal to PC users looking for an attractive, \'no fuss\' computer." The new iPod shuffle comes in two versions - one offering 512mb of storage for $99 (£69 in the Uk) and a second with one gigabyte of storage for $149 (£99) - and went on sale Tuesday. The music player has no display and will play songs either consecutively or shuffled. The smaller iPod will hold about 120 songs, said Mr Jobs. Mr Jobs told the delegates at MacWorld that iPod already had a 65% market share of all digital music players. ', 'UK', 'Half of UK\'s mobiles \'go online\' Multimedia mobile phones are finally showing signs of taking off, with more Britons using them to go online. Figures from industry monitor, the Mobile Data Association (MDA), show the number of phones with GPRS and MMS technology has doubled since last year. GPRS lets people browse the web, access news services, mobile music and other applications like mobile chat. By the end of 2005, the MDA predicts that 75% of all mobiles in the UK will be able to access the net via GPRS. The MDA say the figures for the three months up to 30 September are a "rapid increase" on the figure for the same time the previous year. About 53 million people own a mobile in the UK, so the figures mean that half of those phones use GPRS. GPRS is often described as 2.5G technology - 2.5 generation - sitting between 2G and 3G technology, which is like a fast, high-quality broadband internet for phones. With more services being offered by mobile operators, people are finding more reasons to go online via their mobile. Downloadable ringtones are still proving highly popular, but so is mobile chat. BandAid was the fastest ever-selling ringtone this year, according to the MDA, and chat was given some publicity when Prime Minister Tony Blair answered questions through mobile text chat. Multimedia messaging services also looked brighter with 32% of all mobiles in the UK able to send or receive picture messages. This is a 14% rise from last September\'s figures. But a recent report from Continental Research reflects the continuing battle mobile companies have to actually persuade people to go online and to use MMS. It said that 36% of UK camera phone users had never sent a multimedia message, or MMS. That was 7% more than in 2003. Mobile companies are keen for people to use multimedia functions their phones, like sending MMS and going online, as this generates more money for them. But critics say that MMS is confusing and some mobiles are too difficult to use. There have also been some issues over interoperability, and being able to send MMS form a mobile using one network to a different one. ', 'US', 'IBM frees 500 software patents Computer giant IBM says 500 of its software patents will be released into the open development community. The move means developers will be able to use the technologies without paying for a licence from the company. IBM described the step as a "new era" in how it dealt with intellectual property and promised further patents would be made freely available. The patents include software for a range of practices, including text recognition and database management. Traditional technology business policy is to amass patents and despite IBM\'s announcement the company continues to follow this route. IBM was granted 3,248 patents in 2004, more than any other firm in the US, the New York Times reports. For each of the past 12 years IBM has been granted more US patents than any other company. IBM has received 25,772 US patents in that period and reportedly has more than 40,000 current patents. In a statement, Dr John E. Kelly, IBM senior vice president, Technology and Intellectual Property, said: "True innovation leadership is about more than just the numbers of patents granted. It\'s about innovating to benefit customers, partners and society. "Our pledge today is the beginning of a new era in how IBM will manage intellectual property." In the past, IBM has supported the non-commercial operating system Linux although critics have said this was done only as an attempt to undermine Microsoft. The company said it wanted to encourage other firms to release patents into what it called a "patent commons". Adam Jollans, IBM\'s world-wide Linux strategy manager, said the move was a genuine attempt to encourage innovation. "We believe that releasing these patents will result in innovation moving more quickly. "This is about encouraging collaboration and following a model much like academia." Mr Jollans likened the plan for a patent commons to the way the internet was developed and said everyone could take advantage of the result of collaboration. "The internet\'s impact has been on everyone. The benefits are there for everyone to take advantage of." Stuart Cohen, chief executive of US firm Open Source Development Labs, said the move could mean a change in the way companies deal with patents. "I think other companies will follow suit," he said. But not everyone was as supportive. Florian Mueller, campaign manager of a group lobbying toprevent software patents becoming legal in the European Union,dismissed IBM\'s move as insubstantial. "It\'s just diversionary tactics," wrote Mr Mueller, who leadsnosoftwarepatents.com, in a message on the group\'s website. "Let\'s put this into perspective: We\'re talking aboutroughly one percent of IBM\'s worldwide patent portfolio. They filethat number of patents in about a month\'s time," he added. IBM will continue to hold the 500 patents but it has pledged to seek no royalties from the patents. The company said it would not place any restrictions on companies, groups or individuals who use them in open-source projects. Open source software is developed by programmers who offer the source code - the origins of the program - for free and allow others to adapt or improve the software. End users have the right to modify and redistribute the software, as well as the right to package and sell the software. Other areas covered by the patents released by IBM include storage management, simultaneous multiprocessing, image processing, networking and e-commerce. ', 'UK', 'Rings of steel combat net attacks Gambling is hugely popular, especially with tech-savvy criminals. Many extortionists are targeting net-based betting firms and threatening to cripple their websites with deluges of data unless a ransom is paid. But now deep defences are being put in place by some of the UK\'s biggest net firms to stop these attacks. Increasing numbers of attacks and the huge amounts of data being used to try to bump a site off the web are prompting firms to adopt the measures. "Net firms are realising that it\'s not just about anti-virus and firewalls," said Paul King, chief security architect at Cisco. "There are more things that can be done in the network to protect data centres." Mr King said the only way to properly combat these so-called Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks was with intelligent net-based systems. Many of the gambling sites suffering DDoS attacks are in offshore data and hosting centres, so any large scale data flood could knock out access to many more sites than just the one the criminals were targeting, said Mr King. This overspill effect was only likely to grow as attacks grow in size and scale. Malcolm Seagrave, security expert at Energis, said the most common types of attacks hit sites with 10 megabytes of data over short periods of time. Bigger attacks sending down 200 megabytes of traffic or more were rarely seen, he said. "It does feel like they are turning the dial because you see this traffic gradually growing," he said. So far there have been no attacks involving gigabytes of data, said Mr Seagrave. However, he added that it was only a matter of time before such large attacks were mounted. Maria Capella, spokeswoman for net provider Pipex, said that when DDoS attacks were at their height, customers were getting hit every four to five days. The defences being put in place constantly monitor the streams of data flowing across networks and pluck out the traffic destined for target sites. "It\'s about understanding what\'s genuine traffic and keeping attack traffic from going to the site," she said. "We study the profile of their traffic and as soon as we see an anomaly in the profile that\'s when we start to get the backbone engineering boys to see if we are going to sustain an attack," said Ms Capella. This traffic can be hard to spot because DDoS attacks typically use thousands of computers in many different countries, each participating machine only sends a small part of the entire data flood. Typically these computers have been infected by a virus or worm which reports its success and the net address of compromised machines back to the malicious hacker or hi-tech criminal that set off the virus. Hijacked computers are known as zombies or \'bots and collections of them are called \'bot nets. Many spammers rent out \'bot nets to help them anonymously send junk mail. Most of the zombies are based outside the country that hosts the target site so getting the attacking PCs shut off can be difficult. Often Pipex and other net suppliers do get advance notice that an attack is about to happen. "The serious players tend to precede an attack with some kind of ransom e-mail," said Ms Capella. "We ask, as part of the service we provide, that customers notify us of anything they have in advance that would give us forewarning." Once an attack is spotted dedicated net hardware takes over to remove the attack traffic and ensure that sites stay up. Energis took a similar approach, said Mr Seagrave. "We have technology out there that allows us to detect attacks in minutes rather than let network engineers spend hours pulling the information together," said Mr Seagrave. Also net firms were starting to work more closely together on the problem of DDoS attacks and pool information about where they are coming from. Information gathered on attacks and where they originated has led to some arrests. He said Energis also did its own intelligence work to get in insight into which sites criminal gangs plan to target. "We have people in places where they shouldn\'t be, monitoring tech sites," he said. Sometimes though, he said, spotting the next victim was easy. "You can see them going alphabetically through the list with the gambling sites, trying one after another," said Mr Seagrave. ', 'US', 'US hacker breaks into T-Mobile A man is facing charges of hacking into computers at the US arm of mobile phone firm T-Mobile. The Californian man, Nicholas Lee Jacobsen, was arrested in October. Mr Jacobsen tried at least twice to hack T-Mobile\'s network and took names and social security numbers of 400 customers, said a company spokesman. The arrest came a year after T-Mobile uncovered the unauthorised access. The US Secret Service has been investigating the case. "T-Mobile has stringent procedures in place where we monitor for suspicious activity so that limited his activities and we were able to take corrective action immediately," Peter Dobrow, a T-Mobile spokesperson said. It is thought that Mr Jacobsen\'s hacking campaign took place over at least seven months during which time he read e-mails and personal computer files, according to court records. Although Mr Jacobsen, 21, managed to get hold of some data, it is thought he failed to get customer credit card numbers which are stored on a separate computer system, said Mr Dobrow. T-Mobile confirmed that the US Secret Service was also looking into whether the hacker accessed photos that T-Mobile subscribers had taken with their camera phones. The Associated Press agency reported that Mr Jacobsen also read personal files on the Secret Service agent who was apparently investigating the case. A Los Angeles grand jury indicted Mr Jacobsen with intentionally accessing a computer system without authorisation and with the unauthorised impairment of a protected computer between March and October 2004. He is currently on bail. T-Mobile is a subsidiary company of Deutsche Telekom and has about 16.3 million subscribers in the US. ', 'US', 'US state acts to stop \'spammers\' US state Texas has filed a lawsuit against two men believed to be among the world\'s top five spammers. It is seeking millions of dollars in damages in a civil lawsuit filed earlier this week. The Texas attorney general said it started the legal action as messages sent by the alleged spammers broke three laws governing e-mail marketing. The company named in the lawsuit denied any wrongdoing and said it complied with all relevant laws. The Texas lawsuit was filed against Ryan Samuel Pitylak, a University ofTexas student, and Mark Stephen Trotter of California. Both are thought to be the top executives in three companies - PayPerAction LLC., Leadplex LLC. and Leadplex Inc - that are suspected of sending out many millions of unwanted e-mail messages. "Illegal spam must be stopped," said Greg Abbott, Texas attorney general announcing the legal action. "Spam is one of the most aggravating and pervasive problems facing consumers today." The attorney general alleges that messages sent by Mr Pitylak and Mr Trotter\'s companies broke the 2003 Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (Can-Spam) as well as the Texas Electronic Mail and Solicitation Act and Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. All three acts confer cash penalties for each violation of their terms. If the men are found guilty and all penalties are applied, the two men could face a damages bill running into millions. Mr Abbott said the messages sent by the pair broke laws by using misleading subject lines, not identifying themselves as adverts and offering services for which they had no licence to do so in Texas. Lawyers for the alleged spammers said the lawsuit was groundless and the two men would defend themselves strongly against the accusations. "Leadplex and PayPerAction are legitimate internet marketing companies that are in complete compliance with the federal Can-Spam Act," said Lin Hughes, speaking on behalf of Mr Pitylak and Mr Trotter. In a similar move the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has won a court order that stops an international group of spammers sending sexually explicit e-mail. The FTC took the action because the messages being sent violated several parts of the CAN-Spam Act. In particular, the pornographic messages did not identify themselves as being sexually explicit, had deceptive subject headings, did not have working opt-out mechanisms, failed to mention they were adverts and did not give the sender\'s real world address. The court order stops the spammers sending e-mail and freezes assets prior to a hearing on a permanent injunction. ', 'UK', 'World tour for top video gamers Two UK gamers are about to embark on a world tour as part of the most lucrative-ever global games tournament. Aaron Foster and David Treacy have won the right to take part in a tournament offering $1m in total prize money. The cash will be handed out over 10 separate competitions in a continent-hopping contest organised by the Cyberathlete Professional League. As part of their prize the pair will have their travel costs paid to ensure they can get to the different bouts. The CPL World Tour kicks off in mid-February and the first leg will be in Istanbul. All ten bouts of the tournament will be played throughout 2005, each one in a different country. At each stop $50,000 in prize money will be up for grabs. The tournament champion for each leg of the CPL World Tour will walk away with a $15,000 prize. The winner of the grand final will get a prize purse of $150,000 from a total pot of $500,000. Winners of each stage of the tour automatically get a place at the next stop. The world tour stops are open to any keen gamer that registers. Online registration for the first stop opens this weekend. Some pro-players are winning a spot at the tour destinations through qualifying events organised by CPL partners. Winners at these qualifiers get seeded higher in the elimination parts of each tournament. Mr Foster and Mr Treacy get the chance to attend the World Tour as members of the UK\'s Four-Kings gaming clan. Towards the end of 2004 Four-Kings staged a series of online Painkiller competitions to reveal the UK\'s top players of the PC game. The best eight players met face-to-face in a special elimination event in late December where Mr Foster and Mr Tracey proved their prowess at Painkiller. As part of their prize the pair also get a contract with Four-Kings Intel which is one of the UK\'s few pro-gaming teams. "There are a lot of people who take gaming very seriously and support their local or national team with the same passion as any other sport," said Simon Bysshe who filmed the event for Four-Kings and Intel. More than 80,000 people have downloaded the movie of the tournament highlights. "Professional gaming is here to stay and will only grow in popularity," he said. ', 'UK', 'Souped-up wi-fi is on the horizon Super high-speed wireless data networks could soon be in use in the UK. The government\'s wireless watchdog is seeking help on the best way to regulate the technology behind such networks called Ultra Wideband (UWB). Ofcom wants to ensure that the arrival of UWB-using devices does not cause problems for those that already use the same part of the radio spectrum. UWB makes it possible to stream huge amounts of data through the air over short distances. One of the more likely uses of UWB is to make it possible to send DVD quality video images wirelessly to TV screens or to let people beam music to media players around their home. The technology has the potential to transmit hundreds of megabits of data per second. UWB could also be used to create so-called Personal Area Networks that let a person\'s gadgets quickly and easily swap data amongst themselves. The technology works over a range up to 10 metres and uses billions of short radio pulses every second to carry data. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas products with UWB chips built-in got their first public airing. Currently, use of UWB is only allowed in the UK under a strict licencing scheme. "We\'re seeking opinion from industry to find out whether or not we should allow UWB on a licence-exempt basis," said a spokesman for Ofcom. Companies have until 24 March to respond. In April the EC is due to start its own consultation on Europe-wide adoption of UWB. The cross-Europe body for radio regulators, known as the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), is carrying out research for this harmonisation programme. Early sight of the CEPT work has caused controversy as some think it over-emphasises UWB\'s potential to interfere with existing users. By contrast a preliminary Ofcom report found that it would be quite straight-forward to deploy UWB without causing problems for those that already use it. The Ofcom spokesman said it was considering imposing a "mask" or set of technical restrictions on UWB-using devices. "We would want these devices to have very strict controls on power levels so they can not transmit a long way or over a wide area," he said. Despite the current restrictions the technology is already being used. Cambridge-based Ubisense has about 40 customers around the world using the short-range radio technology, said David Theriault, standards and regulatory liaison for Ubisense. He said that UWB was driving novel ways to interact with computers. "It\'s like having a 3D mouse all the time," he said. He said that European decisions on what to do with UWB allied with IEEE decisions on the exact specifications for it would help drive adoption. Prior to its adoption as a way for gadgets and computers to communicate, UWB was used as a sensing technology. It is used to spot such things as cracks under the surface of runways or to help firemen detect people through walls. ', 'US', 'Speak easy plan for media players Music and film fans will be able to control their digital media players just by speaking to them, under plans in development by two US firms. ScanSoft and Gracenote are developing technology to give people access to their film and music libraries simply by voice control. They want to give people hands-free access to digital music and films in the car, or at home or on the move. Huge media libraries on some players can make finding single songs hard. "Voice command-and-control unlocks the potential of devices that can store large digital music collections," said Ross Blanchard, vice president of business development for Gracenote. "These applications will radically change the car entertainment experience, allowing drivers to enjoy their entire music collections without ever taking their hands off the steering wheel," he added. Gracenote provides music library information for millions of different albums for jukeboxes such as Apple\'s iTunes. The new technology will be designed so that people can play any individual song or movie out of a collection, just by saying its name. Users will also be able to request music that fits a mood or an occasion, or a film just by saying the actor\'s name. "Speech is a natural fit for today\'s consumer devices, particularly in mobile environments," said Alan Schwartz, vice president of SpeechWorks, a division of ScanSoft. "Pairing our voice technologies with Gracenote\'s vast music database will bring the benefits of speech technologies to a host of consumer devices and enable people to access their media in ways they\'ve never imagined." The two firms did not say if they were developing the technology for languages other than English. Users will also be able to get more information on a favourite song they have been listening to by asking: "What is this?" Portable players are becoming popular in cars and a number of auto firms are working with Apple to device interfaces to control the firm\'s iPod music player. But with tens of thousands of songs able to be stored on one player, voice control would make finding that elusive track by Elvis Presley much easier. The firms gave no indication about whether the iPod, or any other media player, were in mind for the use of the voice control technology. The companies estimate that the technology will be available in the fourth quarter of 2005. ', 'UK', 'Cable offers video-on-demand Cable firms NTL and Telewest have both launched video-on-demand services as the battle between satellite and cable TV heats up. Movies from Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Touchstone, Miramax, Columbia and Buena Vista will be among those on offer. The service is similar to Sky Plus, as users can pause, fast forward and rewind content, but they cannot store programmes on their set top box - yet. It could sound the death knell for some TV channels, Telewest predicts. "It allows us to demonstrate a clear competitive advantage over Sky for the first time in many years," said Telewest chief executive Eric Tveter. "Video-on-demand will offer a deeper range of content than currently exists on TV. There will be less compromising around the TV schedule and some of the less popular channels may go by the wayside," said Philip Snalune, director of products at Telewest. Telewest customers in Bristol and NTL viewers in Glasgow will be the first to test the new service, which sees a raft of movies on offer for 24 hour rental. During the year, the service will be extended to all cable regions. Films will range in price from £1 or £2 for archived movies to £3.50 for current releases. New releases initially on offer will include 50 First dates, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Gothika and The Station Agent. In addition, NTL is offering children\'s programmes, adult content, music video and concerts. Telewest will launch similar services later in the year. NTL is also offering viewers the chance to catch up with programmes they have missed. Its pick of the week service will offer a selection of BBC programmes from the previous seven days such as Eastenders, Casualty, Top Gear and Antiques Roadshow. The BBC is trialling a similar service, offering broadband users the chance to watch programmes already broadcast on their PC. For Telewest it is the beginning of a £20m investment in TV-on-demand which will also see the launch of a personal video recorder (PVR). PVR has been a big success for Sky because it gives customers control over programmes. Satellite customers without PVR cannot pause, rewind or fast forward their programmes. With both services on offer from Telewest, Mr Tveter is confident the cable firm can dent not just the viewing figures for terrestrial TV but also gain a huge competitive advantage over Sky. "We offer the best of both worlds and most households have an interest in having both video-on-demand and PVR," he said. Video rental stores may also have to watch their back. "Video-on-demand is better than having a video-store in your living room and is more convenient," he said. NTL said it had not ruled out the possibility of offering a PVR but for the moment is concentrating on video-on-demand. "PVR is a recording mechanism whereas what we are offering is truly on demand," said a spokesman for the company. Video-on-demand has the added advantage of not requiring a separate set-top box or extra remote controls, he added. Adam Thomas, an analyst at research firm Informa Media believes the time is ripe for video-on-demand to flourish. "While Sky will remain the dominant force in UK pay TV for some time to come, NTL and Telewest seem well placed to successfully ride this second wave of VOD enthusiasm and, if marketed correctly, this could help them eat into Sky\'s lead," he said. ', 'Europe', 'Cyber crime booms in 2004 The last 12 months have seen a dramatic growth in almost every security threat that plague Windows PCs. The count of known viruses broke the 100,000 barrier and the number of new viruses grew by more than 50%. Similarly phishing attempts, in which conmen try to trick people into handing over confidential data, are recording growth rates of more than 30% and attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Also on the increase are the number of networks of remotely controlled computers, called bot nets, used by malicious hackers and conmen to carry out many different cyber crimes. One of the biggest changes of 2004 was the waning influence of the boy hackers keen to make a name by writing a fast-spreading virus, said Kevin Hogan, senior manager in Symantec\'s security response group. Although teenage virus writers will still play around with malicious code, said Mr Hogan, 2004 saw a significant rise in criminal use of malicious programs. The financial incentives were driving criminal use of technology, he said. His comment was echoed by Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant from anti-virus firm Sophos. Mr Cluley said: "When the commercial world gets involved, things really get nasty. Virus writers and hackers will be looking to make a tidy sum." In particular, phishing attacks, which typically use fake versions of bank websites to grab login details of customers, boomed during 2004. Web portal Lycos Europe reported a 500% increase in the number of phishing e-mail messages it was catching. The Anti-Phishing Working group reported that the number of phishing attacks against new targets was growing at a rate of 30% or more per month. Those who fall victim to these attacks can find that their bank account has been cleaned out or that their good name has been ruined by someone stealing their identity. This change in the ranks of virus writers could mean the end of the mass-mailing virus which attempts to spread by tricking people into opening infected attachments on e-mail messages. "They are not an efficient way of spreading viruses," said Mr Hogan. "They are very noisy and they are not technically challenging." The opening months of 2004 did see the appearance of the Netsky, Bagle and MyDoom mass mailers, but since then more surreptitious viruses, or worms, have dominated. Mr Hogan said worm writers were more interested in recruiting PCs to take part in "bot nets" that can be used to send out spam or to mount attacks on websites. In September Symantec released statistics which showed that the numbers of active "bot computers" rose from 2,000 to 30,000 per day. Thanks to these "bot nets", spam continued to be a problem in 2004. Anti-spam firms report that, in many cases, legitimate e-mail has shrunk to less than 30% of messages. Part of the reason that these "bot nets" have become so prevalent, he said, was due to a big change in the way that many viruses were created. In the past many viruses, such as Netsky, have been the work of an individual or group. By contrast, said Mr Hogan, the code for viruses such as Gaobot, Spybot and Randex were commonly held and many groups work on them to produce new variants at the same time. The result is that now there are more than 3,000 variations of the Spybot worm. "That\'s unprecedented," said Mr Hogan. "What makes it difficult is that they are all co-existing with each other and do not exist in an easy to understand chronology." The emergence of the first proper virus for mobile phones was also seen in 2004. In the past, threats to smart phones have been largely theoretical because the viruses created to cripple phones existed only in the laboratory rather than the wild. In June, the Cabir virus was discovered that can hop from phone to phone using Bluetooth short-range radio technology. Also released this year was the Mosquito game for Symbian phones which surreptitiously sends messages to premium rate numbers, and in November the Skulls Trojan came to light which can cripple phones. On the positive side, Finnish security firm F-Secure said that 2004 was the best-ever year for the capture, arrest and sentencing of virus writers and criminally-minded hackers. In total, eight virus writers were arrested and some members of the so-called 29A virus writing group were sentenced. One high-profile arrest was that of German teenager Sven Jaschen who confessed to be behind the Netsky and Sasser virus families. Also shut down were the Carderplanet and Shadowcrew websites that were used to trade stolen credit card numbers. ', 'US', 'Games help you \'learn and play\' \'God games\' in which players must control virtual people and societies could be educational, says research. A US researcher has suggested that games such as The Sims could be a good way to teach languages. Ravi Purushotma believes that the world of The Sims can do a better job of teaching vocabulary and grammar than traditional methods. The inherent fun of game playing could help to make learning languages much less of a chore, said Mr Purushotma. There must be few parents or teachers that do not worry that the lure of a video game on a computer or console is hard to resist by children that really should be doing their homework. But instead of fearing computer games, Ravi Purushotma believes that educationalists, particularly language teachers should embrace games. "One goal would be to break what I believe to be the false assumption that learning and play are inherently oppositional," he said. He believes that the "phenomenal ability" of games such as The Sims and others to capture the interest of adolescent audiences is ripe for exploitation. The hard part of learning any language, said Mr Purushotma, were the basic parts of learning what different words refer to and how they are used to build up sentences. Boring lessons drumming vocabulary into pupils couched in terms they do not understand has made many languages far harder to learn than they should be. "The way we often teach foreign languages right now is somewhat akin to learning to ride a bike by formally studying gravity," he said. By contrast, said Mr Purushotma, learning via something like The Sims may mean students do not feel like they are studying at all. This was because The Sims does not rely solely on words to get information across to players. Instead the actions of its computer controlled people and how they interact with their world often makes clear what is going on. The incidental information about what a Sim was doing could reinforce what a player or student was supposed to be learning, said Mr Purushotma. By contrast many language lessons try to impart information about a tongue with little context. For instance, he said, in a version of The Sims adapted to teach German, if a player misunderstood what was meant by the word "energie" the actions of a tired Sim, stumbling then falling asleep, would illustrate the meaning. If necessary detailed textual information could be called upon to aid players\' or students\' understanding. One of the drawbacks of The Sims, said Mr Purushotma, was the lack of spoken language to help people brush up on pronunciation. However, online versions of The Sims, in which people have to move in, meet the neighbours and get to know the local town, could be adapted to help this. Although not wishing to claim that he is the first to suggest using a game can help people learn, Mr Purushotma believes that educationalists have missed the potential they have to help. Getting a simulated person to perform everyday activities in a make-believe world and having them described in a foreign language could be a powerful learning aid, he believes. Before now, he said, educational software titles suffer by comparison with the slick graphics and rich worlds found in games. But, he said, using pre-prepared game worlds such as The Sims has never been easier because tools have been made by its creators and fans that make it easy to modify almost any part of the game. This could make it easy for teachers to adapt parts of the game for their own lessons. "I\'m hoping now to re-create a well-polished German learning mod for the sequel by this summer," he told the BBC News website. "I\'m encouraged to hear that others are thinking of experimenting with Japanese and Spanish." Earlier work with a colleague on using Civilisation III to teach students about history showed that it could be a powerful way to get them to realise that solving a society\'s problems can not always come from making a single change. A report on the experiment said: "Students began asking historical and geographical questions in the context of game play, using geography and history as tools for their game, and drawing inferences about social phenomena based on their play." Mr Purushotma\'s ideas were aired in an article for the journal Language Learning and Technology. ', 'UK', 'Format wars could \'confuse users\' Technology firms Sony, Philips, Matsushita and Samsung are developing a common way to stop people pirating digital music and video. The firms want to make a system that ensures files play on the hardware they make but also thwarts illegal copying. The move could mean more confusion for consumers already faced by many different, and conflicting, content control systems, experts warned. They say there are no guarantees the system will even prevent piracy. Currently many online stores wrap up downloadable files in an own-brand control system that means they can only be played on a small number of media players. Systems that limit what people can do with the files they download are known as Digital Rights Management systems. By setting up the alliance to work on a common control system, the firms said they hope to end this current fragmentation of file formats. In a joint statement the firms said they wanted to let consumers enjoy "appropriately licensed video and music on any device, independent of how they originally obtained that content". The firms hope that it will also make it harder for consumers to make illegal copies of the music, movies and other digital content they have bought. Called the Marlin Joint Development Association, the alliance will define basic specifications that every device made by the electronics firms will conform to. Marlin will be built on technology from rights management firm Intertrust as well as an earlier DRM system developed by a group known as the Coral Consortium. The move is widely seen as a way for the four firms to decide their own destiny on content control systems instead of having to sign up for those being pushed by Apple and Microsoft. Confusingly for consumers, the technology that comes out of the alliance will sit alongside the content control systems of rival firms such as Microsoft and Apple. "In many ways the different DRM systems are akin to the different physical formats, such as Betamax and VHS, that consumers have seen in the past," said Ian Fogg, personal technology and broadband analyst at Jupiter Research. "The difference is that it is very fragmented," he said. "It\'s not a two-horse race, it\'s a five, six, seven or even eight-horse race" Mr Fogg said consumers had to be very careful when buying digital content to ensure that it would play on the devices they own. He said currently there were even incompatibilities within DRM families. Although initiatives such as Microsoft\'s "Plays for Sure" program could help remove some of the uncertainty, he said, life was likely to be confusing for consumers for some time to come. Shelley Taylor, analyst and author of a report about online music services, said the locks and limits on digital files were done to maximise the cash that firms can make from consumers. Apple\'s iTunes service was a perfect example of this, she said. "Although iTunes has been hugely successful, Apple could not justify its existence if it did not help sell all those iPods," she said. She said rampant competition between online music services, of which there are now 230 according to recent figures, could drive more openness and freer file formats. "It always works out that consumer needs win out in the long run," she said, "and the services that win in the long run are the ones that listen to consumers earliest." Ms Taylor said the limits legal download services place on files could help explain the continuing popularity of file-sharing systems that let people get hold of pirated pop. "People want portability," she said, "and with peer-to-peer they have 100% portability." Cory Doctorow, European co-ordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation which campaigns for consumers on many cyber-rights issues, expressed doubts that the Marlin system would achieve its aims. "Not one of these systems has ever prevented piracy or illegal copying," he said. He said many firms readily admit that their DRM systems are little protection against skilled attackers such as the organised crime gangs that are responsible for most piracy. Instead, said Mr Doctorow, DRM systems were intended to control the group that electronics firms have most hold over - consumers. "The studios and labels perceive an opportunity to sell you your media again and again - the iPod version, the auto version, the American and UK version, the ringtone version, and so on." ', 'UK', 'Text message record smashed UK mobile owners continue to break records with their text messaging, with latest figures showing that 26 billion texts were sent in total in 2004. The figures collected by the Mobile Data Association (MDA) showed that 2.4 billion were fired off in December alone, the highest monthly total ever. That was 26% more than in December 2003. The records even surpassed the MDA\'s own predictions, it said. Every day 78 million messages are sent and there are no signs of a slow down. Before December\'s bumper text record, the previous highest monthly total was in October 2004, when 2.3 billion were sent. Text messaging is set to smash more records in 2005 too, said the MDA, with forecasts suggesting a total of 30 billion for the year. Even though mobiles are becoming increasingly sophisticated with much more multimedia applications, texting is still one of the most useful functions of mobiles. People are using SMS to do much more too. Booking cinema tickets, text voting, and news or sports text alerts are growing popular. Mobile owners have also given the chance to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee\'s (DEC) Asian Tsunami fund by texting "Donate" to a simple short code number. Looking further ahead in the year, the MDA\'s chairman Mike Short, has predicted that more people will go online through their mobiles, estimating 15 billion WAP page impressions. Handsets with GPRS capability - an "always on" net connection - will rise to 75%, while 3G mobile ownership growing to five million by the end of 2005. These third generation mobiles offer a high-speed connection which means more data like video can be received on the phone. Globally, mobile phone sales passed 167 million in the third quarter of 2004, according to a recent report from analysts Gartner. That was 26% more than the previous year. It is predicted that there would be two billion handsets in use worldwide by the end of 2005. ', 'UK', 'Mobiles rack up 20 years of use Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend. Britain\'s first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise. In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset. Mobiles have become so popular that many people use their handset as their only phone and rarely use a landline. The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched. The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked. The first call was made from St Katherine\'s dock to Vodafone\'s head office in Newbury which at the time was over a curry house. For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK. Then on 10 January Cellnet (now O2) launched its service. Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about £2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes. "Despite that they were hugely popular in the mid-80s," he said. "They became a yuppy must-have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk." This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on. He said it took Vodafone almost nine years to rack up its first million customers but only 18 months to get the second million. "It\'s very easy to forget that in 1983 when we put the bid document in we were forecasting that the total market would be two million people," he said. "Cellnet was forecasting half that." Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T-Mobile) was launched. Orange had its UK launch in 1994. Both newcomers operated digital mobile networks and now all operators use this technology. The analogue spectrum for the old phones has been retired. Called Global System for Mobiles (GSM) this is now the most widely used phone technology on the planet and is used to help more than 1.2 billion people make calls. Mr Caudwell said the advent of digital technology also helped to introduce all those things, such as text messaging and roaming that have made mobiles so popular. ', 'US', 'Doors open at biggest gadget fair Thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. About 50,000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. Microsoft chief Bill Gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on Wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation Xbox. The thrust of this year\'s show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store, listen to, and watch what they want on devices any time, anywhere. About 120,000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. Highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies. The show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard among others. "The story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them," Jeff Joseph, from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) told the BBC News website. "It is about personalisation - taking your MP3 player and creating your own playlist, taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters." Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers, the CEA, on Tuesday. The gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the US in 2004. Shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. That trend is predicted to continue, according to CEA analysts, with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. The fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank DVD media, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, digital video recorders (DVRs), and portable music players. "This year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your PVR [personal video recorder] in your living room, you can move that content around the house. "Some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere," said Mr Joseph. He said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the "democratisation" of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music, video, and images. There will also be more focus on the design of technologies, following the lead that Apple\'s iPod made, with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern. The CEA predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. Gaming would continue to thrive, especially on mobile devices, and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. Games consoles sales have been declining, but the launch of next generation consoles, such as Microsoft\'s Xbox and PlayStation, could buoy up sales. Although it has been widely predicted that Mr Gates would be showcasing the new Xbox, some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. Some have suggested the announcement may take place at the Games Developers Conference in the summer instead. With more than 52% of US homes expected to have home networks, the CEA suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images, video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home, will be more commonplace. Portable devices that combine mobile telephony, digital music and video players, will also be more popular in 2005. Their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films, TV, and audio wherever they are. This means more storage technologies will be in demand, such as external hard drives, and flash memory like SD cards. CES runs officially from 6 to 9 January. ', 'UK', 'Apple unveils low-cost \'Mac mini\' Apple has unveiled a new, low-cost Macintosh computer for the masses, billed as the Mac mini. Chief executive Steve Jobs showed off the new machine at his annual MacWorld speech, in San Francisco. The $499 Macintosh, sold for £339 in the UK, was described by Jobs as the "most important Mac" made by Apple. Mr Jobs also unveiled the iPod shuffle, a new music player using cheaper flash memory rather than hard drives, which are used in more expensive iPods. The new computer shifts the company into new territory - traditionally, the firm is known as a design and innovation-led firm rather than as a mass-market manufacturer. The Mac mini comes without a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and a second version with a larger hard drive will also be sold for $599. The machine - which will be available from 22 January - was described by Jobs as "BYODKM... bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse". In an attempt to win over Windows PC customers, Mr Jobs said it would appeal to people thinking of changing operating systems. "People who are thinking of switching will have no more excuses," he said. "It\'s the newest and most affordable Mac ever." The new computer has been the subject of speculation for several weeks and while few people will be surprised by the announcement many analysts had already said it was a sensible move. In January, Apple sued a website after it published what it said were specifications for the new computer. Ian Harris, deputy editor of UK magazine Mac Format, said the machine would appeal to PC-owning consumers who had purchased an iPod. "They want a further taste of Mac because they like what they have seen with iPod." Harris added: "Everybody thought that Apple was happy to remain a niche maker of luxury computers, and moving into a market dominated by low margin manufacturers like Dell is a bold move. "But it shows that Apple is keen to capitalise on the mass market success it\'s had with the iPod. The Mac mini will appeal to PC users looking for an attractive, \'no fuss\' computer." The new iPod shuffle comes in two versions - one offering 512mb of storage for $99 (£69 in the Uk) and a second with one gigabyte of storage for $149 (£99) - and went on sale Tuesday. The music player has no display and will play songs either consecutively or shuffled. The smaller iPod will hold about 120 songs, said Mr Jobs. Mr Jobs told the delegates at MacWorld that iPod already had a 65% market share of all digital music players. ', 'UK', 'Rings of steel combat net attacks Gambling is hugely popular, especially with tech-savvy criminals. Many extortionists are targeting net-based betting firms and threatening to cripple their websites with deluges of data unless a ransom is paid. But now deep defences are being put in place by some of the UK\'s biggest net firms to stop these attacks. Increasing numbers of attacks and the huge amounts of data being used to try to bump a site off the web are prompting firms to adopt the measures. "Net firms are realising that it\'s not just about anti-virus and firewalls," said Paul King, chief security architect at Cisco. "There are more things that can be done in the network to protect data centres." Mr King said the only way to properly combat these so-called Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks was with intelligent net-based systems. Many of the gambling sites suffering DDoS attacks are in offshore data and hosting centres, so any large scale data flood could knock out access to many more sites than just the one the criminals were targeting, said Mr King. This overspill effect was only likely to grow as attacks grow in size and scale. Malcolm Seagrave, security expert at Energis, said the most common types of attacks hit sites with 10 megabytes of data over short periods of time. Bigger attacks sending down 200 megabytes of traffic or more were rarely seen, he said. "It does feel like they are turning the dial because you see this traffic gradually growing," he said. So far there have been no attacks involving gigabytes of data, said Mr Seagrave. However, he added that it was only a matter of time before such large attacks were mounted. Maria Capella, spokeswoman for net provider Pipex, said that when DDoS attacks were at their height, customers were getting hit every four to five days. The defences being put in place constantly monitor the streams of data flowing across networks and pluck out the traffic destined for target sites. "It\'s about understanding what\'s genuine traffic and keeping attack traffic from going to the site," she said. "We study the profile of their traffic and as soon as we see an anomaly in the profile that\'s when we start to get the backbone engineering boys to see if we are going to sustain an attack," said Ms Capella. This traffic can be hard to spot because DDoS attacks typically use thousands of computers in many different countries, each participating machine only sends a small part of the entire data flood. Typically these computers have been infected by a virus or worm which reports its success and the net address of compromised machines back to the malicious hacker or hi-tech criminal that set off the virus. Hijacked computers are known as zombies or \'bots and collections of them are called \'bot nets. Many spammers rent out \'bot nets to help them anonymously send junk mail. Most of the zombies are based outside the country that hosts the target site so getting the attacking PCs shut off can be difficult. Often Pipex and other net suppliers do get advance notice that an attack is about to happen. "The serious players tend to precede an attack with some kind of ransom e-mail," said Ms Capella. "We ask, as part of the service we provide, that customers notify us of anything they have in advance that would give us forewarning." Once an attack is spotted dedicated net hardware takes over to remove the attack traffic and ensure that sites stay up. Energis took a similar approach, said Mr Seagrave. "We have technology out there that allows us to detect attacks in minutes rather than let network engineers spend hours pulling the information together," said Mr Seagrave. Also net firms were starting to work more closely together on the problem of DDoS attacks and pool information about where they are coming from. Information gathered on attacks and where they originated has led to some arrests. He said Energis also did its own intelligence work to get in insight into which sites criminal gangs plan to target. "We have people in places where they shouldn\'t be, monitoring tech sites," he said. Sometimes though, he said, spotting the next victim was easy. "You can see them going alphabetically through the list with the gambling sites, trying one after another," said Mr Seagrave. ', 'US', 'Speak easy plan for media players Music and film fans will be able to control their digital media players just by speaking to them, under plans in development by two US firms. ScanSoft and Gracenote are developing technology to give people access to their film and music libraries simply by voice control. They want to give people hands-free access to digital music and films in the car, or at home or on the move. Huge media libraries on some players can make finding single songs hard. "Voice command-and-control unlocks the potential of devices that can store large digital music collections," said Ross Blanchard, vice president of business development for Gracenote. "These applications will radically change the car entertainment experience, allowing drivers to enjoy their entire music collections without ever taking their hands off the steering wheel," he added. Gracenote provides music library information for millions of different albums for jukeboxes such as Apple\'s iTunes. The new technology will be designed so that people can play any individual song or movie out of a collection, just by saying its name. Users will also be able to request music that fits a mood or an occasion, or a film just by saying the actor\'s name. "Speech is a natural fit for today\'s consumer devices, particularly in mobile environments," said Alan Schwartz, vice president of SpeechWorks, a division of ScanSoft. "Pairing our voice technologies with Gracenote\'s vast music database will bring the benefits of speech technologies to a host of consumer devices and enable people to access their media in ways they\'ve never imagined." The two firms did not say if they were developing the technology for languages other than English. Users will also be able to get more information on a favourite song they have been listening to by asking: "What is this?" Portable players are becoming popular in cars and a number of auto firms are working with Apple to device interfaces to control the firm\'s iPod music player. But with tens of thousands of songs able to be stored on one player, voice control would make finding that elusive track by Elvis Presley much easier. The firms gave no indication about whether the iPod, or any other media player, were in mind for the use of the voice control technology. The companies estimate that the technology will be available in the fourth quarter of 2005. ', 'US', 'US peer-to-peer pirates convicted The first convictions for piracy over peer-to-peer networks have been handed down in the US. New Yorker William Trowbridge and Texan Michael Chicoine have pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. The two men faced charges following raids in August on suspected pirates by the FBI. The pair face jail terms of up to five years and a $250,000 (£130,000) fine. In a statement the US Department of Justice said the two men operated the central hubs in a piracy community organised across the Direct Connect peer-to-peer network. The piracy group called itself the Underground Network and membership of it demanded that users share between one and 100 gigabytes of files. Direct Connect allows users to set themselves up as central servers that act as co-ordinating spots for sharers. Users would swap files, such as films and music, by exchanging data over the network. During its investigation FBI agents reportedly downloaded 84 movies, 40 software programs, 13 games and 178 "sound recordings" from the five hubs that made up the larger piracy group. The raids were organised under the umbrella of Operation Digital Gridlock which was aimed at fighting "criminal copyright theft on peer-to-peer networks". In total, six raids were carried out in August. Five were on the homes of suspected copyright thieves and one on a net service firm. The Department of Justice said that both men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement. They also pleaded guilty to acting for commercial advantage. The two men are due to be sentenced on 29 April. ', 'UK', 'Format wars could \'confuse users\' Technology firms Sony, Philips, Matsushita and Samsung are developing a common way to stop people pirating digital music and video. The firms want to make a system that ensures files play on the hardware they make but also thwarts illegal copying. The move could mean more confusion for consumers already faced by many different, and conflicting, content control systems, experts warned. They say there are no guarantees the system will even prevent piracy. Currently many online stores wrap up downloadable files in an own-brand control system that means they can only be played on a small number of media players. Systems that limit what people can do with the files they download are known as Digital Rights Management systems. By setting up the alliance to work on a common control system, the firms said they hope to end this current fragmentation of file formats. In a joint statement the firms said they wanted to let consumers enjoy "appropriately licensed video and music on any device, independent of how they originally obtained that content". The firms hope that it will also make it harder for consumers to make illegal copies of the music, movies and other digital content they have bought. Called the Marlin Joint Development Association, the alliance will define basic specifications that every device made by the electronics firms will conform to. Marlin will be built on technology from rights management firm Intertrust as well as an earlier DRM system developed by a group known as the Coral Consortium. The move is widely seen as a way for the four firms to decide their own destiny on content control systems instead of having to sign up for those being pushed by Apple and Microsoft. Confusingly for consumers, the technology that comes out of the alliance will sit alongside the content control systems of rival firms such as Microsoft and Apple. "In many ways the different DRM systems are akin to the different physical formats, such as Betamax and VHS, that consumers have seen in the past," said Ian Fogg, personal technology and broadband analyst at Jupiter Research. "The difference is that it is very fragmented," he said. "It\'s not a two-horse race, it\'s a five, six, seven or even eight-horse race" Mr Fogg said consumers had to be very careful when buying digital content to ensure that it would play on the devices they own. He said currently there were even incompatibilities within DRM families. Although initiatives such as Microsoft\'s "Plays for Sure" program could help remove some of the uncertainty, he said, life was likely to be confusing for consumers for some time to come. Shelley Taylor, analyst and author of a report about online music services, said the locks and limits on digital files were done to maximise the cash that firms can make from consumers. Apple\'s iTunes service was a perfect example of this, she said. "Although iTunes has been hugely successful, Apple could not justify its existence if it did not help sell all those iPods," she said. She said rampant competition between online music services, of which there are now 230 according to recent figures, could drive more openness and freer file formats. "It always works out that consumer needs win out in the long run," she said, "and the services that win in the long run are the ones that listen to consumers earliest." Ms Taylor said the limits legal download services place on files could help explain the continuing popularity of file-sharing systems that let people get hold of pirated pop. "People want portability," she said, "and with peer-to-peer they have 100% portability." Cory Doctorow, European co-ordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation which campaigns for consumers on many cyber-rights issues, expressed doubts that the Marlin system would achieve its aims. "Not one of these systems has ever prevented piracy or illegal copying," he said. He said many firms readily admit that their DRM systems are little protection against skilled attackers such as the organised crime gangs that are responsible for most piracy. Instead, said Mr Doctorow, DRM systems were intended to control the group that electronics firms have most hold over - consumers. "The studios and labels perceive an opportunity to sell you your media again and again - the iPod version, the auto version, the American and UK version, the ringtone version, and so on." ', 'UK', 'Mobiles get set for visual radio The growth in the mobile phone market in the past decade has been nothing less than astonishing, but the ability to communicate on the go is not the only reason we are hooked. Games, cameras and music players have all been added to our handsets in the last few years, but 2005 could see another big innovation that won\'t just see a change in our mobile phone habits - it might alter the way we listen to the radio. Finnish handset giant Nokia has been working on a technology called Visual Radio, which takes an existing FM signal from a radio station and enables that station to add enhancements such as information and pictures. It is not the first time that such an idea has been suggested - the early days of DAB Digital Radio had similar intentions that never really saw the light of day. One problem is that the name Visual Radio leads people to think of television but Reidar Wasenius, a senior project manager at Nokia, was adamant that Visual Radio should not be confused with the more traditional medium. He said: "I\'m very happy to say it\'s not television, what we\'re talking about is an enhancement of radio as we know it today. "If you have a Visual Radio enabled handset, when you hear an artist you don\'t know, or there\'s a competition or vote that you\'d like to participate in, you pull out your handset and with one click you turn on a visual channel parallel to the on-air broadcast you\'ve just been listening to." That visual channel is run from a computer within the radio station, and sends out different kinds of information to the handset depending on what you are listening to. As well as details on the track or artist of a particular song, there is also the ability to interact immediately with the radio station itself, in a similar way to digital television\'s "red button" content. Possible interactive content includes competitions, votes and even the chance to rate the song that is playing. But the interactive aspect will make the service especially attractive to radio stations, who will be able to track the number of people taking part in such activities on a real-time basis. This in turn should lead to an additional source of revenue, as it is very likely that advertisers will be keen to exploit new opportunities to reach listeners. As the Visual Radio content is transmitted by existing GPRS technology you would need to have that service enabled by your network. And there will be a cost for the service as well, although it may depend on your usage. "If you enjoy the visual channel occasionally and interact it\'ll be two or three pounds per month," said Mr Wasenius. "But typically what we see happening is the operator offering a package deal for an \'all you can eat\' arrangement per month." The payment system could therefore be similar to the way that broadband internet works versus dial-up connections. One thing that is for sure - assuming that Nokia retains its market share in handsets, it is estimating that there will be 100 million Visual Radio-enabled mobile phones in circulation by the end of 2006. "Basically, Visual Radio is not really revolutionary, but rather an evolution where we are providing tools with which people can participate in radio much more easily than ever before." The first Visual Radio service in the UK will begin in a few months time with Virgin Radio, who are positive about the impact it could have on their listeners. Station manager Steve Taylor commented: "Listeners can interact with the radio station in a new way. "Not only does this give listeners more information on the music we play but means they can instantly purchase things they like; mp3 music downloads and the latest gig tickets." Initially Visual Radio functionality will be limited to two Nokia handsets due out soon - the 3230 and 7710 - but if successful, it is very likely that other manufacturers will want to join them. Listen again to the interview on the Radio Five Live website. ', 'Europe', "How to make a greener computer The hi-tech industry is starting to get more environmentally aware. Bill Thompson thinks it's about time. My first car ran on four star petrol and pumped vast quantities of lead into the atmosphere as I drove around Cambridge. Now you can't buy petrol with lead additives, and we're all better off as a result. Chip giant Intel recently began shipping computer circuit boards that are lead free too, reflecting a growing awareness on the part of the technology industry that products have to be designed and built in more environmentally friendly ways. Apart from reducing the use of toxic materials like arsenic, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals in the products themselves, the manufacturing process is also being cleaned up, with fewer complex and potentially damaging organic chemicals used as solvents. And work is going into making power supplies that are more energy efficient, since current transformers are astonishingly wasteful as they charge our laptops, mobiles and music players. One of the key aspects of the new approach is to design products that are easier to recycle. If you have got a phone or a computer with toxic chemicals or heavy metals in it then extracting them can be tricky and expensive. A well-designed electronic component is able to be recycled at low cost. This is going to be very important to hardware manufacturers in Europe since from August the new Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment directive will oblige them to accept returned products for recycling. They will end up paying if they build things that are expensive or impossible to take apart and will find their profits hit, something which is likely to motivate them where appeals to the wider public interest might fall on deaf ears. It is, as they say, about time. We have a long and depressing history of developing new technologies with complete disregard for their potential impact on the environment, and waiting until there is a crisis looming before we try to redesign them to cause less damage. The car engine is a case in point: lead additives helped stop petrol vapour exploding too early in the cylinder, a phenomenon called 'knocking', so they were simply used without any real thought for the fact that the lead would end up in the atmosphere. Redesigning engines and making petrol slightly different was a lot more work, so it took decades before it was done. We're seeing the same thing in the technology industry and, as a result, there are billions of devices, from old mobile phones to antique handhelds, that will have to be recycled in years to come. If Apple gets its way then a lot of people are going to be buying a new Mac Mini and throwing away their old PC, keeping the monitor and other peripherals. Even if Apple does not get its way, four or five-year-old computers are not good enough to run modern programs and it's not unreasonable to replace them. But what do we do with the old ones? I've just looked around my office and I find two monitors, an old 386 PC, two old handhelds, three ancient laptops, four antique mobile phones, a collection of rechargeable batteries and even a Sun workstation that is no longer really much use. They are all old enough to be hazardous waste - the monitors alone will be full of arsenic and lead - but it's possible that some of the components could be useful. I could take them up the to the council recycling centre, but it's a 10-mile drive away across town, and like many other people my commitment to recycling is shallow at best. Here in Cambridge we have green bins for compostable waste, a box for glass, cans and paper that can be recycled, and a black bin for the rest. There are bottle banks and clothing banks scattered around town and in supermarket car parks. Would it be too much to ask for an electronics recycling box too? I'd probably remember to take my old mobile with me to the supermarket and drop it in a box - at least eventually. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ", 'China', 'Microsoft makes anti-piracy move Microsoft says it is clamping down on people running pirated versions of its Windows operating system by restricting their access to security features. The Windows Genuine Advantage scheme means people will have to prove their software is genuine from mid-2005. It will still allow those with unauthorised copies to get some crucial security fixes via automatic updates, but their options would be "limited". Microsoft releases regular security updates to its software to protect PCs. Either PCs detect updates automatically or users manually download fixes through Microsoft\'s site. Those running pirated Windows programs would not have access to other downloads and "add-ons" that the software giant offers. People who try to manually download security patches will have to let Microsoft run an automated checking procedure on their computer or give an identification number. Microsoft\'s regular patches which it releases for newly-found security flaws are important because they stop worms, viruses and other threats penetrating PCs. Some security experts are concerned that restricting access to such patches could mean a rise in such attacks and threats, with more PCs left unprotected. But Graham Cluley, senior consultant at security firm Sophos, told the BBC News website that it was a positive decision. "It sounds like their decision to allow critical security patches to remain available to both legitimate and illegitimate users of Windows is good news for everyone who uses the net," he said. Windows Genuine Advantage was first introduced as a pilot scheme in September 2004 for English-language versions of Windows. Microsoft\'s Windows operating system is heavily exploited by virus writers because it is so widespread and they are constantly seeking out new security loopholes to take advantage of. The company is trying to tackle security threats whilst cracking down on pirated software at the same time. Software piracy has cost the company billions, it says. The company announced earlier in January that it was releasing security tools to clean up PCs harbouring viruses and spyware, which 90% of PCs are infected with. The virus-fighting program, updated monthly, is a precursor to Microsoft\'s dedicated anti-virus software. Last year it introduced the Windows XP Counterfeit Project, a UK-based pilot scheme, which ran from November to December. The scheme meant that anyone with pre-installed copies of the operating system in PCs bought before November could replace counterfeit versions of Windows XP with legal ones for free. It is also increasing efforts to squash software piracy in China, Norway and the Czech Republic, where pirated software is a huge problem, by offering discounts on legitimate software to users of pirated copies Windows. "China in particular is a problem, with piracy estimated at 92%," said Mr Cluley. ', 'Europe', 'What\'s next for next-gen consoles? The next generation of video games consoles are in development but what will the new machines mean for games firms and consumers? We may not know when they will be released, what they will be called or even what they will be able to do but one thing is certain - they are coming. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all expected to release new machines in the next 18 months. The details of PlayStation 3, Xbox 2 (codename Xenon) and Nintendo\'s so-called Revolution are still to be finalised but developers are having to work on titles for the new machines regardless. "We know maybe what the PS3 will do, but we can only guess," said Rory Armes, studio general manager for video game giant Electronic Arts in Europe. "It\'s a horrendous effort in the first year," he admitted. Microsoft had delivered development kits to EA, said Mr Armes, but he said the company was still waiting on Sony and Nintendo to send kits. Although the details may not be nailed down, Mr Armes said EA was beginning to get a sense of the capabilities of the new machines. "The rumours are that PlayStation 3 will have a little more under the hood [than Xbox 2]," he said. "Microsoft is obviously a software company first and foremost, while Sony has more experience in hardware. I think Sony will be able to push more into a box at cost." What is certain is that the new machines will provide great leaps in processing and graphical power. It is also likely that they will contain convergence technologies to make the machines more of an entertainment hub. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Microsoft boss Bill Gates said Xbox 2 would be part of his vision of the digital lifestyle. While short on detail, he painted a picture of a machine that would complement a PC and offer "great video gaming but video gaming for a broader set of people, more communications, more media, more connectivity". Sony is thought to have a similar vision for PS3 while Nintendo remain focused on a machine purely for games. Until it is clear precisely what the new machines can do, developers are working on a first round of titles to harness the new horsepower. Gary Dunn, development director at Codemasters, said the company had a central technology group which was at the forefront of preparing for the next generation of consoles. "We are working on new libraries of effects. A lot of the major techniques are already out there and in use in PC gaming, such as pixel shaders and normal mapping." Mr Dunn said he expected the introduction of real-world physics to be a major part of the new consoles. "We want to increase that level of immersion and realism in gaming to people can lose themselves in a game." In the first year at least, developers said gamers should not expect games which harness the full potential of the machines. Graphical spit and polish and better physics in line with the capabilities of current high-end graphics cards for PCs should be expected. Simon Gardner, president of Climax\'s Action Studio, said: "It\'s definitely an exciting time. We want to give more freedom to the player. We want to give players an emotional connection to the characters they play. "The environments will be much more believable and dramatic, growing and changing as you play. "There will be a breadth of effects, more involving worlds to play in. "It\'s a bit like being an artist and being given a bigger canvas and a smaller brush. We\'re being given more tools. "For the average consumer, we can get things of a more filmic quality." Gerhard Florin, head of EA in Europe, said gamers should expect titles that blur the line between films and video games. Many will be sceptical - gamers were given similar predictions during the last transition of console hardware - but this time it would seem to be more likely. "PS3 will provide graphics indistinguishable from movies," said Mr Florin. He said the distribution method for games would also change radically in the next round of consoles. "A gamer could buy a starter disc for 10 euros. When he goes home he goes online and he could buy AI and levels as you go. "It\'s much smarter if you can get levels as you go." Mr Armes warned that developers still had to learn how to tell stories effectively in the medium. "In some ways we are trying to forget about the hardware, go in the opposite direction. We have been very bad at letting technology design our creativity. "What we have to do as a company is start ignoring the technology and learning our craft in telling stories." Mr Gardner agreed: "We can thrown more polygons around and have better AI but if it doesn\'t make for a better game then that\'s not very useful." Developers will certainly have the tools with the new machines, but how they employ them is still to be decided. ', 'UK', 'Mobile games come of age The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. A brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by clicking on the links below. Part two will follow on Monday. Reviews of Call of Duty, Splinter Cell - Pandora Tomorrow, Lord of the Rings and Pocket Kingdom will follow on Monday If you think of Snake when some mentions "mobile games" then you could be in for a bit of a surprise. This is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time. Even before Nokia\'s N-Gage game phone launched in late 2003, many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset. And given that many more people own handsets than own portable game playing gadgets such as the GameBoy it could be a very lucrative market. That audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home, game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can. Life for all these types of player has got immeasurably better in the last year as the numbers of titles you can download to your phone has snowballed. Now sites such as Wireless Gaming Review list more than 200 different titles for some UK networks and the ranges suit every possible taste. There are ports of PC and arcade classics such as Space Invaders, Lunar Lander and Bejewelled. There are also versions of titles, such as Colin McRae Rally, that you typically find on PCs and consoles. There are shoot-em-ups, adventure games, strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. Rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie-in. Increasingly such launches are all part of the promotional campaign for a film, understandable when you realise that a good game can rack up millions of downloads. The returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost £5. What has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as Wap push. By sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset. Far better than having to navigate through the menus of most mobile operator portals. The number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too. Almost half of all phones now have Java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available - even the ones that use 3D graphics. The minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too. Now double key presses are possible making familiar tactics such as moving and strafing a real option. The processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too. Some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile. Many titles, particularly racing games, let you upload your best time to see how you compare to others. Usually you can get hold of their best time and race against a "ghost" or "shadow" to see if you can beat them. A few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or, if you are sitting close to them, via Bluetooth short-range radio technology. With so much going on it is hard to do justice to the sheer diversity of what is happening. But these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing. TOO FAST TOO FURIOUS (DIGITAL BRIDGES) As soon as I start playing this I remember why I never play driving games - because I\'m rubbish at them. No matter if I drive the car via joystick or keypad I just cannot get the hang of braking for corners or timing a rush to pass other drivers. The game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit. Winning gives you cash for upgrades. Graphically the rolling road is a convincing enough evocation of speed as the palm trees and cactus whip by and the city scrolls past in the background. The cars handle pretty well despite my uselessness but it was not clear if the different models of cars were appreciably different on the track. The only niggle was that the interface was a bit confusing especially when using a joystick rather than the keypad to play. FATAL FORCE (MACROSPACE) A futuristic shooter that lets you either play various deathmatch modes against your phone or run through a series of scenarios that involves killing aliens invading Earth. Graphics are a bit cartoon-like but only helps to make clear what is going on and levels are well laid out and encourage you to leap about exploring. Both background music and sounds effects work well. The scenarios are well scripted and you regularly get hints from the Fatal Force commanders. Weapons include flamethrowers, rocket launchers, grenades and at a couple of points you even get chance to use a mech for a short while. With the right power-up you can go into a Matrix-style bullet time to cope with the onslaught of aliens. The game lets you play via Bluetooth if others are in range. Online the game has quite a following with clans, player rankings and even new downloadable maps. ', 'US', 'Warning over tsunami aid website Net users are being told to avoid a scam website that claims to collect cash on behalf of tsunami victims. The site looks plausible because it uses an old version of the official Disasters Emergency Committee webpage. However, DEC has no connection with the fake site and says it has contacted the police about it. The site is just the latest in a long list of scams that try to cash in on the goodwill generated by the tsunami disaster. The link to the website is contained in a spam e-mail that is currently circulating. The message\'s subject line reads "Urgent Tsunami Earthquake Appeal" and its text bears all the poor grammar and bad spelling that characterises many other phishing attempts. The web address of the fake site is decuk.org which could be close enough to the official www.dec.org.uk address to confuse some people keen to donate. Patricia Sanders, spokeswoman for the Disaster Emergency Committee said it was aware of the site and had contacted the Computer Crime Unit at Scotland Yard to help get it shut down. She said the spam e-mails directing people to the site started circulating two days ago shortly after the domain name of the site was registered. It is thought that the fake site is being run from Romania. Ms Sanders said DEC had contacted US net registrars who handle domain ownership and the net hosting firm that is keeping the site on the web. DEC was going to push for all cash donated via the site to be handed over to the official organisation. BT and DEC\'s hosting company were also making efforts to get the site shut down, she said. Ms Sanders said sending out spam e-mail to solicit donations was not DEC\'s style and that it would never canvass support in this way. She said that DEC hoped to get the fake site shut down as soon as possible. All attempts by the BBC News website to contact the people behind the site have failed. None of the e-mail addresses supplied on the site work and the real owner of the domain is obscured in publicly available net records. This is not the first attempt to cash in on the outpouring of goodwill that has accompanied appeals for tsunami aid. One e-mail sent out in early January came from someone who claimed that he had lost his parents in the disaster and was asking for help moving an inheritance from a bank account in the Netherlands. The con was very similar to the familiar Nigerian forward fee fraud e-mails that milk money out of people by promising them a cut of a much larger cash pile. Other scam e-mails included a link to a website that supposedly let people donate money but instead loaded spyware on their computers that grabbed confidential information. In a monthly report anti-virus firm Sophos said that two e-mail messages about the tsunami made it to the top 10 hoax list during January. Another tsunami-related e-mail is also circulating that carries the Zar worm which tries to spread via the familiar route of Microsoft\'s Outlook e-mail program. Anyone opening the attachment of the mail will have their contact list plundered by the worm keen to find new addresses to send itself to. ', 'US', 'Ask Jeeves joins web log market Ask Jeeves has bought the Bloglines website to improve the way it handles content from web journals or blogs. The Bloglines site has become hugely popular as it gives users one place in which to read, search and share all the blogs they are interested in. Ask Jeeves said it was not planning to change Bloglines but would use the 300 million articles it has archived to round out its index of the web. How much Ask Jeeves paid for Bloglines was not revealed. Bloglines has become popular because it lets users build a list of the blogs they want to follow without having to visit each journal site individually. To do this it makes use of a technology known as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) that many blogs have adopted to let other sites know when new entries are made on their journals. The acquisition follows similar moves by other search sites. Google acquired Pyra Labs, makers of the Blogger software, in 2003. In 2004 MSN introduced its own blog system and Yahoo has tweaked its technology to do a better job of handling blog entries. Jim Lanzone, vice president of search properties at Ask Jeeves in the US, said it did not acquire Bloglines just to get a foothold in the blog publishing world. He said Ask Jeeves was much more interested in helping people find information they were looking for rather than helping them write it. "The universe of readers is vastly larger than the universe of writers," he said. Mr Lanzone said the acquisition would sit well with Ask\'s My Jeeves service which lets people customise their own web experience and build up a personal collection of useful links. "Search engines are about discovering information for the first time and RSS is the ideal way to keep track of and monitor those sites," he said. It would also help drive information and entries from blogs to the portals that Ask Jeeves operates. There would be no instant sweeping changes to Bloglines, said Mr Lanzone. "Our intent is to take our time to figure out the right business model not to try to monetise it right away," he said. Though Mr Lanzone added that Ask Jeeves would be helping organise the database of 300m blog entries Bloglines holds with its own net indexing technology. "Being able to search the blogosphere as one corpus of information will be very useful in its own right," said Mr Lanzone. Rumours about the acquisition were broken by the Napsterization weblog which said it got the hint from Ask Jeeves insiders. ', 'Japan', 'Why Cell will get the hard sell The world is casting its gaze on the Cell processor for the first time, but what is so important about it, and why is it so different? The backers of the processor are big names in the computer industry. IBM is one of the largest and most respected chip-makers in the world, providing cutting edge technology to large businesses. Sony will be using the chip inside its PlayStation 3 console, and its dominance of the games market means that it now has a lot of power to dictate the future of computer and gaming platforms. The technology inside the Cell is being heralded as revolutionary, from a technical standpoint. Traditional computers - whether they are household PCs or PlayStation 2s - use a single processor to carry out the calculations that run the computer. The Cell technology, on the other hand, uses multiple Cell processors linked together to run lots of calculations simultaneously. This gives it processing power an order of magnitude above its competitors. Whilst its rivals are working on similar technology, it is Sony\'s which is the most advanced. The speed of computer memory has been slowly increasing over the last few years, but the memory technology that accompanies the Cell is a huge leap in performance. Using a technology called XDR, created by American firm Rambus, memory can run up to eight times faster than the current standard being promoted by Intel. Perhaps more important than any of the technology is the Cell\'s role in the imminent "war on living rooms". The big trend predicted for this year is the convergence of computers with home entertainment devices such as DVD players and hi-fis. Companies like Microsoft and Sony believe that there is a lot of money to be made by putting a computer underneath the TV of every household and then offering services such as music and video downloads, as well as giving an individual access to all the media they already own in one place. Microsoft has already made its first tactical move into this area with its Windows Media Center software, which has been adopted by many PC makers. Sony had a stab at something similar with the PSX - a variation on the PlayStation - last year in Japan, although this attempt was generally seen as a failure. Both companies believe that increasing the capabilities of games consoles, to make them as powerful as PCs, will make the technology accessible enough to persuade buyers to give them pride of place on the video rack. Sony and IBM want to make sure that the dominance of the PC market enjoyed by Microsoft and Intel is not allowed to extend to this market. By creating a radically new architecture, and using that architecture in a games console that is sure to be a huge seller, they hope that the Cell processor can become the dominant technology in the living room, shutting out their rivals. Once they have established themselves under the TV, there is no doubt that they hope to use this as a base camp to extend their might into our traditional PCs and instigate a regime change on the desktop. Cell is, in fact, specifically designed to be deployed throughout the house. The links between the multiple processors can also be extended to reach Cell processors in entirely different systems. Sony hopes to put Cells in televisions, kitchen appliances and anywhere that could use any sort of computer chip. Each Cell will be linked to the others, creating a vast home network of computing power. Resources of the Cells across the house can be pooled to provide more power, and the links can also be used to enable devices to talk to each other, so that you can programme your microwave from your TV, for example. This digital home of the future depends on the widespread adoption of the Cell processor and there are, as with all things, a number of reasons it could fail. Because the processor is so different, it requires programmers to learn a different way of writing software, and it may be that the changeover is simply too difficult for them to master. You can also guarantee that Microsoft and Intel are not going to sit around and let Cell take over home computing without a fight. Microsoft is going to be pushing its Xbox 2 as hard as possible to make sure that its technology, not Sony\'s, will be under your tree next Christmas. Intel will be furiously working on new designs that address the problems of its current chips to create a rival technology to Cell, so that it doesn\'t lose its desktop PC dominance. If Cell succeeds in becoming the living room technology of choice, however, it could provide the jump-start to the fully digital home of the future. The revolution might not be televised, but it could well be played with a videogame controller. ', 'US', 'Apple attacked over sources row Civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has joined a legal fight between three US online journalists and Apple. Apple wants the reporters to reveal 20 sources used for stories which leaked information about forthcoming products, including the Mac Mini. The EFF, representing the reporters, has asked California\'s Superior court to stop Apple pursuing the sources. It argues that the journalists are protected by the American constitution. The EFF says the case threatens the basic freedoms of the press. Apple is particularly keen to find the source for information about an unreleased product code-named Asteroid and has asked the journalists\' e-mail providers to hand over communications relevant to that. "Rather than confronting the issue of reporter\'s privilege head-on, Apple is going to the journalist\'s ISPs for his e-mails," said EFF lawyer Kurt Opsahl. "This undermines a fundamental First Amendment right that protects all reporters. "If the court lets Apple get away with this, and exposes the confidences gained by these reporters, potential confidential sources will be deterred from providing information to the media and the public will lose a vital outlet for independent news, analysis and commentary," he said. The case began in December 2004 when Apple asked a local Californian court to get the journalists to reveal their sources for articles published on websites AppleInsider.com and PowerPage.org. Apple also sent requested information from the Nfox.com, the internet service provider of PowerPage\'s publisher Jason O-Grady. As well as looking at how far corporations can go in preventing information from being published, the case will also examine whether online journalists have the same privileges and protections as those writing for newspapers and magazines. The EFF has gained some powerful allies in its legal battle with Apple, including Professor Tom Goldstein, former dean of the Journalism School at the University of California and Dan Gillmor, a well-known Silicon Valley journalist. Apple was not immediately available for comment. ', 'US', 'Millions buy MP3 players in US One in 10 adult Americans - equivalent to 22 million people - owns an MP3 player, according to a survey. A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that MP3 players are the gadget of choice among affluent young Americans. The survey did not interview teenagers but it is likely that millions of under-18s also have MP3 players. The American love affair with digital music players has been made possible as more and more homes get broadband. Of the 22 million Americans who own MP3 players, 59% are men compared to 41% of women. Those on high income - judged to be $75,000 (£39,000) or above - are four times more likely to have players than those earning less than $30, 000 ( £15,000). Broadband access plays a big part in ownership too. Almost a quarter of those with broadband at home have players, compared to 9% of those who have dial-up access. MP3 players are still the gadget of choice for younger adults. Almost one in five US citizens aged under 30 have one. This compares to 14% of those aged 30-39 and 14% of those aged 40-48. The influence of children also plays a part. Sixteen percent of parents living with children under 18 have digital players compared to 9% of those who don\'t. The ease of use and growth of music available on the net are the main factors for the upsurge in ownership, the survey found. People are beginning to use them as instruments of social activity - sharing songs and taking part in podcasting - the survey found. "IPods and MP3 players are becoming a mainstream technology for consumers" said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. "More growth in the market is inevitable as new devices become available, as new players enter the market, and as new social uses for iPods/MP3 players become popular," he added. ', 'UK', 'Britons fed up with net service A survey conducted by PC Pro Magazine has revealed that many Britons are unhappy with their internet service. They are fed up with slow speeds, high prices and the level of customer service they receive. 17% of readers have switched suppliers and a further 16% are considering changing in the near future. It is particularly bad news for BT, the UK\'s biggest internet supplier, with almost three times as many people trying to leave as joining. A third of the 2,000 broadband users interviewed were fed up with their current providers but this could be just the tip of the iceberg thinks Tim Danton, editor of PC Pro Magazine. "We expect these figures to leap in 2005. Every month the prices drop, and more and more people are trying to switch," he said. The survey found that BT and Tiscali have been actively dissuading customers from leaving by offering them a lower price when they phone up to cancel their subscription. Some readers were offered a price drop just 25p more expensive than that offered by an alternative operator, making it hardly worth while swapping. Other found themselves tied into 12-month contracts. Broadband has become hugely competitive and providers are desperate to hold on to customers. 12% of those surveyed found themselves unable to swap at all. "We discovered a huge variety of problems, but one of the biggest issues is the current supplier withholding the information that people need to give to their new supplier," said Tim Danton, editor of PC Pro. "This breaks the code of practice, but because that code is voluntary there\'s nothing we or Ofcom can do to help," he said. There is a vast choice of internet service providers in the UK now and an often bewildering array of broadband packages. With prices set to drop even further in coming months Mr Danton advises everyone to shop around carefully. "If you just stick with your current connection then there\'s every chance you\'re being ripped off," he warned. ', 'EU', 'EU software patent law faces axe The European Parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software to be patented. Politicians unanimously rejected the bill and now it must go through another round of consultation if it is to have a chance of becoming law. During consultation the software patents bill could be substantially re-drafted or even scrapped. The bill was backed by some hi-tech firms, saying they needed protections it offered to make research worthwhile. Hugo Lueders, European director for public policy at CompTIA, an umbrella organization for technology companies, said only when intellectual property was adequately protected would European inventors prosper. He said the benefits of the bill had been obscured by special interest groups which muddied debate over the rights and wrongs of software patents. Other proponents of the bill said it was a good compromise that avoided the excesses of the American system which allows the patenting of business practices as well as software. But opponents of the bill said that it could stifle innovation, be abused by firms keen to protect existing monopolies and could hamper the growth of the open source movement. The proposed law had a troubled passage through the European parliament. Its progress was delayed twice when Polish MEPs rejected plans to adopt it. Also earlier this month the influential European Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) said the law should be re-drafted after it failed to win the support of MEPs. To become law both the European Parliament and a qualified majority of EU states have to approve of the draft wording of the bill. The latest rejection means that now the bill on computer inventions must go back to the EU for re-consideration. ', 'US', 'Security warning over \'FBI virus\' The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning that a computer virus is being spread via e-mails that purport to be from the FBI. The e-mails show that they have come from an fbi.gov address and tell recipients that they have accessed illegal websites. The messages warn that their internet use has been monitored by the FBI\'s Internet Fraud Complaint Center. An attachment in the e-mail contains the virus, the FBI said. The message asks recipients to click on the attachment and answer some questions about their internet use. But rather than being a questionnaire, the attachment contains a virus that infects the recipient\'s computer, according to the agency. It is not clear what the virus does once it has infected a computer. Users are warned never to open attachment from unsolicited e-mails or from people they do not know. "Recipients of this or similar solicitations should know that the FBI does not engage in the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails to the public in this manner," the FBI said in a statement. The bureau is investigating the phoney e-mails. The agency earlier this month shut down fbi.gov accounts, used to communicate with the public, because of a security breach. A spokeswoman said the two incidents appear to be unrelated. ', 'UK', 'Can Yahoo dominate next decade? Yahoo has reached the grand old age of 10 and, in internet years, that is a long time. For many, Yahoo remains synonymous with the internet - a veteran that managed to ride the dot-com wave and the subsequent crash and maintain itself as one of the web\'s top brands. But for others there is another, newer net icon threatening to overshadow Yahoo in the post dot-com world - Google. The veteran and the upstart have plenty in common - Yahoo was the first internet firm to offer initial public shares and Google was arguably the most watched IPO (Initial Public Offering) of the post-dot-com era. Both began life as search engines although in 2000, when Yahoo chose Google to power its search facility while it concentrated on its web portal business, it was very much Yahoo that commanded press attention. In recent years, the column inches have stacked up in Google\'s favour as the search engine also diversifies with the launch of services such as Gmail, its shopping channel Froogle and Google News. For Jupiter analyst Olivier Beauvillain, Yahoo\'s initial decision to put its investment on search on hold was an error. "Yahoo was busy building a portal and while it was good to diversify they made a big mistake in outsourcing search to Google," he said "They thought Google would just be a technology provider but it has become a portal in its own right and a direct competitor," he added. He believes Yahoo failed to see how crucial search would become to internet users, something it has rediscovered in recent years. "It is interesting that in these last few years, it has refocused on search following the success of Google," he said. But for Allen Weiner, a research director at analyst firm Gartner and someone who has followed Yahoo\'s progress since the early years, the future of search is not going to be purely about the technology powering it. "Search technology is valuable but the next generation of search is going to be about premium content and the interface that users have to that content," he said. He believes the rivalry between Google and Yahoo is overblown and instead thinks the real battle is going to be between Yahoo and MSN. It is a battle that Yahoo is currently winning, he believes. "Microsoft has amazing assets including software capability and a global name but it has yet to show me it can create a rival product to Yahoo," he said. He is convinced Yahoo remains the single most important brand on the world wide web. "I believe Yahoo is the seminal brand on the web. If you are looking for a text book definition of web portal then Yahoo is it," he said. It has achieved this dominance, Mr Weiner believes, by a canny combination of acquisitions such as that of Inktomi and Overture, and by avoiding direct involvement in either content creation or internet access. That is not to say that Yahoo hasn\'t had its dark days. When the dot-com bubble burst, it lost one-third of its revenue in a single year, bore a succession of losses and saw its market value fall from a peak of $120bn to $4.6bn at one point. Crucial to its survival was the decision to replace chief executive Tim Koogle with Terry Semel in May 2001, thinks Mr Weiner. His business savvy, coupled with the technical genius of founder Jerry Yang has proved a winning combination, he says. So as the internet giant emerges from its first decade as a survivor, how will it fare as it enters its teenage years? "The game is theirs to lose and MSN is the only one that stands in the way of Yahoo\'s domination," predicted Mr Weiner. Nick Hazel, Yahoo\'s head of consumer services in the UK, thinks the fact that Yahoo has grown up with the first wave of the internet generation will stand it in good stead. Search will be a key focus as will making Yahoo Messenger available on mobiles, forging new broadband partnerships such as that with BT in the UK and continuing to provide a range of services beyond the desktop, he says. Mr Weiner thinks Yahoo\'s vision of becoming the ultimate gateway to the web will move increasing towards movies and television as more and more people get broadband access. "It will spread its portal wings to expand into rich media," he predicts. ', 'UK', 'Hotspot users gain free net calls People using wireless net hotspots will soon be able to make free phone calls as well as surf the net. Wireless provider Broadreach and net telephony firm Skype are rolling out a service at 350 hotspots around the UK this week. Users will need a Skype account - downloadable for free - and they will then be able to make net calls via wi-fi without paying for net access. Skype allows people to make free PC-based calls to other Skype users. Users of the system can also make calls to landlines and mobiles for a fee. The system is gaining in popularity and now has 28 million users around the world. Its paid service - dubbed Skype Out - has so far attracted 940,000 users. It plans to add more paid services with forthcoming launches of video conferencing, voice mail and Skype In, a service which would allow users to receive phone calls from landlines and mobiles. London-based software developer Connectotel has unveiled software that will expand the SMS functions of Skype, allowing users to send text messages to mobile phones from the service. Broadreach Networks has around two million users and hotspots in places such as Virgin Megastores, the Travelodge chain of hotels and all London\'s major rail terminals. The company is due to launch wi-fi on Virgin Trains later in the year. "Skype\'s success at spreading the world about internet telephony is well-known and we are delighted to be offering free access to Skype users in our hotspots," commented Broadreach chief executive Magnus McEwen-King. ', 'UK', 'Domain system opens door to scams A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned. The Internationalised Domain Names system has been a work in progress for years and has recently been approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force. But the UK Internet Forum (UKIF) is concerned that the system will let scammers create fake sites more easily. The problem lies in the computer codes used to represent language. Registering names that look like that of legitimate companies but lead users to fake sites designed to steal passwords and credit card details could become a whole lot easier for determined scammers, says Stephen Dyer, director of UKIF. Domain names are the "real language" addresses of websites, rather than their internet protocol address, which is a series of numbers. They are used so people can more easily navigate the web. So-called ASCII codes are used to represent European languages but for other languages a hybrid of a system called Unicode is used. So, for example, website PayPal could now be coded using a mixture of the Latin alphabet and the Russian alphabet. The resulting domain as displayed to the users would look identical to the real site as a Russian \'a\' look just like an English \'a\'. But the computer code would be different, and the site it would lead users to could be a fake. This is more than just a theory. A fake Paypal.com has already been registered with net domain giant Verisign by someone who has followed the debate around the Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) system, said Mr Dyer. As the idea was to prove a point rather than be malicious the fake domain has now been handed back to Paypal but it sets a worrying precedent, Mr Dyer said. "Although the IDN problem is well known in technical circles, the commercial world is totally unaware how easily their websites can be faked," said Mr Dyer. "It is important to alert users that there is a new and invisible and almost undetectable way of diverting them to what looks like a perfectly genuine site," he added. There are solutions. For instance, browsers could spot domains that use mixed characters and display them in different colours as a warning to users. Mr Dyer acknowledged that it would be a huge undertaking to update all the world\'s browsers. Another solution, to introduce IDN-disabled browsers could be a case of "throwing out the baby with the bath water," he said. CENTR, the Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries, agrees. "A rush to introduce IDN-disabled browsers into the marketplace is an overly-zealous step that will harm public confidence in IDNs - a technology that is desperately needed in the non-English speaking world," the organisation said in a statement. ', 'UK', 'Sony PSP tipped as a \'must-have\' Sony\'s Playstation Portable is the top UK gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine. It beats the iPod into second place in the Top Ten Essentials list which predicts what gadget-lovers are likely to covet this year. Owning all 10 gadgets will set the gadget lover back £7,455. That is £1,000 cheaper than last year\'s list due to falling manufacturing costs making gadgets more affordable. Portable gadgets dominate the list, including Sharp\'s 902 3G mobile phone, the Pentax Optio SV digital camera and Samsung\'s Yepp YH-999 video jukebox. "What this year\'s Essentials shows is that gadgets are now cheaper, sexier and more indispensable than ever. We\'ve got to the point where we can\'t live our lives without certain technology," said Adam Vaughan, editor of Stuff Essentials. The proliferation of gadgets in our homes is inexorably altering the role of the high street in our lives thinks Mr Vaughan. "Take digital cameras, who would now pay to develop an entire film of photos? Or legitimate downloads, who would travel miles to a record shop when they could download the song in minutes for 70p?" he asks. Next year will see a new set of technologies capturing the imaginations of gadget lovers, Stuff predicts. The Xbox 2, high-definition TV and MP3 mobiles will be among the list of must-haves that will dominate 2006, it says. The spring launch of the PSP in the UK is eagerly awaited by gaming fans. ', 'UK', 'Virgin Radio offers 3G broadcast UK broadcaster Virgin Radio says it will become the first station in the world to offer radio via 3G mobiles. The radio station, in partnership with technology firm Sydus, will broadcast on selected 2G and high-speed 3G networks. Later this year listeners will be able to download software from the Virgin website which enables the service. James Cridland, head of new media at Virgin Radio, said: "It places radio at the heart of the 3G revolution." Virgin Radio will be the first station made available followed by two digital stations, Virgin Radio Classic Rock and Virgin Radio Groove. Mr Cridland said: "This application will enable anyone, anywhere to listen to Virgin Radio simply with the phone in their pocket. "This allows us to tap into a huge new audience and keep radio relevant for a new generation of listeners." Saumil Nanavati, president of Sydus, said, "This radio player is what the 3G network was built for, giving consumers high-quality and high-data products through a handset in their pocket." Virgin says an hour\'s listening to the station via mobile would involve about 7.2MB of data, which could prove expensive for people using pay as you download GPRS or 3G services. Some networks, such as Orange, charge up to £1 for every one megabyte of data downloaded. Virgin says radio via 2G or 3G mobiles is therefore going to appeal to people with unlimited download deals. There are 30 compatible handsets available from major manufacturers including Nokia and Samsung while Virgin said more than 14.9 million consumers across the globe can use the service currently. ', 'US', 'Game makers get Xbox 2 sneak peek Microsoft has given game makers a glimpse of the new Xbox 2 console. Some details of the Xbox\'s performance and what gaming will be like with the device were given at the annual Game Developers Conference in the US. Xbox frontman J. Allard said the console looked set to be capable of one trillion calculations per second. Also all titles for the new Xbox will have the same interface to make it easy to play online and buy extras for characters or other add-ons for games. Microsoft is saving the official unveiling of the Xbox 2, codenamed Xenon, for the E3 show in May and the device could be on shop shelves by November. However, during his keynote speech at GDC Mr Allard, who heads development of game-making tools for the console, gave a glimpse into how some of its core software will work. He said gaming was entering a "high-definition" era that demanded detailed and convincing graphics that could adequately compete with the HDTV people were starting to watch as well as the HD DVDs that will soon start to appear. Industry watchers took this to mean that the Xbox 2 will push for HDTV quality graphics as standard as well as multi-channel audio to give gamers an authentic experience. Mr Allard said Microsoft had to work hard to ensure that it was easy for game makers to produce titles for the Xbox 2 and for players to get playing. To this end Microsoft was building in to Xbox hardware systems to support headset chat, buddy list controls and custom soundtracks so developers were free to concentrate on the games. The Xbox would also support well-known industry specifications, such as DirectX, to make it simple for game studios to make titles for the console. For gamers this emphasis on ease of use would mean every Xbox title uses the same interface to set up online play and get at music stored on the hardware. This interface will hold details of a player\'s statistics and skill level on a "gamer card" as well as give access to a store where people can spend small amounts of cash to buy extras for their avatars or add-ons, such as new maps or vehicles, for games they possess. This ability to personalise games and in-game characters would be key in the future, said Mr Allard. Only with such consistency would the Xbox be able to support the 10-20 million subscribers that it was aiming for, said Mr Allard. During his speech Mr Allard took several swipes at the Playstation and said processors for consoles had to be made with developers, not just engineers, in mind. "Our approach is Bruce Lee, not brute force," he said. ', 'UK', 'Slow start to speedy net services Faster broadband in the UK is becoming a reality as more internet providers offer super-fast services. Some lucky Britons can already take advantage of UK Online\'s 8 megabits per second service, which was launched in November 2004. BT Retail has announced that it will trial the same speed service, with a national rollout by year end. Other service providers are expected to follow suit and a glut of new voice and video services will follow. "If the bandwidth is there then ISPs will buy it," said Jill Finger, a research director at analyst firm IDC. Others will be watching BT Retail\'s trials, which is initially for employees and later in the summer for customers, with interest. For BT Retail, she said, the super-fast service could be a way of differentiating it from other players. "It has been losing market share and this could be one way of gaining some of that back," said Ms Finger. Wanadoo is set to trial an 8Mbps service in the summer and also plans to roll out unbundled services - which means it takes over the network from BT - which will provide speeds of up to 15Mbps. There is no timetable for this at the moment. Cable firms ntl and Telewest are also bound to increase bandwidth at some time in the future and, according to an ntl spokesman, are in a better position than BT in the long term. "BT\'s network is limited compared to that of cable. With all the other services coming on stream such as video on demand, the question is will 8Mbps be enough?" he asked. ', 'UK', 'Anti-tremor mouse stops PC shakes A special adaptor that helps people with hand tremors control a computer mouse more easily has been developed. The device uses similar "steady cam" technology found in camcorders to filter out shaking hand movements. People with hand tremors find it hard to use conventional mice for simple computer tasks because of the erratic movements of the cursor on the screen. About three million Britons have some sort of hand tremor condition, said the UK National Tremor Foundation. "Using a computer mouse is well known for being extremely hard for people with tremors so we\'re delighted to hear that a technology has been developed to address this problem," said Karen Walsh, from the UK National Tremor Foundation. Most commonly associated with tremors is Parkinson\'s disease, but they can also be caused by other conditions like Essential Tremor (ET). Tremors more often affect older people, but can hit all ages. ET, for example, is genetic and can afflict people throughout their lives. The Assistive Mouse Adapter (AMA) is the brainchild of IBM researcher Jim Levine who developed the prototype after seeing his uncle, who has Parkinson\'s disease, struggle with mouse control. "I knew that there must be way to improve the situation for him and the millions of other tremor sufferers around the world, including the elderly. "The number of elderly computer users will increase as the population ages, and at the same time, the need for computer access grows," he said. Computer users plug the device into a PC, and it can be adjusted depending on how severe the tremor is. It is also able to recognise multiple clicking on a mouse button caused by shaky digits. IBM said it would partner up with a small UK-based electronics firm, Montrose Secam, to produce the devices which will cost about £70. James Cosgrave, one of the company\'s directors, said it would make a big difference to those with tremors. "I\'m a pilot and my tremor condition has not limited my ability to fly a plane," he said. "But using a PC has proven almost impossible simply because everything revolves around using the mouse to accurately manipulate the tiny cursor on the screen." He said a prototype of the gadget had transformed his life. The device could help open up computing to millions more people who have found shaking to be a barrier. Last year, the Office for National Statistics reported that for the first time, more than half of all households in Britain had a home computer. With prices getting cheaper to get online too, computer ownership is increasing. But although 62% of British people have tried the internet, only 15% of Britons aged 65 or over have been online. More than six million UK households now have a broadband net. By the middle of 2005, it is estimated that 50% of all UK net users will be on broadband. There are still millions using the net through dial-up connections too. ', 'US', 'Apple makes blogs reveal sources Apple has won its legal fight to make three bloggers reveal who told them about unreleased products. The bid to unmask the employees leaking information was launched in December 2004 following online articles about Apple\'s Asteroid product. Now Apple has won the right to see e-mail records from the three bloggers to root out the culprit. A lawyer for the three bloggers said the ruling set a dangerous precedent that could harm all news reporters. Apple\'s lawsuit accused anonymous people of stealing trade secrets about the Asteroid music product and leaking them to the PowerPage, Apple Insider and Think Secret websites. All three are Apple fan sites that obsessively watch the iconic firm for information about future products. Apple is notoriously secretive about upcoming products which gives any snippets of information about what it is working on all the more value. The lawsuit to reveal the names of the leakers was filed against the Power Page and Apple Insider sites. The separate legal fight with Think Secret has yet to be resolved. In the ruling handed down this week by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg, Apple can now get its hands on e-mail records from the bloggers\' net providers. In making his ruling, Judge Kleinberg said that laws covering the divulging of trade secrets outweighed considerations of public interest. California has so-called "shield" laws which protect journalists from prosecution if what they are writing about can be shown to be in the public interest. The Judge wrote: "...it is not surprising that hundreds of thousands of \'hits\' on a website about Apple have and will happen. But an interested public is not the same as the public interest". Judge Kleinberg said the question of whether the bloggers were journalists or not did not apply because laws governing the right to keep trade secrets confidential covered journalists, too. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is acting as legal counsel for Power Page and Apple Insider, said the ruling had potentially wide implications. "Anyone who reports on companies or the trade press should be concerned about this ruling," said EFF lawyer Kurt Opsahl. Mr Opsahl said the EFF was planning to appeal against the ruling because the bloggers were journalists and US federal laws stop net firms handing over copies of e-mail messages if the owner of that account does not give their consent. ', 'China', 'Rolling out next generation\'s net The body that oversees how the net works, grows and evolves says it has coped well with its growth in the last 10 years, but it is just the start. "In a sense, we have hardly started in reaching the whole population," the new chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Brian Carpenter, says. The IETF ensures the smooth running and organisation of the net\'s architecture. With broadband take-up growing, services like voice and TV will open up interesting challenges for the net. "I think VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol, allowing phone calls to be made over the Net) is very important - it challenges all the old cost models of telecoms," says Dr Carpenter. "Second, it challenges more deeply the business model that you have to be a service provider with a lot of infrastructure. With VoIP, you need very little infrastructure." A distinguished IBM engineer, Dr Carpenter spent 20 years at Cern, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. As the new chair of the IETF, his next big challenge is overseeing IPv6, the next generation standard for information transfer and routing across the web. At Cern, Dr Carpenter helped pioneer advanced net applications during the development of the world wide web, so he is well-placed to take on such a task. The net\'s growth and evolution depend on standards and protocols, and ensuring the architecture works and talks to other standards is a crucial job of the IETF. The top priority is to ensure that the standards that make the net work, are open and free for anyone to use and work with. The net is built on a protocol called TCP/IP, which means transmission control protocol, and internet protocol. When computers communicate with the net, a unique IP address is used to send and receive information. The IETF is a large international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers working on the evolution of the net\'s architecture and the way this information is sent and received. They make sure it all knits together leaving no gaps. "We\'ve seen some interesting effects over last few years," explains Dr Carpenter. "The net was growing at a fantastic rate at the end of the 90s. Then there was a bit of a glitch in 2000. "We are now seeing a very clear phase of consolidation and renewed growth." That renewed growth is also being buoyed by emerging economies, like China, which are showing fast uptake of broadband net and other technologies. The number of broadband subscribers via DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) doubled in a year to 13 million, according to figures released at the end of 2004. "The challenges we face are about continuing to produce standards to allow for that growth rate," explained Dr Carpenter. "Given it [the net] was designed for the whole community, it has done well to reach millions. If you want to reach the whole population, you have to make sure it can scale up." IPv6, the standard that will replace the existing IPv4, will allow for billions more addresses on the net, and it is gradually being worked into network infrastructure across the world. "The actual number of addresses with IPv4 is limited to four billion IP addresses. "That clearly is not enough when you have 10 billion people to serve, so there is technical solution, the new version of IP - IPv6. "It has much larger address space possibilities with no practical limits," said Dr Carpenter. Standards are vital to something as complex as the net, and making sure standards are open and can work with across networks is a big task. The difference this next generation standard, IPv6, will make to the average net user is almost invisible. "Our first goal is that it [IPv6] should make no difference - people should not notice a difference. "It is like when the London telephone numbers got longer. A lot of the process will be invisible. "People are usually given an IP address without knowing it." Technically deployment has started and the standards for are just about settled, said Dr Carpenter. The one problem with the net that may never disappear completely is security. To Dr Carpenter, the solution comes out of technological and human behaviour. People have to be educated about "sensible behaviour" he says, such as ignoring e-mails that claim you have won something. "I don\'t think it is going to get worse. People will remain concerned about security and they probably should do - just as you would be concerned walking along a dark street. "We have to do work to make sure there are better security internet standards. It is a never-ending battle in a sense." But, he adds: "Even if security has improved, you still worry a bit. Unfortunately, it is just part of life. We have a duty to do what we can." ', 'UK', 'Microsoft plans \'safer ID\' system Microsoft is planning to make Windows and Internet Explorer more secure by including software to give people more control over personal information. "Info cards" will help people manage personal details on their PCs to make online services safer, said Microsoft. Microsoft\'s two previous programs, Passport and Hailstorm, aimed to protect users but were criticised. ID fraud is one of the UK\'s fastest-growing crimes, with criminals netting an estimated £1.3bn last year. A quarter of UK adults has either had their ID stolen, via hi-tech or other means, or knows someone who has, a recent report by Which? magazine found. Microsoft is developing a new version of Internet Explorer browser and its operating system, Windows, which has been code-named Longhorn. Michael Stephenson, director in Microsoft\'s Windows Server division, would not confirm however whether the new info cards ID system will be built into the current Windows XP version or Longhorn. "We\'re trying to make the end-user experience as simple as possible," Mr Stephenson said. The system would differ from its previous attempts to make online transactions more secure, said Microsoft. While Passport and Hailstorm stored user information centrally on the net, the latest system will store data on a user\'s PC. "It\'s going to put control of digital IDs into the hands of an end-user, the end-user will be in full control," said Mr Stephenson. Hailstorm was criticised by privacy campaigners for putting too much sensitive information into the hands of a single company. Passport provides a single log-in for more than one website and stores basic personal information. But its popularity suffered after security scares. Up to 200 million Passport accounts were left vulnerable to online theft and malicious hackers after a flaw in the system was exploited in 2003. Online auction site, eBay, stopped supporting it in January 2005. Although the flaw was fixed, Microsoft has come under regular criticism for the number of security loopholes in Internet Explorer. Last year, it released a major security update for Windows, Service Pack 2, to combat some of the security concerns. Longhorn is due to be released commercially in late 2006, but an updated version of Internet Explorer is due for release later this year. ', 'US', 'Court mulls file-sharing future Judges at the US Supreme Court have been hearing evidence for and against file-sharing networks. The court will decide whether producers of file-sharing software can ultimately be held responsible for copyright infringement. They questioned if opening the way for the entertainment industry to sue file-sharers could deter innovation. They also said that file-trading firms had some responsibility for inducing people to piracy. The lawsuit, brought by 28 of the world\'s largest entertainment firms, has raged for several years. Legal experts agree that if the Supreme Court finds in favour of the music and movie industry they would be able to sue file-trading firms into bankruptcy. But if the judge rules that Grokster and Morpheus - the file-sharers at the centre of the case - are merely providers of technology that can have legitimate as well as illegitimate uses, then the music and movie industry would be forced to abandon its pursuit of file-sharing providers. Instead, they would have to pursue individuals who use peer-to-peer networks to get their hands on free music and movies. The hi-tech and entertainment industries have been divided on the issue. Intel filed a document with the Supreme Court earlier this month in defence of Grokster and others, despite misgivings about some aspects of the file-sharing community. It summed up the attitude of many tech firms in its submission which states that its products "are essentially tools, that like any other tools, capable of being used by consumers and businesses for unlawful purposes". Asking firms to second-guess the uses that its technologies would be put to, and to build in ways of preventing illegitimate use, would stifle innovation, it said. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil rights watchdog, is also defending StreamCast Networks, the company behind the Morpheus file-sharing software. The case raises a question of critical importance at the border between copyright and innovation, it said. It cites, as do many, the landmark ruling in 1984 which found that Sony should not be held responsible for the fact that its Betamax video recorder could be used for piracy. Defenders remain optimistic that the judges will rule in favour of the peer-to-peer networks, upholding the precedent set by the Sony Betamax case. A small band of supporters were outside the court as the lawyers entered, wearing "Save Betamax" t-shirts. "The Betamax principles stand as the Magna Carta for the technology industry and are responsible for the explosion in innovation that has occurred in the US over the past 20 years," said Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Electronics Association. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said that inventions from printing to Apple\'s iPod could be used to illegally duplicate copyrighted materials but had, on balance, been beneficial to society. He said that while file-trading software can be used to illegally trade movies and music, conceptually the technology had "some really excellent uses". Based on Tuesday\'s hearing it seems unlikely that the Betamax ruling will be overturned but file-sharing firms might still be held responsible for encouraging or inducing piracy. Grokster\'s lawyer argued that the company should be judged by its current behaviour rather than what it did when it first set up. But this argument was dismissed as "ridiculous" by Justice David Souter. CEA boss Mr Shapiro thinks the case is the most important that the Supreme Court will hear this year. "It\'s about preserving America\'s proud history of technological innovation and protecting the ability of consumers to access and utilise technology," he said. The case has already been heard by two lower courts and both found in favour of the peer-to-peer networks. They ruled that despite being used to distribute millions of illegal songs, file-sharing could also be used to cheaply distribute software, government documents and promotional copies of music. ', 'UK', 'Text message record smashed again UK mobile owners continue to break records with their text messaging, with latest figures showing that 26 billion texts were sent in total in 2004. The figures collected by the Mobile Data Association (MDA) showed that 2.4 billion were fired off in December alone, the highest monthly total ever. That was 26% more than in December 2003. The records even surpassed the MDA\'s own predictions, it said. Every day 78 million messages are sent and there are no signs of a slow down. Before December\'s bumper text record, the previous highest monthly total was in October 2004, when 2.3 billion were sent. Text messaging is set to smash more records in 2005 too, said the MDA, with forecasts suggesting a total of 30 billion for the year. Even though mobiles are becoming increasingly sophisticated with much more multimedia applications, texting is still one of the most useful functions of mobiles. People are using SMS to do much more too. Booking cinema tickets, text voting, and news or sports text alerts are growing popular. Mobile owners have also given the chance to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee\'s (DEC) Asian Tsunami fund by texting "Donate" to a simple short code number. Looking further ahead in the year, the MDA\'s chairman Mike Short, has predicted that more people will go online through their mobiles, estimating 15 billion WAP page impressions. Handsets with GPRS capability - an "always on" net connection - will rise to 75%, while 3G mobile ownership growing to five million by the end of 2005. These third generation mobiles offer a high-speed connection which means more data like video can be received on the phone. Globally, mobile phone sales passed 167 million in the third quarter of 2004, according to a recent report from analysts Gartner. That was 26% more than the previous year. It is predicted that there would be two billion handsets in use worldwide by the end of 2005. ', 'UK', 'Tough rules for ringtone sellers Firms that flout rules on how ringtones and other mobile extras are sold could be cut off from all UK phone networks. The rules allow offenders to be cut off if they do not let consumers know exactly what they get for their money and how to turn off the services. The first month under the new rules has seen at least ten firms suspended while they clean up the way they work. The rules have been brought in to ensure that the problems plaguing net users do not spread to mobile phones. In the last couple of years ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers and lots of other extras for phones have become hugely popular. But fierce competition is making it difficult for firms to get their wares in front of consumers, said Jeremy Flynn, head of third party services at Vodafone. "If you are not on the operator\'s portal you are going to have quite heavy marketing costs because it\'s a problem of how people discover your services," he said. To combat this many ringtone and other mobile content sellers started using a new tactic to squeeze more cash out of customers. This tactic involved signing people up for a subscription to give them, for instance, several ringtones per week or month instead of the single track they thought they were getting. Mr Flynn said that the move to using subscriptions happened over the space of a few weeks at the end of 2004. Websites such as grumbletext.co.uk started getting reports from customers who were racking up large bills for phone content they did not know they had signed up for. "What made us uncomfortable was that these services were not being marketed transparently," said Mr Flynn. "People did not know they were being offered a subscription service." "We saw potential for substantial consumer harm here," he added. The swift adoption of subscription services led to the creation of a new code of conduct for firms that want to sell content for mobile phones. The drafting of the new rules was led by the Mobile Entertainment Forum and the UK\'s phone firms. "Everyone is required to conform to this code of conduct," said Andrew Bud, regulatory head of the MEF and executive chairman of messaging firm MBlox. "It\'s all about transparency," he said. "Consumers have to be told what they have got themselves into and how to get out of it." "The consumer has a right to be protected," he said. Christian Harris, partnership manager of mobile content firm Zed, said the new system was essential if consumers were to trust companies that sell ringtones and other downloads. "The groundrules must be applied across the whole industry and if that\'s done effectively we will see the cowboys driven out," he said. The new rules came in to force on 15 January and the first month under the new regime has seen many firms cautioned for not honouring them. Some have been told to revamp websites so customers know what they get for their money and what they are signing up for, said Mr Flynn. Also, said Mr Flynn, Vodafone has briefly cut off between eight and ten content sellers flouting the rules. "We have quite draconian contracts with firms," he said. "We do not have to say why. We can just cut them off." Under the rules consumers must be able to switch off the services by using a universal "stop" command sent via text message. He said the system had been designed to limit how much a consumer will pay if they inadvertently signed up for a service. "The mobile is so personal that people really resent the abuse of what is effectively part of their personality," said Mr Flynn. ', 'Europe', 'Mobile music challenges \'iPod age\' Nokia and Microsoft have agreed a deal to work on delivery of music to handsets, while Sony Ericsson has unveiled its phone Walkman and Motorola is working on an iTunes phone. Can mobile phones replace the MP3 player in your pocket? The music download market has been growing steadily since record firms embraced digital distribution. Ease of use, relative low price and increased access to broadband has helped drive the phenomenal growth of MP3 players. Full-length music downloads on mobile phones have not taken off so quickly - held back by technical challenges as well as issues over music availability. But the mobile music industry is confident that the days of dedicated MP3 players are numbered. Gilles Babinet, chief executive of mobile music firm Musiwave, said: "Music downloads on mobiles have the potential to be the biggest-ever medium for music." Musiwave provides downloading infrastructure for the mobile phone market and Mr Babinet said the industry was enjoying "definite momentum." But there are hurdles to overcome. Mobile phones offer limited storage for music - certainly nothing to rival Apple\'s 60GB iPod. But the first mobile phones with hard disk players will be on the market soon and the current generation of mobiles using flash technology can store up to one gigabyte of music - enough for 250 songs. "We are working in the hard disk area and we will be bringing out exciting devices," Jonas Guest, vice president for entertainment at Nokia, told the BBC News website. But will mobiles become mere storage devices? "One of the problems we could have is that mobiles are used just for storage and playback while PCs are used for downloading," said Mr Babinet "We don\'t want people to cast aside their PCs - we want mobile users to hook up into the existing ecosystems," explained Mr Guest. "You must enable people to transfer music from a PC to a handset and vice versa." One of the key elements of the Nokia and Microsoft deal is the agreed ability to transfer songs between a handset and a PC. Microsoft will adopt open standards allowing music to cross boundaries for the first time. Songs can be downloaded on PC or mobile and transferred between the platforms. "The line between online and wireless is going to blur," predicted Ted Cohen, senior vice president of digital development and distribution at EMI. He said: "The market is more regional in its maturity. In Asia it is beyond belief. "The majority of our digital revenues in Asia comes from mobiles. In North America it is fixed line while there is equilibrium in Europe." EMI currently offers its entire 200,000 download catalogue for use by both by PCs and mobile phones. Mr Cohen said: "It\'s going to be just as important to connect through 3G or wireless as it is through your PC. "We want music to be a continuum." The seamless experience of mobiles and PC downloads is approaching, he predicted. Mr Babinet said the mobile phone had a number of advantages over PCs which would see it become the focus for music downloading in the future. "Getting music from your PC onto a device is not an easy experience. You have to switch the PC on, load the operating system, load the program, buy the music, download the music, and then transfer the music. "All of these steps can be done in one step on a mobile phone." He said the mobile phone\'s billing system would make it easier for teenagers to embrace downloads, because pre-paid cards were already accepted by the age group. "Certainly, we have a problem with battery, memory and bandwidth. But it\'s not about the current status. It\'s about the potential. "You will have all of your music on your mobile." All three men said that the social interaction of mobile music would drive the market. Mr Cohen said: "I can send you the song and it is either billed to me or I send it to you and if you listen to it and want to keep, it is billed to you. "It\'s a social phenomenon." Mr Babinet said: "Today you use radio and TV to discover music. Tomorrow you will discover and consume music via one device - the mobile." ', 'UK', 'Video phones act as dating tools Technologies, from e-mail, to net chatrooms, instant messaging and mobiles, have proved to be a big pull with those looking for love. The lure once was that you could hide behind the technology, but now video phones are in on the act to add vision. Hundreds have submitted a mobile video profile to win a place at the world\'s first video mobile dating event. The top 100 meet their match on 30 November at London\'s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). The event, organised by the 3G network, 3, could catch on as the trend for unusual dating events, like speed dating, continues. "It\'s the beginning of the end of the blind date as we know it," said Graeme Oxby, 3\'s marketing director. The response has been so promising that 3 says it is planning to launch a proper commercial dating service soon. Hundreds of hopefuls submitted their profiles, and special booths were set up in a major London department store for two weeks where expert tips were given on how to visually improve their chances. The 100 most popular contestants voted by the public will gather at the ICA in separate rooms and "meet" by phone. Dating services and other more adult match-making services are proving to be a strong stream of revenue worth millions for mobile companies. Whether it does actually provide an interesting match for video phone technologies remains to be seen. Flic Everett, journalist and dating expert for Company magazine and the Daily Express, thinks technology has been liberating for some nervous soul-mate seekers. There are currently about 1.3 million video phones in use in the UK and three times more single people in Britain than there were 30 years ago, With more people buying video mobiles, 3G dating could be the basis for a successful and safe way to meet people. "One of the problems with video phones is people don\'t really know what to video. It is a weird technology. We have not quite worked out what it is for. This gives it a focus and a useful one," she told BBC News. "I would never have thought online dating would take off the way it did," she said. "Lots of people find it easier to be honest writing e-mail or text than face-to-face. Lots people are quite shy and they feel vulnerable." "When you are writing, it comes directly onto the page so they tend to be more honest." But the barrier that comes with SMS chat and online match-making is that the person behind the profile may not be who they really are. Scare stories have put people off as a result, according to Ms Everett. Many physical clues, body language, odd twitches, are obviously missing with SMS and online dating services. Still images do not necessarily provide all those necessary cues. "It could really take off because you do get the whole package. With a static e-mail picture, you don\'t know who the person is behind it is." So checking out a potential date by video phone also gives singletons a different kind of barrier, an extra layer of protection; a case of WLTS before WLTM. "If you are trapped in real-life blind date context, you can\'t get away and you feel embarrassed. "With a video meeting, you really have the barrier of the phone so if you don\'t like them you don\'t have to suffer the embarrassment." There is a more serious side to this new use of technology though. With money being made through more adult-themes content and services which let people meet and chat, the revenue streams for mobile carriers will grow with 3G, thinks Paolo Pescatore mobile industry specialist for analysts IDC. "Wireless is a medium that is being exploited with a number of features and services. One is chatting and the dating element is key there," he said. "The foundation has been set by SMS and companies are using media like MMS and video to grow the market further." But carriers need to be wary and ensure that if they do launch such 3G dating services, they ensure mechanism are in place to monitor and be aware who is registers and accesses these services on regular basis, he cautioned. In July, Vodafone introduced a content control system to protect children from such adult content. The move was as a result of a code of practice agreed by the UK\'s six largest mobile phone operators in January. The system means Vodafone users need to prove they are over 18 before firewalls are lifted on explicit websites or chat rooms dealing with adult themes. The impetus was the growing number of people with handsets that could access the net, and the growth of 3G technologies. ', 'UK', 'Broadband fuels online expression Fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online, research suggests. A quarter of broadband users in Britain regularly upload content and have personal sites, according to a report by UK think-tank Demos. It said that having an always-on, fast connection is changing the way people use the internet. More than five million households in the UK have broadband and that number is growing fast. The Demos report looked at the impact of broadband on people\'s net habits. It found that more than half of those with broadband logged on to the web before breakfast. One in five even admitted to getting up in the middle of the night to browse the web. More significantly, argues the report, broadband is encouraging people to take a more active role online. It found that one in five post something on the net everyday, ranging from comments or opinions on sites to uploading photographs. "Broadband is putting the \'me\' in media as it shifts power from institutions and into the hands of the individual," said John Craig, co-author of the Demos report. "From self-diagnosis to online education, broadband creates social innovation that moves the debate beyond simple questions of access and speed." The Demos report, entitled Broadband Britain: The End Of Asymmetry?, was commissioned by net provider AOL. "Broadband is moving the perception of the internet as a piece of technology to an integral part of home life in the UK," said Karen Thomson, Chief Executive of AOL UK, "with many people spending time on their computers as automatically as they might switch on the television or radio." According to analysts Nielsen//NetRatings, more than 50% of the 22.8 million UK net users regularly accessing the web from home each month are logging on at high speed They spend twice as long online than people on dial-up connections, viewing an average of 1,444 pages per month. The popularity of fast net access is growing, partly fuelled by fierce competition over prices and services. ', 'US', 'Savvy searchers fail to spot ads Internet search engine users are an odd mix of naive and sophisticated, suggests a report into search habits. The report by the US Pew Research Center reveals that 87% of searchers usually find what they were looking for when using a search engine. It also shows that few can spot the difference between paid-for results and organic ones. The report reveals that 84% of net users say they regularly use Google, Ask Jeeves, MSN and Yahoo when online. Almost 50% of those questioned said they would trust search engines much less, if they knew information about who paid for results was being hidden. According to figures gathered by the Pew researchers the average users spends about 43 minutes per month carrying out 34 separate searches and looks at 1.9 webpages for each hunt. A significant chunk of net users, 36%, carry out a search at least weekly and 29% of those asked only look every few weeks. For 44% of those questioned, the information they are looking for is critical to what they are doing and is information they simply have to find. Search engine users also tend to be very loyal and once they have found a site they feel they can trust tend to stick with it. According to Pew Research 44% of searchers use just a single search engine, 48% use two or three and a small number, 7%, consult more than three sites. Tony Macklin, spokesman for Ask Jeeves, said the results reflected its own research which showed that people use different search engines because the way the sites gather information means they can provide different results for the same query. Despite this liking for search sites half of those questioned said they could get the same information via other routes. A small number, 17%, said they wouldn\'t really miss search engines if they did not exist. The remaining 33% said they could not live without search sites. More than two-thirds of those questioned, 68%, said they thought that the results they were presented with were a fair and unbiased selection of the information on a topic that can be found on the net. Alongside the growing sophistication of net users is a lack of awareness about paid-for results that many search engines provide alongside lists of websites found by indexing the web. Of those asked, 62% were unaware that someone has paid for some of the results they see when they carry out a search. Only 18% of all searchers say they can tell which results are paid for and which are not. Said the Pew report: "This finding is ironic, since nearly half of all users say they would stop using search engines if they thought engines were not being clear about how they presented paid results." Commenting Mr Macklin said sponsored results must be clearly marked and though they might help with some queries user testing showed that people need to be able to spot the difference. ', 'UK', 'BT program to beat dialler scams BT is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams, which can cost dial-up net users thousands. From May, dial-up net users will be able to download free software to stop computers using numbers not on a user\'s "pre-approved list". Inadvertently downloaded by surfers, rogue diallers are programs which hijack modems and dial up a premium rate number when users log on. Thousands of UK dial-up users are believed to have been hit by the scam. Some people have faced phone bills of up to £2,000. BT\'s Modem Protection program will check numbers that are dialled by a computer and will block them if they have not been pre-approved, such as national and net service provider numbers. Icstis, the UK\'s premium rate services watchdog, said it had been looking for companies to take the lead in initiatives. "The initiatives are very welcome," a spokesperson from Icstis told the BBC News website. "We are very pleased to see they are putting into place new measures to protect consumers." The second initiative BT announced is an early warning system which will alert BT customers if there is unusual activity on their phone bills. If a bill rises substantially above its usual daily average, or if a call is made to a suspect number, a text or voice alert will be sent to the user\'s landline phone. As part of the clamp-down on rogue diallers, companies must now satisfy stringent conditions, including clear terms and conditions, information about how to delete diallers and responsibility for customer refunds. Any firm running a dialler without permission can now be closed down by Icstis. The watchdog brought in the action last October following a decision to license all companies which wanted to operate legitimate premium rate dialler services. There are legitimate companies who offer services such as adult content, sports results and music downloads by charging a premium rate rather than by credit card BT said it had ploughed an enormous amount of effort into protecting people from the problem. It has already barred more than 1,000 premium rate numbers and has tried to raise public awareness about the scams. "We now want to ensure there are even stronger safeguards for our customers, who we would urge to make use of these new options to protect themselves," said Gavin Patterson, group managing director for consumer the arm of BT. Both schemes have been undergoing trials in Ireland, and will be made available to 20 million BT customers from May. ', 'US', 'US cyber security chief resigns The man making sure US computer networks are safe and secure has resigned after only a year in his post. Amit Yoran was director of the National Cyber Security Division within the US Department of Homeland Security created following the 9/11 attacks. The division was tasked with improving US defences against malicious hackers, viruses and other net-based threats. Reports suggest he left because his division was not given enough clout within the larger organisation. Mr Yoran took up his post in September 2003 and his first task was to get the Cyber Security Division up and running. The organisation had a staff of about 60 people and a budget of about $80m (£44.54m). The division was charged with thinking up and carrying out action to make US networks more impervious to attack and disruption by the viruses, worms and hack attacks that have become commonplace. In the last 12 months Mr Yoran oversaw the creation of a cyber alert system that sends out warnings about big hitting viruses and net attacks as they occur. The warnings also contained information about how firms and organisations could protect themselves against these attacks. The Cyber Security Division also audited US government networks to discover exactly what was sitting on which network. The next step was to be the creation of a scanning system to identify vulnerabilities that made federal networks and machines susceptible to attack by malicious hackers and virus writers. Mr Yoran\'s division was also doing work to identify the networks and machines that had been broken into by cyber criminals. Despite this success Mr Yoran left his post abruptly at the end of last week, reportedly only giving one day\'s notice to bosses at the Department of Homeland Security. "Amit Yoran has been a valuable contributor on cyber security issues over the past year, and we appreciate his efforts in starting the department\'s cybersecurity program," said a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman. Some reports have suggested that Mr Yoran felt frustrated by the lack of prominence given to work to protect against net-based threats in the wider homeland organisation. An attempt by US politicians to pass a law to promote Mr Yoran and raise the profile of his department\'s work is now mired in Congress. ']
#TRY STORING INTO NUMPY ARRAY: THE KEY FOLLOWED BY THE ARTICLE
import numpy as np
def altElement(a):
country = []
article = []
for x in range(len(a)):
if x % 2 == 0:
country.append(a[x])
else:
article.append(a[x])
out = np.column_stack((country, article))
return out
business = altElement(BusinessArticles)
entertainment = altElement(EntertainmentArticles)
politics = altElement(PoliticsArticles)
sports = altElement(SportsArticles)
tech = altElement(TechArticles)
bOverlap = altElement(BusinessArticlesOverlap)
eOverlap = altElement(EntertainmentArticlesOverlap)
pOverlap = altElement(PoliticsArticlesOverlap)
sOverlap = altElement(SportsArticlesOverlap)
tOverlap = altElement(TechArticlesOverlap)
print('Business Matrix',(np.shape(business)))
print('Entertainment Matrix',(np.shape(entertainment)))
print('Politics Matrix',(np.shape(politics)))
print('Sports Matrix',(np.shape(sports)))
print('Tech Matrix',(np.shape(tech)))
print('\n')
print('Business Overlap Matrix',(np.shape(bOverlap)))
print('Entertainment Overlap Matrix',(np.shape(eOverlap)))
print('Politics Overlap Matrix',(np.shape(pOverlap)))
print('Sports Overlap Matrix',(np.shape(sOverlap)))
print('Tech Overlap Matrix',(np.shape(tOverlap)))
Business Matrix (231, 2) Entertainment Matrix (159, 2) Politics Matrix (120, 2) Sports Matrix (150, 2) Tech Matrix (161, 2) Business Overlap Matrix (567, 2) Entertainment Overlap Matrix (228, 2) Politics Overlap Matrix (209, 2) Sports Overlap Matrix (204, 2) Tech Overlap Matrix (342, 2)
from collections import Counter as count
def buildDict(arr):
temp = count(arr)
result = dict(temp)
return result
CountriesCountBusiness = buildDict(business[:,0])
CountriesCountEntertainment = buildDict(entertainment[:,0])
CountriesCountPolitics = buildDict(politics[:,0])
CountriesCountSports = buildDict(sports[:,0])
CountriesCountTech = buildDict(tech[:,0])
CountOverlapBusiness = buildDict(bOverlap[:,0])
CountOverlapEntertainment = buildDict(eOverlap[:,0])
CountOverlapPolitics = buildDict(pOverlap[:,0])
CountOverlapSports = buildDict(sOverlap[:,0])
CountOverlapTech = buildDict(tOverlap[:,0])
print('Business By Single Country:', CountriesCountBusiness,'\n')
print('Entertainment By Single Country:', CountriesCountEntertainment,'\n')
print('Politics By Single Country:', CountriesCountPolitics,'\n')
print('Sports By Single Country:', CountriesCountSports,'\n')
print('Tech By Single Country:', CountriesCountTech,'\n')
Business By Single Country: {'Japan': 11, 'US': 105, 'Indonesia': 3, 'Europe': 11, 'EU': 1, 'China': 13, 'India': 12, 'UK': 48, 'France': 3, 'Italy': 4, 'Turkey': 3, 'Russia': 5, 'Australia': 4, 'Mexico': 1, 'Brazil': 4, 'Germany': 3}
Entertainment By Single Country: {'US': 85, 'UK': 52, 'Canada': 2, 'France': 3, 'Japan': 5, 'India': 4, 'Germany': 2, 'Europe': 2, 'China': 1, 'Australia': 3}
Politics By Single Country: {'UK': 92, 'US': 8, 'Europe': 9, 'EU': 4, 'Australia': 4, 'Indonesia': 1, 'Russia': 1, 'Mexico': 1}
Sports By Single Country: {'France': 47, 'Australia': 18, 'UK': 5, 'Germany': 15, 'Canada': 1, 'US': 26, 'Europe': 14, 'Italy': 15, 'Japan': 1, 'Brazil': 3, 'Mexico': 1, 'Argentina': 3, 'India': 1}
Tech By Single Country: {'China': 5, 'UK': 67, 'Italy': 2, 'US': 57, 'EU': 2, 'India': 5, 'Europe': 13, 'Japan': 7, 'Germany': 1, 'France': 2}
print('Business By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapBusiness,'\n')
print('Entertainment By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapEntertainment,'\n')
print('Politics By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapPolitics,'\n')
print('Sports By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapSports,'\n')
print('Tech By Overlapping Country:',CountOverlapTech,'\n')
Business By Overlapping Countries: {'Europe': 71, 'US': 145, 'China': 51, 'Russia': 34, 'UK': 57, 'France': 29, 'India': 34, 'Brazil': 8, 'Italy': 11, 'Germany': 33, 'Japan': 27, 'Mexico': 5, 'EU': 22, 'Argentina': 6, 'Australia': 13, 'Canada': 4, 'Turkey': 5, 'Indonesia': 12}
Entertainment By Overlapping Countries: {'UK': 68, 'US': 76, 'Italy': 4, 'Canada': 9, 'Japan': 7, 'Germany': 9, 'Argentina': 1, 'Europe': 21, 'Australia': 7, 'EU': 1, 'France': 14, 'India': 5, 'China': 2, 'Brazil': 1, 'Russia': 1, 'Mexico': 1, 'Indonesia': 1}
Politics By Overlapping Countries: {'Europe': 31, 'UK': 63, 'Canada': 4, 'Japan': 4, 'Germany': 12, 'EU': 31, 'France': 10, 'India': 4, 'US': 26, 'Italy': 2, 'Turkey': 4, 'Russia': 4, 'Australia': 6, 'China': 6, 'Indonesia': 1, 'Mexico': 1}
Sports By Overlapping Countries: {'Australia': 26, 'France': 57, 'Germany': 3, 'UK': 5, 'Russia': 14, 'US': 14, 'Italy': 38, 'Japan': 5, 'China': 4, 'Turkey': 1, 'Europe': 10, 'Brazil': 4, 'Argentina': 11, 'Mexico': 3, 'Canada': 6, 'India': 3}
Tech By Overlapping Country: {'Indonesia': 2, 'Turkey': 2, 'US': 89, 'China': 10, 'UK': 67, 'Europe': 68, 'Japan': 33, 'EU': 8, 'Germany': 14, 'France': 18, 'Italy': 7, 'Mexico': 5, 'Argentina': 3, 'Canada': 5, 'Australia': 4, 'Brazil': 1, 'India': 4, 'Russia': 2}
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
def createVis(data, category):
%matplotlib inline
labels = data.keys()
sizes = data.values()
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.pie(sizes, labels=labels, autopct='%1.1f%%')
ax.axis('equal')
ax.set_title(category+' Articles By Country \n')
plt.show()
print('\n')
createVis(CountriesCountBusiness,'Business')
createVis(CountriesCountEntertainment,'Entertainment')
createVis(CountriesCountPolitics,'Politics')
createVis(CountriesCountSports,'Sports')
createVis(CountriesCountTech,'Tech')
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
def createVis(data, category):
%matplotlib inline
labels = data.keys()
sizes = data.values()
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.pie(sizes, labels=labels, autopct='%1.1f%%')
ax.axis('equal')
ax.set_title(category+' Articles By Overlapping Country Distribution\n')
plt.show()
print('\n')
createVis(CountOverlapBusiness,'Business')
createVis(CountOverlapEntertainment,'Entertainment')
createVis(CountOverlapPolitics,'Politics')
createVis(CountOverlapSports,'Sports')
createVis(CountOverlapTech,'Tech')
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt; plt.rcdefaults()
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
def createBar(data,category):
objects = data.keys()
y_pos = np.arange(len(objects))
performance = data.values()
plt.bar(y_pos, performance, align='center', alpha=0.5)
plt.xticks(y_pos, objects, rotation=45)
plt.ylabel('Count of Country Occurrence')
plt.xlabel('G20 Countries')
plt.title(category+" Articles Distribution With No Overlap")
plt.show()
createBar(CountriesCountBusiness,'Business')
createBar(CountriesCountEntertainment,'Entertainment')
createBar(CountriesCountPolitics,'Politics')
createBar(CountriesCountSports,'Sports')
createBar(CountriesCountTech,'Tech')
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt; plt.rcdefaults()
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
def createBar(data,category):
objects = data.keys()
y_pos = np.arange(len(objects))
performance = data.values()
plt.bar(y_pos, performance, align='center', alpha=0.5)
plt.xticks(y_pos, objects, rotation=45)
plt.ylabel('Count of Country Occurrence')
plt.xlabel('G20 Countries')
plt.title(category+" Articles Distribution With Overlap")
plt.show()
createBar(CountOverlapBusiness,'Business')
createBar(CountOverlapEntertainment,'Entertainment')
createBar(CountOverlapPolitics,'Politics')
createBar(CountOverlapSports,'Sports')
createBar(CountOverlapTech,'Tech')
import pandas as pd
import nltk
from nltk import sent_tokenize
from nltk.corpus import stopwords
from nltk.stem import WordNetLemmatizer
stop_words = set(stopwords.words('english'))
#Let's group the articles together by country and store in a dataframe
def createDataFrameAndClean (data):
df = pd.DataFrame({'country': data[:,0], 'article': data[:,1]}, columns=['country', 'article'])
update = df.groupby(['country'])['article'].apply(''.join).reset_index()
Country = {}
for index, row in update.iterrows():
Country[row['country']] = row['article']
helper = list(Country.values())
return Country
businessClean = createDataFrameAndClean(business)
entertainmentClean = createDataFrameAndClean(entertainment)
politicsClean = createDataFrameAndClean(politics)
sportsClean = createDataFrameAndClean(sports)
techClean = createDataFrameAndClean(tech)
bOverlapClean = createDataFrameAndClean(bOverlap)
eOverlapClean = createDataFrameAndClean(eOverlap)
pOverlapClean = createDataFrameAndClean(pOverlap)
sOverlapClean = createDataFrameAndClean(sOverlap)
tOverlapClean = createDataFrameAndClean(tOverlap)
tOverlapClean
{'Argentina': 'Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Dozens held over ID fraud site Twenty-eight people, including a Briton, have been arrested after a global operation against a website allegedly involved in identity fraud. Those arrested are accused of operating Shadowcrew.com, which investigators claim was a global clearing house for criminals involved in credit card fraud. A 19-year-old man from Camberley, Surrey, was arrested by the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit but has been bailed. Operation Firewall, led by the US Secret Service, involved seven nations. The British teenager was arrested on Wednesday but details only emerged on Friday. He has now been bailed to return to a Surrey police station in December. All 28 people detained globally are suspected of being involved in an internet-based network which stole people\'s identities and used computers and websites to defraud credit card companies. The authorities in the US, who have indicted 19 people in Newark, New Jersey, estimate the fraud caused losses of more than $4m. Assistant US Attorney Scott Christie said several people had been arrested in Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Poland and Sweden. Mr Christie said one of the ringleaders was believed to be a Russian, Anatoly Tyukanov. Investigators from 30 law enforcement agencies worldwide spent 15 months looking into the activities of three websites - Shadowcrew, Carderplanet and Darkprofits. The US Secret Service was first tipped off in July 2003. An NHTCU spokeswoman said the American investigators went undercover on the Shadowcrew website and discovered some of the site\'s 4,000 members were using it for organised crime purposes. She said criminals were using the websites to traffic counterfeit credit cards and false identification information and documents such as credit cards, driver\'s licences, passports and birth certificates. The websites shared tips on how to commit fraud and provided a forum by which people could buy the information and tools they needed to commit such crime, she said. The Shadowcrew site, which has now been taken over by the US Secret Service, listed several discussion groups, in English and Russian, including one on hacking, spam and online anonymity tools. The head of the NHTCU, Acting Detective Chief Superintendent, Mick Deats, said: "This investigation has resulted in the significant disruption of organised criminals using the internet for profit. "We believe that the suspects have trafficked at least 1.7 million stolen credit card numbers, leading to losses by financial institutions running into the millions." Chief Supt Deats went on to warn: "The internet offers huge legitimate benefits for modern society; however with it brings powerful opportunities for those seeking to abuse those benefits for criminal gain. "Your identity is one of the most precious commodities. Criminals who try to steal the personal and financial information of ordinary citizens as well as the confidential and proprietary information of companies engaged in e-commerce, will be targeted by law enforcement." Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. ',
'Australia': 'Podcasts mark rise of DIY radio An Apple iPod or other digital music players can hold anything up to 10,000 songs, which is a lot of space to fill. But more and more iPod owners are filling that space with audio content created by an unpredictable assortment of producers. It is called "podcasting" and its strongest proponent is former MTV host and VJ (video jockey) Adam Curry. Podcasting takes its name from the Apple iPod, although you do not need an iPod to create one or to listen to a podcast. A podcast is basically an internet-based radio show which podcasters create, usually in the comfort of their own home. They need only a microphone, a PC, and some editing software. They then upload their shows to the internet and others can download and listen to them, all for free. Using technology based on XML computer code and RSS - Really Simple Syndication - listeners can subscribe to podcasts collected automatically in a bit of software, which Mr Curry has pioneered. The latest MP3 files of shows can then be picked up by a music playing device automatically. Mr Curry records, hosts, edits and produce a daily, 40 minute podcast called The Daily Source Code. He wants to make podcasting "the Next Big Thing" and says it is an extension of his childhood love of radio gadgetry. "I was always into technologies and wires," he explains. "My parents gave me the Radio Shack 101 project kit, which allows you to build an AM transmitter and subsequently an FM transmitter. "I had my mom drive me around the block, see how far it would reach on the car radio." Mr Curry is American, but he grew up in the Netherlands where he hosted illegal, pirate radio shows in the Dutch capital. He tried university in the US, and ended up back in Holland where he hosted a music video show. He spent the next seven years in New York where he worked at MTV hosting the Top 20 Video Countdown, but spent most of his hours tinkering with this new thing called the internet. "At a certain point in 1995, I was driving in on a Friday afternoon, beautiful blue sky, one of those beautiful days thinking, this is so stupid. "You know, I\'m going do the Top 20 Countdown, take the cheque, go home, and sit on the internet until three in the morning. "So, after I finished the show, I quit. I said, on air, it\'s been great, I\'ve been here for seven years at that point, there\'s something on the internet, I\'ve got to go find it, and I\'ll see you later." But Mr Curry\'s technology and broadcast interests started to gel a couple of years ago when computer storage was growing exponentially and high-speed internet connections were becoming more widely available. The MP3 format also meant that people could create and upload audio more cheaply and efficiently than ever before. Most importantly, Mr Curry says, people across the globe were bored with the radio they were hearing. "Listen to 99% of the radio that you hear today, it\'s radio voices, and it\'s fake, it\'s just fake." He wanted to make it easier for people to find "real voices" on the internet. He wanted software that would automatically download new audio content directly onto players like, iPods. Mr Curry is not a computer programmer, so he asked others to create one for him. No one did, so he tried to write one himself. He finished it a few months ago and says it "totally sucked." He put it up on the net as open source software and now dozens of coders and audio junkies are refining it; the result is a work in progress called "ipodder". Doug Kaye, a California-based podcaster, praises the former MTV VJ for what he has done. "Adam created a simple script that solved what we call the last mile problem. Ipodder takes audio from the web and brings it all the way down to the MP3 player," he explains. "People can wake up in the morning, pick up their iPods as they go to work or before they go exercise, and discover that there\'s all this new content automatically put onto their players." It is created an explosion in podcasting content and podcasters are springing up in Australia, Finland, Brazil, even Malaysia. One couple broadcasts theirs, The Dawn and Drew Show, from Wisconsin in the US, sometimes even from the comfort of their own bed. Topics range from the comfort of their bed, to the latest films or music and have thousands of listeners. Already, websites are springing up that point listeners in the right direction of good podcasts. Chris McIntyre runs Podcast Alley and says that there are good sites out there but that not everyone has the technological know-how to simply listen. "If I were to tell my mom, or my mother-in-law to copy an XML or RSS file to their podcast aggregator, they would think I was speaking a foreign language," Mr McIntyre says. Along with technical challenges, there may be legal challenges to podcasters who air their favourite, albeit copyrighted, music. Some in podcasting also worry that too much attention may turn what they see as the "anti-radio" into something that is more like conventional broadcasting. Already there is interest in podcasting from the corporate world. Heineken is doing its own podcast now, and so is Playboy. For his part, Adam Curry\'s pressing ahead with his own vision of what podcasting should be. He loves doing The Daily Source Code because it is about introducing good music and cool ideas to new audiences. He has even been called the Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson of podcasting which, he says, "is a badge I\'ll wear with great honour. "To be the Johnny Carson, or Ed Sullivan of anything is wonderful. And you know what? You don\'t need a hell of a lot of talent. "You just have to be nice, have your ears open, and let people shine. And that\'s good for me." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Video phone help for deaf people Deaf people who prefer to communicate using British Sign Language (BSL) could soon be having their phone conversations relayed using webcams or videophones and an interpreter. The Video Relay Service is being piloted by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), but the organisation says unless the service is provided at the same rate as voice calls it will be beyond most people\'s pockets. The RNID is urging telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to reduce the cost of the service from the current £7.00 per minute and make it the same as ordinary phone calls. The service works by putting a deaf person in visual contact with a BSL interpreter via a webcam or video phone, and the interpreter then relays the deaf person\'s conversation using a telephone and translates the other person\'s response into sign language. For many deaf people, especially those born deaf, BSL is a first and preferred means of communication. Until now, the only alternative has been to use textphones which means having to type a message and have it relayed via an operator. "In the past, I\'ve used textphones but they have problems," said Robert Currington who is taking part in the pilot. "I communicate in BSL; my written English is not very good and it takes me longer to think in English and type my message." "I sometimes find it difficult to understand the reply." The RNID says the UK is lagging behind other countries which are already making relay services available at the cost of an ordinary phone call. "There are no technical or economic reasons for not providing equivalent access to services for deaf people," said RNID technology director, Guido Gybels. "In the US and Australia, sign language relay services have already been made universally available at the same cost as a voice call. "By failing to provide and fund the video relay service for sign language users, the telecommunications sector is effectively discriminating against an already disenfranchised group." Ofcom says it has plans to review the services that telecoms companies are obliged to provide early next year. And new technology, including the Video Relay Service, will be discussed with interested parties in the near future. But a spokesman said its powers were limited by legislation. "Any proposals to extend existing arrangements to cover new services would be for government to consider," he said. Mr Currington, like many of the UK\'s 70,000 BSL users, will be hoping that a way can be found to make a cost-effective service available. "The relay service makes phone conversations a pleasure," he said. "I can show my emotions more easily in BSL in the same way hearing people express emotions through voice calls." The pirates with no profit motive Two men who were part of a huge network of internet software pirates, known as Drink Or Die, have been convicted at the Old Bailey. BBC News investigates how the network worked and what motivated those involved. They called themselves Drink Or Die (DOD). They were a network of computer buffs who derived pleasure from cracking codes protecting copyrighted software such as Windows 95. They would then share it with each other. There is no suggestion any of them profited financially. But the authorities in both Britain and the United States considered it software piracy and took a dim view of networks such as DOD, one of a number of so-called warez organisations operating on the internet. In October 2000 the US Customs Service began an investigation into DOD and other networks, such as Razor 1911, Risciso, Myth and Popz. Fourteen months later US Customs co-ordinated a series of raids across the globe as part of Operation Buccaneer. Seventy search warrants were executed in the US, Britain, Australia, Norway, Sweden and Finland. At least 60 people were arrested worldwide - 45 of them in the US. Among the leaders of the network were Americans John Sankus - known by his internet nickname Eriflleh (Hellfire spelt backwards) - Richard Berry, Kent Kartadinata and Christopher Tresco, who used a server based at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The longest jail sentence - 46 months - was handed down to Sankus, a 28-year-old from Philadelphia. US Attorney Paul McNulty said at the time: "John Sankus and his techno-gang operated in the faceless world of the internet and thought they would never be caught. "They were wrong. These sentences, and those to follow, should send a message to others entertaining similar beliefs of invincibility." But one man still in legal limbo is British-born Australian Hew Raymond Griffiths, who is still fighting against extradition to the US. US Customs claimed Mr Griffiths was one of DOD\'s leaders but his lawyer, Antony Townsden, told the BBC News website it was a laughable suggestion and added: "He was living on welfare and had such an old computer that he couldn\'t even download software. "The allegation that he was the group\'s co-leader is illusory. He had the least technical skills of anyone, he couldn\'t crack any codes and he has only been called a leader because he was a loudmouth who wrote a lot on their messageboard." Mr Townsden said if he had committed any crimes he should be prosecuted in Australia, not the US. He claimed the Australian government\'s decision to accept the extradition request was typical of their current "acquiescent" attitude to the US. Mr Griffiths is expecting to hear this week the outcome of his appeal against the decision to extradite him. Those involved would give themselves internet aliases which would act in the same way as tags used by graffiti artists. They could then brag about their code-cracking abilities without giving away their real identities. Alex Bell, whose trial at the Old Bailey ended on Friday, was known as Mr 2940 - after a computer device - while his co-defendant Steven Dowd\'s nickname, curiously, was Tim. A spokesman for US Immigration, Customs and Enforcement, Dean Boyd, said DOD did not appear to be motivated by money. Their motivation was the kudos which surrounded being able to crack sophisticated software. He told the BBC News website: "Primarily they were just interested in how fast they could crack the code. It was all about underground notoriety." But Mr Boyd pointed out that once the software had been distributed on the internet it fell into the hands of organised criminals who were able to mass produce pirated software at zero cost. "It cost US industries a lot of money, billions of dollars," he said. Mr Boyd said: "It was truly global in scope. We raided a number of universities, including Duke (in North Carolina) and MIT, and found that several of the people involved were employed by major computer corporations. "They would go home from work in the evenings and get involved in this warez culture." Warez groups, which began to surface in the early 1990s, operate according to a strict code of honour. For example if one group cracked the software first its rivals would respect that achievement and not seek to claim it themselves. Mr Boyd said the destruction of DOD was a great coup but he added: "I\'m not going to sit here and say we have sorted the problem. There are still hackers and people who do this for fun. "Internet piracy of computer software remains a gigantic problem." A spokesman for the Business Software Alliance said: "DOD members claim they did not profit at all. But they did profit by getting access to very expensive servers." He said DOD and other warez groups were fostering a "culture of piracy" on the internet. He said 29% of computer software in Britain was believed to have been pirated and this cost £1bn in revenue for software companies, their suppliers and distributors. "It may seem like a victimless crime but it touches more people than you might care to believe." ',
'Brazil': 'Podcasts mark rise of DIY radio An Apple iPod or other digital music players can hold anything up to 10,000 songs, which is a lot of space to fill. But more and more iPod owners are filling that space with audio content created by an unpredictable assortment of producers. It is called "podcasting" and its strongest proponent is former MTV host and VJ (video jockey) Adam Curry. Podcasting takes its name from the Apple iPod, although you do not need an iPod to create one or to listen to a podcast. A podcast is basically an internet-based radio show which podcasters create, usually in the comfort of their own home. They need only a microphone, a PC, and some editing software. They then upload their shows to the internet and others can download and listen to them, all for free. Using technology based on XML computer code and RSS - Really Simple Syndication - listeners can subscribe to podcasts collected automatically in a bit of software, which Mr Curry has pioneered. The latest MP3 files of shows can then be picked up by a music playing device automatically. Mr Curry records, hosts, edits and produce a daily, 40 minute podcast called The Daily Source Code. He wants to make podcasting "the Next Big Thing" and says it is an extension of his childhood love of radio gadgetry. "I was always into technologies and wires," he explains. "My parents gave me the Radio Shack 101 project kit, which allows you to build an AM transmitter and subsequently an FM transmitter. "I had my mom drive me around the block, see how far it would reach on the car radio." Mr Curry is American, but he grew up in the Netherlands where he hosted illegal, pirate radio shows in the Dutch capital. He tried university in the US, and ended up back in Holland where he hosted a music video show. He spent the next seven years in New York where he worked at MTV hosting the Top 20 Video Countdown, but spent most of his hours tinkering with this new thing called the internet. "At a certain point in 1995, I was driving in on a Friday afternoon, beautiful blue sky, one of those beautiful days thinking, this is so stupid. "You know, I\'m going do the Top 20 Countdown, take the cheque, go home, and sit on the internet until three in the morning. "So, after I finished the show, I quit. I said, on air, it\'s been great, I\'ve been here for seven years at that point, there\'s something on the internet, I\'ve got to go find it, and I\'ll see you later." But Mr Curry\'s technology and broadcast interests started to gel a couple of years ago when computer storage was growing exponentially and high-speed internet connections were becoming more widely available. The MP3 format also meant that people could create and upload audio more cheaply and efficiently than ever before. Most importantly, Mr Curry says, people across the globe were bored with the radio they were hearing. "Listen to 99% of the radio that you hear today, it\'s radio voices, and it\'s fake, it\'s just fake." He wanted to make it easier for people to find "real voices" on the internet. He wanted software that would automatically download new audio content directly onto players like, iPods. Mr Curry is not a computer programmer, so he asked others to create one for him. No one did, so he tried to write one himself. He finished it a few months ago and says it "totally sucked." He put it up on the net as open source software and now dozens of coders and audio junkies are refining it; the result is a work in progress called "ipodder". Doug Kaye, a California-based podcaster, praises the former MTV VJ for what he has done. "Adam created a simple script that solved what we call the last mile problem. Ipodder takes audio from the web and brings it all the way down to the MP3 player," he explains. "People can wake up in the morning, pick up their iPods as they go to work or before they go exercise, and discover that there\'s all this new content automatically put onto their players." It is created an explosion in podcasting content and podcasters are springing up in Australia, Finland, Brazil, even Malaysia. One couple broadcasts theirs, The Dawn and Drew Show, from Wisconsin in the US, sometimes even from the comfort of their own bed. Topics range from the comfort of their bed, to the latest films or music and have thousands of listeners. Already, websites are springing up that point listeners in the right direction of good podcasts. Chris McIntyre runs Podcast Alley and says that there are good sites out there but that not everyone has the technological know-how to simply listen. "If I were to tell my mom, or my mother-in-law to copy an XML or RSS file to their podcast aggregator, they would think I was speaking a foreign language," Mr McIntyre says. Along with technical challenges, there may be legal challenges to podcasters who air their favourite, albeit copyrighted, music. Some in podcasting also worry that too much attention may turn what they see as the "anti-radio" into something that is more like conventional broadcasting. Already there is interest in podcasting from the corporate world. Heineken is doing its own podcast now, and so is Playboy. For his part, Adam Curry\'s pressing ahead with his own vision of what podcasting should be. He loves doing The Daily Source Code because it is about introducing good music and cool ideas to new audiences. He has even been called the Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson of podcasting which, he says, "is a badge I\'ll wear with great honour. "To be the Johnny Carson, or Ed Sullivan of anything is wonderful. And you know what? You don\'t need a hell of a lot of talent. "You just have to be nice, have your ears open, and let people shine. And that\'s good for me." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. ',
'Canada': 'Bush website blocked outside US Surfers outside the US have been unable to visit the official re-election site of President George W Bush. The blocking of browsers sited outside the US began in the early hours of Monday morning. Since then people outside the US trying to browse the site get a message saying they are not authorised to view it. The blocking does not appear to be due to an attack by vandals or malicious hackers, but as a result of a policy decision by the Bush camp. The international exclusion zone around georgewbush.com was spotted by net monitoring firm Netcraft which keeps an eye on traffic patterns across many different sites. Netcraft said that since the early hours of 25 October attempts to view the site through its monitoring stations in London, Amsterdam and Sydney failed. By contrast Netcraft\'s four monitoring stations in the US managed to view the site with no problems. The site can still be seen using anonymous proxy services that are based in the US. Some web users in Canada also report that they can browse the site. The pattern of traffic to the website suggests that the blocking was not due to an attack by vandals or politically motivated hackers. Geographic blocking works because the numerical addresses that the net uses to organise itself are handed out on a regional basis. On 21 October, the George W Bush website began using the services of a company called Akamai to ensure that the pages, videos and other content on its site reaches visitors. Mike Prettejohn, president of Netcraft, speculated that the blocking decision might have been taken to cut costs, and traffic, in the run-up to the election on 2 November. He said the site may see no reason to distribute content to people who will not be voting next week. Managing traffic could also be a good way to ensure that the site stays working in the closing days of the election campaign. However, simply blocking non-US visitors also means that Americans overseas are barred too. Akamai declined to comment, saying it could not talk about customer websites. Dozens held over ID fraud site Twenty-eight people, including a Briton, have been arrested after a global operation against a website allegedly involved in identity fraud. Those arrested are accused of operating Shadowcrew.com, which investigators claim was a global clearing house for criminals involved in credit card fraud. A 19-year-old man from Camberley, Surrey, was arrested by the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit but has been bailed. Operation Firewall, led by the US Secret Service, involved seven nations. The British teenager was arrested on Wednesday but details only emerged on Friday. He has now been bailed to return to a Surrey police station in December. All 28 people detained globally are suspected of being involved in an internet-based network which stole people\'s identities and used computers and websites to defraud credit card companies. The authorities in the US, who have indicted 19 people in Newark, New Jersey, estimate the fraud caused losses of more than $4m. Assistant US Attorney Scott Christie said several people had been arrested in Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Poland and Sweden. Mr Christie said one of the ringleaders was believed to be a Russian, Anatoly Tyukanov. Investigators from 30 law enforcement agencies worldwide spent 15 months looking into the activities of three websites - Shadowcrew, Carderplanet and Darkprofits. The US Secret Service was first tipped off in July 2003. An NHTCU spokeswoman said the American investigators went undercover on the Shadowcrew website and discovered some of the site\'s 4,000 members were using it for organised crime purposes. She said criminals were using the websites to traffic counterfeit credit cards and false identification information and documents such as credit cards, driver\'s licences, passports and birth certificates. The websites shared tips on how to commit fraud and provided a forum by which people could buy the information and tools they needed to commit such crime, she said. The Shadowcrew site, which has now been taken over by the US Secret Service, listed several discussion groups, in English and Russian, including one on hacking, spam and online anonymity tools. The head of the NHTCU, Acting Detective Chief Superintendent, Mick Deats, said: "This investigation has resulted in the significant disruption of organised criminals using the internet for profit. "We believe that the suspects have trafficked at least 1.7 million stolen credit card numbers, leading to losses by financial institutions running into the millions." Chief Supt Deats went on to warn: "The internet offers huge legitimate benefits for modern society; however with it brings powerful opportunities for those seeking to abuse those benefits for criminal gain. "Your identity is one of the most precious commodities. Criminals who try to steal the personal and financial information of ordinary citizens as well as the confidential and proprietary information of companies engaged in e-commerce, will be targeted by law enforcement." Attack prompts Bush site block The official re-election site of President George W Bush is blocking visits from overseas users for "security reasons". The blocking began early on Monday so those outside the US and trying to view the site got a message saying they are not authorised to view it. But keen net users have shown that the policy is not being very effective. Many have found that the site can still be viewed by overseas browsers via several alternative net addresses. The policy of trying to stop overseas visitors viewing the site is thought to have been adopted in response to an attack on the georgewbush.com website. Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign said: "The measure was taken for security reasons." He declined to elaborate any further on the blocking policy. The barring of non-US visitors has led to the campaign being inundated with calls and forced it to make a statement about why the blocking was taking place. In early October a so-called "denial of service" attack was mounted on the site that bombarded it with data from thousands of PCs. The attack made the site unusable for about five hours. About the same time the web team of the Bush-Cheney campaign started using the services of a company called Akamai that helps websites deal with the ebbs and flows of visitor traffic. Akamai uses a web-based tool called EdgeScape that lets its customers work out where visitors are based. Typically this tool is used to ensure that webpages, video and images load quickly but it can also be used to block traffic. Geographic blocking works because the numerical addresses that the net uses to organise itself are handed out on a regional basis. Readers of the Boingboing weblog have found that viewers can still get at the site by using alternative forms of the George W Bush domain name. Ironically one of the working alternatives is for a supposedly more secure version of the site. There are now at least three working alternative domains for the Bush-Cheney campaign that let web users outside the US visit the site. The site can also be seen using anonymous proxy services that are based in the US. Some web users in Canada also report that they can browse the site. The international exclusion zone around georgewbush.com was spotted by net monitoring firm Netcraft which keeps an eye on traffic patterns across many different sites. Netcraft said that since the early hours of 25 October attempts to view the site through its monitoring stations in London, Amsterdam and Sydney have failed. By contrast Netcraft\'s four monitoring stations in the US managed to view the site with no problems. Data gathered by Netcraft on the pattern of traffic to the site shows that the blocking is not the result of another denial of service attack. Mike Prettejohn, Netcraft president, speculated that the blocking decision might have been taken to cut costs, and traffic, in the run-up to the election on 2 November. He said the site may see no reason to distribute content to people who will not be voting next week. Managing traffic could also be a good way to ensure that the site stays working in the closing days of the election campaign. However, simply blocking non-US visitors also means that Americans overseas are barred too. Most American soldiers stationed overseas will be able to see the site as they use the US military\'s own portion of the net. Akamai declined to comment, saying it could not talk about customer websites. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Net fingerprints combat attacks Eighty large net service firms have switched on software to spot and stop net attacks automatically. The system creates digital fingerprints of ongoing incidents that are sent to every network affected. Firms involved in the smart sensing system believe it will help trace attacks back to their source. Data gathered will be passed to police to help build up intelligence about who is behind worm outbreaks and denial of service attacks. Firms signing up for the sensing system include MCI, BT, Deutsche Telekom, Energis, NTT, Bell Canada and many others. The creation of the fingerprinting system has been brokered by US firm Arbor Networks and signatures of attacks will be passed to anyone suffering under the weight of an attack. Increasingly computer criminals are using swarms of remotely controlled computers to carry out denial of service attacks on websites, launch worms and relay spam around the net. "We have seen attacks involving five and ten gigabytes of traffic," said Rob Pollard, sales director for Arbor Networks which is behind the fingerprinting system. "Attacks of that size cause collateral damage as they cross the internet before they get to their destination," he said. Once an attack is spotted and its signature defined the information will be passed back down the chain of networks affected to help every unwitting player tackle the problem. Mr Pollard said Arbor was not charging for the service and it would pass on fingerprint data to every network affected. "What we want to do is help net service firms communicate with each other and then push the attacks further and further back around the world to their source," said Mr Pollard. Arbor Network\'s technology works by building up a detailed history of traffic on a network. It spots which computers or groups of users regularly talk to each other and what types of traffic passes between machines or workgroups. Any anomaly to this usual pattern is spotted and flagged to network administrators who can take action if the traffic is due to a net-based attack of some kind. This type of close analysis has become very useful as net attacks are increasingly launched using several hundred or thousand different machines. Anyone looking at the traffic on a machine by machine basis would be unlikely to spot that they were all part of a concerted attack. "Attacks are getting more diffuse and more sophisticated," said Malcolm Seagrave, security expert at Energis. "In the last 12 months it started getting noticeable that criminals were taking to it and we\'ve seen massive growth." He said that although informal systems exist to pass on information about attacks, often commercial confidentiality got in the way of sharing enough information to properly combat attacks. ',
'China': 'Digital guru floats sub-$100 PC Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT\'s Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53). He told the BBC World Service programme Go Digital he hoped it would become an education tool in developing countries. He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood". He said the child could use the laptop like a text book. He described the device as a stripped down laptop, which would run a Linux-based operating system, "We have to get the display down to below $20, to do this we need to rear project the image rather than using an ordinary flat panel. "The second trick is to get rid of the fat , if you can skinny it down you can gain speed and the ability to use smaller processors and slower memory." The device will probably be exported as a kit of parts to be assembled locally to keep costs down. Mr Negroponte said this was a not for profit venture, though he recognised that the manufacturers of the components would be making money. In 1995 Mr Negroponte published the bestselling Being Digital, now widely seen as predicting the digital age. The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on. While the idea was popular amongst the children, it initially received some resistance from the teachers and there were problems with laptops getting broken. However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops. "We put in 25 laptops three years ago , only one has been broken, the kids cherish these things, it\'s also a TV a telephone and a games machine, not just a textbook." Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious. "Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we\'re going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we\'re not talking about doing it in three or five years, we\'re talking about months." He plans to be distributing them by the end of 2006 and is already in discussion with the Chinese education ministry who are expected to make a large order. "In China they spend $17 per child per year on textbooks. That\'s for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that\'s cheaper and the marketing overheads go away." Digital guru floats sub-$100 PC Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT\'s Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53). He told the BBC World Service programme Go Digital he hoped it would become an education tool in developing countries. He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood". He said the child could use the laptop like a text book. He described the device as a stripped down laptop, which would run a Linux-based operating system, "We have to get the display down to below $20, to do this we need to rear project the image rather than using an ordinary flat panel. "The second trick is to get rid of the fat , if you can skinny it down you can gain speed and the ability to use smaller processors and slower memory." The device will probably be exported as a kit of parts to be assembled locally to keep costs down. Mr Negroponte said this was a not for profit venture, though he recognised that the manufacturers of the components would be making money. In 1995 Mr Negroponte published the bestselling Being Digital, now widely seen as predicting the digital age. The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on. While the idea was popular amongst the children, it initially received some resistance from the teachers and there were problems with laptops getting broken. However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops. "We put in 25 laptops three years ago , only one has been broken, the kids cherish these things, it\'s also a TV a telephone and a games machine, not just a textbook." Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious. "Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we\'re going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we\'re not talking about doing it in three or five years, we\'re talking about months." He plans to be distributing them by the end of 2006 and is already in discussion with the Chinese education ministry who are expected to make a large order. "In China they spend $17 per child per year on textbooks. That\'s for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that\'s cheaper and the marketing overheads go away." Gadget growth fuels eco concerns Technology firms and gadget lovers are being urged to think more about the environment when buying and disposing of the latest hi-tech products. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, several hi-tech firms were recognised for their strategies to help the environment. Ebay also announced the Rethink project bringing together Intel, Apple, and IBM among others to promote recycling. The US consumer electronics market is set to grow by over 11% in 2005. But more awareness is needed about how and where old gadgets can be recycled as well as how to be more energy efficient, said the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of particular growing concern is how much energy it takes to recharge portable devices, one of the fastest growing markets in technology. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has predicted that shipments of consumer technologies in 2005 will reach more than $125.73 billion (nearly £68 billion). Ebay\'s initiative pulls together major technology firms, environment groups, government agencies and eBay users to give information about what to do with old computers and where to send them. The online auction house thinks that its already-established community of loyal users could be influential. "We really became aware of the e-waste issue and we saw that our 125 million users can be a powerful force for good," eBay\'s David Stern told the BBC News website. "We saw the opportunity to meet the additional demand we have on the site for used computers and saw the opportunity too to good some good for the environment." But it is not just computers that cause a problem for the environment. Teenagers get a new mobile every 11 months, adults every 18 months and a 15 million handsets are replaced in total each year. Yet, only 15% are actually recycled. This year, a predicted two billion people worldwide will own a mobile, according to a Deloitte report. Schemes in the US, like RIPMobile, could help in targeting younger generations with recycling messages. The initiative, which was also launched at CES, rewards 10 to 28-year-olds for returning unused phones. "This system allows for the transformation of a drawer full of unused mobile phones into anything from music to clothes to electronics or games," said Seth Heine from RIPMobile. One group of students collected 1,000 mobiles for recycling in just three months. Mr Heine told the BBC News website that what was important was to raise awareness amongst the young so that recycling becomes "learned behaviour". Europe is undoubtedly more advanced than the US in terms of recycling awareness and robust "end of life" programmes, although there is a tide change happening in the rest of the world too. Intel showcased some its motherboards and chips at CES which are entirely lead free. "There is more and more awareness on the consumer side, but the whole industry is moving towards being lead free," Intel\'s Allen Wilson told the BBC News website. "There is still low-level awareness right now, but it is on the rise - the highest level of awareness is in Europe." A European Union (EU) directive, WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment), comes into effect in August. It puts the responsibility on electrical manufacturers to recycle items that are returned to them. But developments are also being made to design better technologies which are more energy efficient and which do not contain harmful substances. Elements like chromium, lead, and cadmium - common in consumer electronics goods - will be prohibited in all products in the EU by 2006. But it is not just about recycling either. The predicted huge growth in the gadget market means the amount of energy used to power them up is on the rise too. The biggest culprit, according to the EPA, is the innocuous power adaptor, nicknamed "energy vampires". They provide vital juice for billions of mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), digital cameras, camcorders, and digital music players. Although there is a focus on developing efficient and improved circuits in the devices themselves, the technologies inside rechargers are still outdated and so eat up more energy than is needed to power a gadget. On 1 January, new efficiency standards for external power supplies came into effect as part of the European Commission Code of Conduct. But at CES, the EPA also unveiled new guidelines for its latest Energy Star initiative which targets external power adapters. These map out the framework for developing better adaptors that can be labelled with an Energy Star logo, meaning they are about 35% more efficient. The initiative is a global effort and more manufacturers\' adaptors are being brought on board. Most are made in China. About two billion are shipped global every year, and about three billion are in use in the US alone. The EPA is already working with several companies which make more than 22% of power supplies on the market. "We are increasingly finding companies that not only want to provide neat, hi-tech devices, but also bundle with it a hi-tech, efficient power supply," the EPA\'s Andrew Fanara said. Initiatives like this are critical; if power adaptors continue to be made and used as they are now, consumer electronics and other small appliances will be responsible for more than 40% of electricity used in US homes, said the EPA. China \'to overtake US net use\' The Chinese net-using population looks set to exceed that of the US in less than three years, says a report. China\'s net users number 100m but this represents less than 8% of the country\'s 1.3 billion people. Market analysts Panlogic predicts that net users in China will exceed the 137 million US users of the net by 2008. The report says that the country\'s culture will mean that Chinese people will use the net for very different ends than in many other nations. Already net use in China has a very different character than in many Western nations, said William Makower, chief executive of Panlogic. In many Western nations desktop computers that can access the net are hard to escape at work. By contrast in China workplace machines are relatively rare. This, combined with the relatively high cost of PCs in China and the time it takes to get phone lines installed, helps to explains the huge number of net cafes in China. Only 36% of Chinese homes have telephones according to reports. "Net usage tends to happen in the evening," said Mr Makower, "they get access only when they go home and go off to the internet café." "Its fundamentally different usage to what we have here," he said. Net use in China was still very much an urban phenomenon with most users living on the country\'s eastern seaboard or in its three biggest cities. The net is key to helping Chinese people keep in touch with friends, said Mr Makower. Many people use it in preference to the phone or arrange to meet up with friends at net cafes. What people can do on the net is also limited by aspects of Chinese life. For instance, said Mr Makower, credit cards are rare in China partly because of fears people have about getting in to debt. "The most popular way to pay is Cash-On-Delivery," he said, "and that\'s quite a brake to the development of e-commerce." The arrival of foreign banks in China, due in 2006, could mean greater use of credit cards but for the moment they are rare, said Mr Makower. But if Chinese people are not spending cash online they are interested in the news they can get via the net and the view it gives them on Western ways of living. "A large part of the attraction of the internet is that it goes below the radar," he said. "Generally it\'s more difficult for the government to be able to control it." "Its real value is as an open window onto what\'s happening elsewhere in the world," he said. Government restrictions on how much advertising can appear on television means that the net is a source of many commercial messages Chinese people would not see anywhere else. Familiarity with the net also has a certain social cachet. "It\'s a sign of them having made it that they can use the internet and navigate around it," said Mr Makower. Pandas benefit from wireless net The world\'s dwindling panda population is getting a helping hand from a wireless internet network. The Wolong Nature Reserve in the Sichuan Province of southwest China is home to 20% of the remaining 1,500 giant pandas in the world. A broadband and wireless network installed on the reserve has allowed staff to chronicle the pandas\' daily activities. The data and images can be shared with colleagues around the world. The reserve conducts vital research on both panda breeding and bamboo ecology. Using the network, vets have been able to observe how infant pandas feed and suggest changes to improve the tiny cubs\' chances of survival. "Digital technology has transformed the way we communicate and share information inside Wolong and with the rest of the world," said Zhang Hemin, director of the Wolong Nature Reserve. "Our researchers now have state-of-the-art digital technology to help foster the panda population and manage our precious surroundings." The network has been developed by Intel, working closely with the staff at Wolong. It includes a 802.11b wireless network and a video monitoring system using five cameras to observe pandas around the clock. Before the new infrastructure arrived at the panda park, staff walked or drove to deliver floppy disks across the reserve. Infant panda health was recorded on paper notebooks and research teams in the field had little access to the data. To foster cultural links across the globe, a children\'s learning lab has been incorporated in the network, in collaboration with Globio (Federation for Global Biodiversity Education for Children), an international non-profit organisation. It will enable children at local primary schools to hook up with their peers in Portland, Oregon in the US. "Digital technology brings this story to life by enabling a global dialogue to help bridge cultures around the world," said Globio founder Gerry Ellis. Mobile picture power in your pocket How many times have you wanted to have a camera to hand to catch an unexpected event that would make headlines? With a modern mobile phone that has a camera built in, you no longer need to curse, you can capture the action as it happens. Already on-the-spot snappers are helping newspapers add immediacy to their breaking news stories headlines, where professional photographers only arrive in time for the aftermath. Celebrities might not welcome such a change because they may never be free of a new breed of mobile phone paparazzi making their lives a bit more difficult. Already one tabloid newspaper in LA is issuing photographers with camera phones to help them catch celebrities at play. It could be the start of a trend that only increases as higher resolution phone cameras become more widespread; as video phones catch on and millions of people start carrying the gadgets around. Only last week, the world media highlighted the killing of the Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, notorious after making a controversial film about Islamic culture. One day later De Telegraaf, a daily Amsterdam newspaper, became news on its own when it published a picture taken with a mobile phone of Mr van Gogh\'s body moments after he was killed. "This picture was the story", said De Telegraaf\'s image editor, Peter Schoonen. Other accounts of such picture phone users witnessing news events, include: - A flight from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic which turned around after someone took a picture of a piece of metal falling from the plane as it took off from Zurich (reported by the Swiss daily Le Matin). - Two crooks who robbed a bank in Denmark were snapped before they carried out the crime waiting for the doors of the building to be opened (reported by the Danish regional paper Aarhus Stiftstidende). But this is not just about traditional media lending immediacy to their stories with content from ordinary people, it is also about first-hand journalism in the form of online diaries or weblogs. It has been called "open source news" or even "moblog journalism" and it has flourished in the recent US election campaign. "Not many people walk around with their cameras, but they always have their mobile phones with them. If something happens, suddenly all these mobiles sort of appear from nowhere, and start taking pictures," said digital artist Henry Reichhold. He himself uses mobile phone pictures to create huge panoramic images of events and places. "You see it in bars, you see it everywhere. It\'s a massive thing," Mr Reichhold told the BBC News website. With some picture agencies already paying for exclusive phone pictures, especially of celebrities, there are also fears about the possible downside of this phenomenon. It could become a nuisance for public figures as higher resolution picture phones hit the market, with five megapixel models already being launched in Asia. Already on US photojournal site, Buzznet, there is a public album full of snaps of celebrities, many of which were taken with camera phones. Tabloid newspapers in the UK and many monthly magazines invite readers to send in images of famous people they have seen and snapped. But there are other positive uses of picture mobile phones that may balance these uses. For instance, in Alabama, in the US, camera phones will be used to take snaps at crime scenes involving children, and help the authorities to arrest and prosecute paedophiles. And in China\'s capital Beijing, courts have adopted mobile phone photos as formal evidence. For Henry Reichhold, this is progress: "That\'s the whole thing about the immediacy of the thing. I can see that happening a lot more." PC ownership to \'double by 2010\' The number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines, according to a report by analysts Forrester Research. The growth will be driven by emerging markets such as China, Russia and India, the report predicted. More than a third of all new PCs will be in these markets, with China adding 178 million new PCs by 2010, it said. Low-priced computers made by local companies are expected to dominate in such territories, Forrester said. The report comes less than a week after IBM, a pioneer of the PC business, sold its PC hardware division to China\'s number one computer maker Lenovo. The $1.75bn (£900m) deal will make the combined operation the third biggest PC vendor in the world. "Today\'s products from Western PC vendors won\'t dominate in those markets in the long term," Simon Yates, a senior analyst for Forrester, said. "Instead local PC makers like Lenovo Group in China and Aquarius in Russia that can better tailor the PC form factor, price point and applications to their local markets will ultimately win the market share battle," he said. There are currently 575 million PCs in use globally. The United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to add 150 million new PCs by 2010, according to the study. The report forecast that there will be 80 million new PC users in India by 2010 and 40 million new users in Indonesia. Speech takes on search engines A Scottish firm is looking to attract web surfers with a search engine that reads out results. Called Speegle, it has the look and feel of a normal search engine, with the added feature of being able to read out the results. Scottish speech technology firm CEC Systems launched the site in November. But experts have questioned whether talking search engines are of any real benefit to people with visual impairments. The Edinburgh-based firm CEC has married speech technology with ever-popular internet search. The ability to search is becoming increasingly crucial to surfers baffled by the huge amount of information available on the web. According to search engine Ask Jeeves, around 80% of surfers visit search engines as their first port of call on the net. People visiting Speegle can select one of three voices to read the results of a query or summarise news stories from sources such as the BBC and Reuters. "It is still a bit robotic and can make a few mistakes but we are never going to have completely natural sounding voices and it is not bad," said Speegle founder Gordon Renton. "The system is ideal for people with blurred vision or for those that just want to search for something in the background while they do something else. "We are not saying that it will be suitable for totally blind people, although the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) is looking at the technology," he added. But Julie Howell, digital policy manager at the RNIB, expressed doubts over whether Speegle and similar sites added anything to blind people\'s experience of the web. "There are a whole lot of options like this springing up on the web and one has to think carefully about what the market is going to be," she said. "Blind people have specialised screen readers available to them which will do the job these technologies do in a more sophisticated way," she added. The site uses a technology dubbed PanaVox, which takes web text and converts it into synthesised speech. In the past speech technology has only been compatible with broadband because of the huge files it downloads but CEC says its compression technology means it will also work on slower dial-up connections. Visitors to Speegle may notice that the look and feel of the site bears more than a passing resemblance to the better known, if silent, search engine Google. Google has no connection with Speegle and the use of bright colours is simply to make the site more visible for those with visual impairments, said Mr Renton. "It is not a rip-off. We are doing something that Google does not do and is not planning to do and there is truth in the saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," he said. Speegle is proving popular with those learning English in countries such as Japan and China. "The site is bombarded by people just listening to the words. The repetition could be useful although they may all end up talking like robots," said Mr Renton. China \'ripe\' for media explosion Asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond, with China and India filling the two top spots, analysts have predicted. Japan, South Korea and Singapore will also be strong players, but China\'s demographics give it the edge, a media conference in London heard. The world\'s most populous country - population 1.3bn - now has about 200 million middle-class consumers. Forty per cent fall in the key 16 to 35-year-old demographic. As a result, it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications, analysts told the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference last week. Interest in China among international media groups has surged in recent months after Beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television, radio and film production companies. News Corporation, Viacom and Sony Pictures are among the big names involved in joint ventures with Chinese players. More than 700 million Chinese listen to 1,000 radio stations, while 200 TV stations broadcast 2,900 channels. China Central Television (CCTV), the state broadcaster, claims an audience of more than a billion people. Of the country\'s 360 million households, 100 million receive cable TV programmes. The rest could be a potential audience for satellite broadcasting which China plans to launch in 2006. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which regulates broadcasting, plans to move all programmes to digital by 2015. The continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content, creating significant opportunities for both Chinese and foreign content providers. But according to recent reports from China, the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in TV production joint ventures. It has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be "unfriendly", according to reports. The SARFT said: "There is a very strong ideological component to production of broadcast television programmes." It added: "China must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector." According to the Financial Times\' China correspondent, the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in China\'s media sector. This is despite Beijing\'s decision to open the state-dominated sector to international investment. As well as traditional broadcasting, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media, like mobile services and online gaming. Mobile games already account for 15% of revenues from China\'s 340 million mobile users. Online gaming sales are predicted to top a billion US dollars next year, according to the UK-based journal Screen Digest. The video market is also seen as a big opportunity, although piracy levels are still very high despite an anti-piracy drive during the past year. In the cinema industry the deployment of digital screens is being accelerated. This is not just to modernise venues but also to curb piracy and regulate distribution. Li Ruigang, president of the commercial broadcaster Shanghai Media Group, told the conference that China\'s new media market "is already experiencing explosive growth". It was particularly strong in charged broadband services and mobile value-added services. Leading China-watcher, and founder of the CGA consultancy Jeanne-Marie Gescher, agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap China\'s huge media market potential. "China\'s media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it," Mrs Gescher concluded. Cebit fever takes over Hanover Thousands of products and tens of thousands of visitors make Cebit the place to be for technology lovers. "Welcome to CeBit 2005" was the message from the pilot as we landed, the message on flyers at the airport, and the message on just about every billboard in town. CeBit fever has taken over Hanover. Hotels have been booked out for months; local people are letting out rooms in their homes to the hoards of exhibitors, visitors, and journalists. CeBit itself is huge, the exhibition site could almost be classified as a town in its own right. There are restaurants, shops, and a bus service between the halls - of which there are 27. There are more than 6,000 companies here, showing their latest products. The list of them that I was given when I came in is the size and weight of a phone book. One of the mains themes this year is the digital home, and one of the key buzzwords is convergence. The "entertainment PC" is being billed as the replacement for DVD players, stereos, telephones and computers - offering a one-box solution, wirelessly connected throughout a house. To show them off, one display has been modelled as a prototype "digital lifestyle home" by German magazine Computer Reseller News. "We wanted to show how this fits into a living room or workplace, to give people a feeling how it would work in their homes," said Claudia Neulling from the magazine. The house has webcams for security in each room, which can be called up on the high definition TV, connected to the PC in the living room. That PC provides home entertainment, movies or music. It can also be linked to the car parked outside, which is kitted out with a processor of its own, along with a DVD player and cordless headphones for the kids in the back. "Convergence for me is about how technology, the transfer of data, can do things that make it easier and more convenient for me as a consumer," said Mark Brailey, director of corporate marketing for Intel. "The real challenge is to show people it\'s easier than they think, and fun." He firmly believes that entertainment PCs are the future, but says they have to get past people\'s fears of frequent crashes and incompatibilities. That is something Microsoft is trying to do too - its stand has computers running Windows XP Media Centre edition 2005 for people to try out. Mobile phones do not escape the convergence theme. Samsung is showing off its SGH-i300, a handset with a three gigabyte hard drive, that can be used to watch compressed video or as an MP3 player. And if you would rather watch live TV than a downloaded movie NEC is showing a phone, on sale in China, which can show analogue TV on its colour screen. "I think the most probable application is at somewhere like the train station - if you want to check the status of the soccer game for example" said Koji Umemoto, manager of mobile terminals marketing for NEC. He admitted that the signal quality is not very good if you are on the move, and they do not have plans to launch it in Europe at the moment. Nokia was happy to demonstrate its 6230i, an upgrade to the very popular 6230. It now has a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a music player that can handle multiple formats, rather than just MP3s. It is also compatible with Nokia\'s new Visual Radio technology. The handset can receive FM broadcasts, and the user can interact with compatible broadcasts using a GPRS connection, to take part in competitions or get extra information such as the name of the song playing. Most companies are reluctant to show prototypes, preferring to display products that are already on sale, or just about to hit the market. Portable media player firm Creative showed off a new wireless technology, based on magnetic inductance rather than radio - a system some hearing aids use. "The benefits over conventional Bluetooth are the lack of interference, and longer battery life," said Riccardo de Rinaldini, Creative\'s European marketing manager. The firm has a prototype headset linked up to a Zen Micro player. The transmitter on the player creates a private, magnetic "bubble" around the user, which is picked up by the headset. The range is only about one metre so it is only suitable for personal use. A single AAA battery is said to last up to 30 hours. Creative expects it to hit the market in its final form later this year. Even clothing is likely to be part of the convergence trend. Adidas has a trainer which, according to Susanne Risse from the company, can "sense, understand, and adapt to your running style". It has a battery, processor, and motor embedded in the sole. Buttons on the side allow you to set the amount of cushioning you would like by adjusting the tension on a cable running through the heel. The processor then monitors the surface you are running on, and adjusts the tension accordingly. It is being billed as "the world\'s first intelligent shoe". ',
'EU': 'Reboot ordered for EU patent law A European Parliament committee has ordered a rewrite of the proposals for controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) said the Commission should re-submit the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive after MEPs failed to back it. It has had vocal critics who say it could favour large over small firms and impact open-source software innovation. Supporters say it would let firms protect their inventions. The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". The draft law suffered setbacks when Poland, one of the largest EU member states, rejected its adoption twice in two months. Intense lobbying on the issue has started to gain momentum in some national parliaments putting them under immense pressure. Only two MEPs backed the draft law at the JURI meeting, with one voting to abstain. Opponents of the draft directive welcomed the decision and said a new first reading of the proposals would give the EU a chance to have fuller debates about its implications in all member states. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. \'No re-draft\' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament\'s request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council\'s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. Gadget growth fuels eco concerns Technology firms and gadget lovers are being urged to think more about the environment when buying and disposing of the latest hi-tech products. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, several hi-tech firms were recognised for their strategies to help the environment. Ebay also announced the Rethink project bringing together Intel, Apple, and IBM among others to promote recycling. The US consumer electronics market is set to grow by over 11% in 2005. But more awareness is needed about how and where old gadgets can be recycled as well as how to be more energy efficient, said the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of particular growing concern is how much energy it takes to recharge portable devices, one of the fastest growing markets in technology. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has predicted that shipments of consumer technologies in 2005 will reach more than $125.73 billion (nearly £68 billion). Ebay\'s initiative pulls together major technology firms, environment groups, government agencies and eBay users to give information about what to do with old computers and where to send them. The online auction house thinks that its already-established community of loyal users could be influential. "We really became aware of the e-waste issue and we saw that our 125 million users can be a powerful force for good," eBay\'s David Stern told the BBC News website. "We saw the opportunity to meet the additional demand we have on the site for used computers and saw the opportunity too to good some good for the environment." But it is not just computers that cause a problem for the environment. Teenagers get a new mobile every 11 months, adults every 18 months and a 15 million handsets are replaced in total each year. Yet, only 15% are actually recycled. This year, a predicted two billion people worldwide will own a mobile, according to a Deloitte report. Schemes in the US, like RIPMobile, could help in targeting younger generations with recycling messages. The initiative, which was also launched at CES, rewards 10 to 28-year-olds for returning unused phones. "This system allows for the transformation of a drawer full of unused mobile phones into anything from music to clothes to electronics or games," said Seth Heine from RIPMobile. One group of students collected 1,000 mobiles for recycling in just three months. Mr Heine told the BBC News website that what was important was to raise awareness amongst the young so that recycling becomes "learned behaviour". Europe is undoubtedly more advanced than the US in terms of recycling awareness and robust "end of life" programmes, although there is a tide change happening in the rest of the world too. Intel showcased some its motherboards and chips at CES which are entirely lead free. "There is more and more awareness on the consumer side, but the whole industry is moving towards being lead free," Intel\'s Allen Wilson told the BBC News website. "There is still low-level awareness right now, but it is on the rise - the highest level of awareness is in Europe." A European Union (EU) directive, WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment), comes into effect in August. It puts the responsibility on electrical manufacturers to recycle items that are returned to them. But developments are also being made to design better technologies which are more energy efficient and which do not contain harmful substances. Elements like chromium, lead, and cadmium - common in consumer electronics goods - will be prohibited in all products in the EU by 2006. But it is not just about recycling either. The predicted huge growth in the gadget market means the amount of energy used to power them up is on the rise too. The biggest culprit, according to the EPA, is the innocuous power adaptor, nicknamed "energy vampires". They provide vital juice for billions of mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), digital cameras, camcorders, and digital music players. Although there is a focus on developing efficient and improved circuits in the devices themselves, the technologies inside rechargers are still outdated and so eat up more energy than is needed to power a gadget. On 1 January, new efficiency standards for external power supplies came into effect as part of the European Commission Code of Conduct. But at CES, the EPA also unveiled new guidelines for its latest Energy Star initiative which targets external power adapters. These map out the framework for developing better adaptors that can be labelled with an Energy Star logo, meaning they are about 35% more efficient. The initiative is a global effort and more manufacturers\' adaptors are being brought on board. Most are made in China. About two billion are shipped global every year, and about three billion are in use in the US alone. The EPA is already working with several companies which make more than 22% of power supplies on the market. "We are increasingly finding companies that not only want to provide neat, hi-tech devices, but also bundle with it a hi-tech, efficient power supply," the EPA\'s Andrew Fanara said. Initiatives like this are critical; if power adaptors continue to be made and used as they are now, consumer electronics and other small appliances will be responsible for more than 40% of electricity used in US homes, said the EPA. New delay hits EU software laws A fresh delay has hit controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as planned at a Brussels meeting on Monday during which it was supposed to have been discussed. The fresh delay came after Polish officials had raised concerns about the law for the second time in two months. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small ones and could impact open-source software innovation. "There was at one point the intention to put the item on today\'s agenda. But in the end we could not put it on," an EU spokesman told the Reuters agency. He added that no date had been chosen for more discussion of the law. In December, Poland requested more time to consider the issue because it was concerned that the law could lead to the patenting of pure computer software. Its ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes software patenting. Poland is a large EU member, so its backing for the legislation is vital. The EU says the law would bring Europe more in line with how such laws work in the US, but this has caused some angry debate amongst critics and supporters. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service. Critics say a similar model in Europe would hurt small software developers which do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies. But supporters say current law does not let big companies protect inventions which they have spent years developing. Pompeii gets digital make-over The old-fashioned audio tour of historical places could soon be replaced with computer-generated images that bring the site to life. A European Union-funded project is looking at providing tourists with computer-augmented versions of archaeological attractions. It would allow visitors a glimpse of life as it was originally lived in places such as Pompeii. It could pave the way for a new form of cultural tourism. The technology would allow digital people and other computer-generated elements to be combined with the actual view seen by tourists as they walk around an historical site. The Lifeplus project is part of the EU\'s Information Society Technologies initiative aimed at promoting user-friendly technology and enhancing European cultural heritage. Engineers and researchers working in the Europe-wide consortium have come up with a prototype augmented-reality system. It would require the visitor to wear a head-mounted display with a miniature camera and a backpack computer. The camera captures the view and feeds it to software on the computer where the visitor\'s viewpoint is combined with animated virtual elements. At Pompeii for example, the visitor would not just see the frescos, taverns and villas that have been excavated, but also people going about their daily life. Augmented reality has been used to create special effects in films such as Troy and Lord of the Rings and in computer gaming. "This technology can now be used for much more than just computer games," said Professor Nadia Magnenat-Thalman of the Swiss research group MiraLab. "We are, for the first time, able to run this combination of software processes to create walking, talking people with believable clothing, skin and hair in real-time," she said. Unlike virtual reality, which delivers an entirely computer-generated scene to the viewer, the Lifeplus project is about combining digital and real views. Crucial to the technique is the software that interprets the visitor\'s view and provides an accurate match between the real and virtual elements. The software capable of doing this has been developed by a UK company, 2d3. Andrew Stoddart, chief scientist at 2d3, said that the EU project has been driven by a new desire to bring the past to life. "The popularity of television documentaries and dramatisations using computer-generated imagery to recreate scenes from ancient history demonstrates the widespread appeal of bringing ancient cultures to life," he said. EU software patent law delayed Controversial new EU rules for the patenting of computer-based inventions have been put on hold due to a last minute intervention from Poland. Poland - a large and therefore crucial EU member - has requested more time to consider the issue, especially as it relates to the patenting of software. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small, innovative ones. They say it could have massive ramifications for developments such as open source software. Polish ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes the patenting of software. The planned law has ignited angry debate about whether the EU should allow the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods as currently happens in the US. So, for instance, US-based Amazon.com holds a patent on \'one-click shopping\'. Critics claim the law, which the EU says is needed to harmonise with the US, is little more than a law on ideas. "Patent rights, it is claimed, protect inventors but in this case it is exclusively the interests of the big companies that are protected," Eva Lichtenberg, a Austrian Green member of the European Parliament said in a statement. "Smaller, innovative firms cannot afford the patenting and legal costs that the directive would inflict on them," she added. The European Parliament has already clashed with the European Union on the issue and there have been accusations that the process to decide the issue has been undemocratic. The directive has been subject to several previous delays. \'No re-draft\' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms. The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament\'s request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council\'s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. Be careful how you code A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson. If it gets its way, the Dutch government will conclude its presidency of the European Union by pushing through a controversial measure that has been rejected by the European Parliament, lacks majority support from national governments and will leave millions of European citizens in legal limbo and facing the possibility of court cases against them. If the new law was about border controls, defence or even the new constitution, then our TV screens would be full of experts agonising over the impact on our daily lives. Sadly for those who will be directly affected, the controversy concerns the patenting of computer programs, a topic that may excite the bloggers, campaigning groups and technical press but does not obsess Middle Britain. After all, how much fuss can you generate about the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions, and the way it amends Article 52 of the 1973 European Patent Convention? Yet if the new directive is nodded through at the next meeting of one of the EU\'s ministerial councils, as seems likely, it will allow programs to be patented in Europe just as they are in the US. Many observers of the computing scene, including myself, think the results will be disastrous for small companies, innovative programmers and the free and open source software movement. It will let large companies patent all sorts of ideas and give legal force to those who want to limit their competitors\' use of really obvious ideas. In the US you cannot build a system that stores customer credit card details so that they can pay without having to re-enter them unless Amazon lets you, because they hold the patent on "one-click" online purchase. It is a small invention, but Amazon made it to the patent office first and now owns it. We are relatively free from this sort of thing over here, but perhaps not for long. The new proposals go back to 2002, although argument about patentability of software and computer-implemented inventions has been going on since at least the mid-1980s. They have come to a head now after a year in which proposals were made, endorsed by the Council of Ministers, radically modified by the European Parliament and then re-presented in their original form. Some national governments seem to be aware of the problems. Poland has rejected the proposal and Germany\'s main political parties have opposed it, but there is not enough opposition to guarantee their rejection. Early in December the British government held a consultation meeting with those who had commented on the proposals. Science Minister Lord Sainsbury went along to listen and outline the UK position, but according to those present, it was embarrassing to see how little the minister and his officials actually understood the issues concerned. The draft Directive is being put through the council as what is called an "A" item and can only be approved or rejected. No discussion or amendment is allowed. So why should we be worried? First, there is the abuse of the democratic process involved in disregarding the views of the parliament and abandoning all of their carefully argued amendments. This goes to the heart of the European project, and even those who do not care about software or patents should be worried. If coders are treated like this today, who is to say that it will not be you tomorrow? More directly, once software patents are granted then any programmer will have to worry that the code they are writing is infringing someone else\'s patent. This is not about stealing software, as code is already protected by copyright. Patents are not copyright, but something much stronger. A patent gives the owner the right to stop anyone else using their invention, even if the other person invented it separately. I have never, to my shame, managed to read Lord Byron\'s Childe Harold\'s Pilgrimage. If it was pointed out that one of my articles contained a substantial chunk of the poem then I could defend myself in court by claiming that I had simply made it up and it was coincidence. The same does not hold for a patent. If I sit down this afternoon and write a brilliant graphics compression routine and it happens to be the same as the LZW algorithm used in GIF files, then I am in trouble under patent law, at least in the US. Coincidence is no defence. The proposed directive is supported by many of the major software companies, but this is hardly surprising since most of them are US-based and they have already had to cope with a legal environment that allows patents. They have legal departments and, more crucially, patents of their own which they can trade or cross-license with other patent holders. Even this system breaks down, of course, as Microsoft found out last year when they initially lost a case brought by Eolas which claimed that Internet Explorer (and other browsers) infringed an Eolas patent. That one was eventually thrown out, but only after months of uncertainty and millions of dollars. But small companies, and the free and open software movement do not have any patents to trade. Much of the really useful software we use every day, programs like the Apache web server, the GNU/Linux operating system and the fearsomely popular Firefox browser, is developed outside company structures by people who do not have legal departments to check for patent infringements. The damage to software will not happen overnight, of course. If the directive goes through it has to be written into national laws and then there will be a steady stream of legal actions against small companies and open source products. Eventually someone will decide to attack Linux directly, probably with some secret funding from one or two large players. The new directive will limit innovation by forcing programmers to spend time checking for patent infringements or simply avoiding working in potentially competitive areas. And it will damage Europe\'s computer industry. We can only hope that the Council of Ministers has the integrity and strength to reject this bad law. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ',
'Europe': 'Xbox power cable \'fire fear\' Microsoft has said it will replace more than 14 million power cables for its Xbox consoles due to safety concerns. The company said the move was a "preventative step" after reports of fire hazard problems with the cables. It affects Xboxes made before 23 October 2003 for all regions but mainland Europe - and consoles in that region made before 13 January 2004. Microsoft said it had received 30 reports of minor injury or property damage due to faulty cables. The firm said fewer than one in 10,000 consoles had experienced component failures. The recall affects almost three quarters of all Xboxes sold around the world since its launch in 2001. In a statement, it added: "In almost all instances, any damage caused by these failures was contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord at the back of the console." But in seven cases, customers reported sustaining a minor burn to their hand. In 23 cases, customers reported smoke damage, or minor damage to a carpet or entertainment centre. "This is a preventative step we\'re choosing to take despite the rarity of these incidents," said Robbie Bach, senior vice president, Microsoft home and entertainment division. "We regret the inconvenience, but believe offering consumers a free replacement cord is the responsible thing to do." Consumers can order a new cable from the Xbox website or by telephoning 0800 028 9276 in the UK. Microsoft said customers would get replacement cords within two to four weeks from the time of order. It advised users to turn off their Xboxes when not in use. A follow-up to Xbox is expected to released at the end of this year or the beginning of 2006. Finding new homes for old phones Re-using old mobile phones is not just good for the environment, it has social benefits too. Research has found that in some developing nations old mobile phones can help close the digital divide. The Forum for the Future research found that the low cost of these recycled handsets means they can have a very useful second life in poorer nations. But the Forum found that more needed to be done to collect old phones rather than let them rot in landfill sites. The report reveals that approximately 15 million mobile phones go out of use every year in the UK. Of the 15 million that are swapped for newer models each year, only 25% get returned to mobile phone firms for recycling or re-use. The slowly growing mass of unrecycled, discarded phones has now reached 90 million handsets, the equivalent of 9,000 tonnes of waste, estimates James Goodman, report author and a senior adviser at the Forum for the Future. "It\'s quite common for people to have two or three phones just lying around," said Mr Goodman. Many of these older phones could end up in landfill sites leaking the potentially toxic materials they are made of into the wider world, said Mr Goodman. Far better, he said, to hand the phone back to an operator who can send it overseas where it can enjoy a second lease of life. "We\'ve heard the environmental argument for handing a phone back," said Mr Goodman, "but there\'s a strong social argument too." Older mobile phones are proving particularly useful in poorer nations where people want to use a mobile and keep in touch with friends and family but do not have the income to buy the most up to date model. The Forum for the Future report took an in-depth look at Romania where reconditioned mobile phones were proving very popular. "It\'s an interesting country because it has a really crap fixed line network," said Mr Goodman, "and there\'s a real desire for people to get mobile phones." But the relatively low wages in Romania, which is one of the poorest countries in Europe, mean few people can afford a shiny new phone. "The affordability of the handsets is a real barrier to getting one," he said. Reconditioned handsets have boosted take-up of mobiles as the report revealed that almost one-third of Romanian pre-pay mobile phone users were using reconditioned handsets. The re-used handsets tend to be about one-third of the price of a new handset. Georgeta Minciu, a Romanian part-time cleaner, said: "Normally a mobile phone would not be possible on my wages. I am a single parent - keeping in touch with my daughter is important to me." "This is the only way I can afford to have a phone," she said. Mr Goodman said phone operators and consumers needed to do more to ensure that more of Britain\'s mobile mountain made it overseas. But, he added, those keen to use a mobile will not accept any old handset. "If its more than a few years old people are not going to want it," he said. Sony PSP console hits US in March US gamers will be able to buy Sony\'s PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for $250 (£132) and the first million sold will come with Spider-Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it\'s not a gaming device. It\'s an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. Reboot ordered for EU patent law A European Parliament committee has ordered a rewrite of the proposals for controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) said the Commission should re-submit the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive after MEPs failed to back it. It has had vocal critics who say it could favour large over small firms and impact open-source software innovation. Supporters say it would let firms protect their inventions. The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". The draft law suffered setbacks when Poland, one of the largest EU member states, rejected its adoption twice in two months. Intense lobbying on the issue has started to gain momentum in some national parliaments putting them under immense pressure. Only two MEPs backed the draft law at the JURI meeting, with one voting to abstain. Opponents of the draft directive welcomed the decision and said a new first reading of the proposals would give the EU a chance to have fuller debates about its implications in all member states. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. US woman sues over cartridges A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world\'s biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK\'s Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers. Apple iPod family expands market Apple has expanded its iPod family with the release of its next generation of the digital music players. Its latest challenges to the growing digital music gadget market include an iPod mini model which can hold 6GB compared to a previous 4GB. The company, which hopes to keep its dominant place in the digital music market, also said the gold coloured version of the mini would be dropped. A 30GB version has also been added to the iPod Photo family. The latest models have a longer battery life and their prices have been cut by an average of £40. The original iPod took an early lead in the digital music player market thanks to its large storage capacity and simple design. During 2004 about 25 million portable players were sold, 10 million of which were Apple iPods. But analysts agree that the success is also down to its integration with the iTunes online store, which has given the company a 70% share of the legal download music market. Mike McGuire, a research director at analyst Gartner, told the BBC News website that Apple had done a good job in "sealing off the market from competition" so far. "They have created a very seamless package which I think is the idea of the product - the design, function and the software are very impressive," he said. He added that the threat from others was always present, however. "Creative, other Microsoft-partnered devices, Real, Sony and so on, are ratcheting up the marketing message and advertising," he said. Creative was very upbeat about how many of its Creative Zen players it had shipped by the end of last year, he said. Its second-generation models, like the Creative Zen Micro Photo, is due out in the summer. It will have 5GB of memory on board. Digital music players are now the gadget of choice among young Americans, according to recent research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. One in 10 US adults - 22 million people - now owns a digital music player of some sort. Sales of legally downloaded songs also rose more than tenfold in 2004, according to the record industry, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months. The IFPI industry body said that the popularity of portable music players was behind the growth. Analysts say that the ease of use and growth of music services available on the net will continue to drive the trend towards portable music players. People are also starting to use them in novel ways. Some are combining automatic syncing functions many of them have with other net functions to automatically distribute DIY radio shows, called podcasts. But 2005 will also see more competition from mobile phone operators who are keen to offer streaming services on much more powerful and sophisticated handsets. According to Mr McGuire, research suggests that people like the idea of building up huge libraries of music, which they can do with high-capacity storage devices, like iPods and Creative Zens. Mobiles do not yet have this capacity though, and there are issues about the ease of portability of mobile music. Mr McGuire said Apple was ensuring it kept a foot in the mobile music door with its recent deal with Motorola to produce a version of iTunes for Motorola phones. T-Mobile bets on \'pocket office\' T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access. Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company\'s existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola\'s MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile\'s chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already. In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000. It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK\'s London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move. "We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February. \'No re-draft\' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament\'s request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council\'s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. Cheaper chip for mobiles A mobile phone chip which combines a modem and a computer processor on one bit of silicon instead of two could make phones cheaper and more powerful. The specially-designed chip, developed by Texas Instruments, could drive down the cost of making mobiles capable of 3D gaming and 30-frame-a-second video. Currently, rich multimedia features tend to be on more expensive handsets. The technology, OMAP-Vox, is being tested by firms in Europe and Asia and could appear by the end of the year. Texas, which makes computer chips for more than half the world\'s mobile phones, said it was keen to make multimedia functions like video and gaming more affordable. "We\'re going to drive them down into meat-and-potatoes phones that have the largest market share," said Doug Rasor, a marketing vice president at Texas. The chip also uses much less power than conventional chips, said Texas, which means less strain on mobile battery life. More than 50 million people own a mobile in the UK, but mobile operators are keen to encourage people to move onto more sophisticated handsets that can do more. Texas is keen to cash in on the third generation (3G) of mobile technology, which offers high-speed networks for video streaming and other multimedia functions. But it faces stiff competition from the likes of Intel which is also looking to provide better chips for high-end mobiles. Competition to get people using 3G mobiles will grow in the next year as almost all of the UK\'s operators have now launched third generation networks. A recent survey by Sony Ericsson predicted that the number of 3G handsets sold in 2005 would double from 2004 to account for 10% of all phones sold. Many consumers are still to be convinced though. A further recent survey said that only 4% of mobile owners were thinking of upgrading to 3G phones. Many said they were confused about the different ways to pay for phones and the vast array of features most have onboard. But there will be continued demand for better chips as the industry continues to develop new standards and future networks. Earlier in January, NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone joined forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks, known as "super 3G", intended to be 10 times faster than 3G services. The first stage of development is to be completed by 2007, but no date has been set for a commercial launch The newly-designed OMAP-Vox chip set was announced ahead of the start of a major mobile industry conference, 3GSM, which takes place in Cannes, France this week. Mobiles \'not media players yet\' Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life. Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple\'s iTunes, Napster and other net music download services. With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy\'s TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report. Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe\'s Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009. Concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Looks and music to drive mobiles Mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales, according to research from technology analysts Gartner. More than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally, said the report, the highest total sold to date. The figure was 30% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, Gartner said. Good design and the look of a mobile, as well as new services such as music downloads, could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005, said analysts. Although people were still looking for better replacement phones, there was evidence, according to Gartner, that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales. "All the markets grew apart from Japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western Europe," mobile analyst Carolina Milanesi told the BBC News website. "Japan is where north America and western European markets can be in a couple of years\' time. "They already have TV, music, ringtones, cameras, and all that we can think of on mobiles, so people have stopped buying replacement phones." But there could be a slight slowdown in sales in European and US markets too, according to Gartner, as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. This means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade, said Gartner. Third generation mobiles (3G) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer, like video, could drive people into upgrading their phones, but Ms Milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen. "At the end of the day, people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don\'t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical." Nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. The majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms. More likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics, as well as music services. The Motorola Razr V3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005, she added. This was not a "women\'s thing", she said, but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. It was not just about how the phone functioned, but about what it said about its owner. "Western Europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design," said Ms Milanesi. "People are after something that is nice-looking, and together with that, there is the entertainment side. "This year music will have a part to play in this." The market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004, but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£9.4 million) by 2009, according to Jupiter Research. Sony Ericsson just released its Walkman branded mobile phone, the W800, which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours\' battery life, and a two megapixel camera. In July last year, Motorola and Apple announced a version of iTunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with Motorola mobile phones. Apple said the new iTunes music player would become Motorola\'s standard music application for its music phones. But the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the iPod. Ms Milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. But they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity, which would not put too much strain on battery life. Gadget growth fuels eco concerns Technology firms and gadget lovers are being urged to think more about the environment when buying and disposing of the latest hi-tech products. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, several hi-tech firms were recognised for their strategies to help the environment. Ebay also announced the Rethink project bringing together Intel, Apple, and IBM among others to promote recycling. The US consumer electronics market is set to grow by over 11% in 2005. But more awareness is needed about how and where old gadgets can be recycled as well as how to be more energy efficient, said the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of particular growing concern is how much energy it takes to recharge portable devices, one of the fastest growing markets in technology. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has predicted that shipments of consumer technologies in 2005 will reach more than $125.73 billion (nearly £68 billion). Ebay\'s initiative pulls together major technology firms, environment groups, government agencies and eBay users to give information about what to do with old computers and where to send them. The online auction house thinks that its already-established community of loyal users could be influential. "We really became aware of the e-waste issue and we saw that our 125 million users can be a powerful force for good," eBay\'s David Stern told the BBC News website. "We saw the opportunity to meet the additional demand we have on the site for used computers and saw the opportunity too to good some good for the environment." But it is not just computers that cause a problem for the environment. Teenagers get a new mobile every 11 months, adults every 18 months and a 15 million handsets are replaced in total each year. Yet, only 15% are actually recycled. This year, a predicted two billion people worldwide will own a mobile, according to a Deloitte report. Schemes in the US, like RIPMobile, could help in targeting younger generations with recycling messages. The initiative, which was also launched at CES, rewards 10 to 28-year-olds for returning unused phones. "This system allows for the transformation of a drawer full of unused mobile phones into anything from music to clothes to electronics or games," said Seth Heine from RIPMobile. One group of students collected 1,000 mobiles for recycling in just three months. Mr Heine told the BBC News website that what was important was to raise awareness amongst the young so that recycling becomes "learned behaviour". Europe is undoubtedly more advanced than the US in terms of recycling awareness and robust "end of life" programmes, although there is a tide change happening in the rest of the world too. Intel showcased some its motherboards and chips at CES which are entirely lead free. "There is more and more awareness on the consumer side, but the whole industry is moving towards being lead free," Intel\'s Allen Wilson told the BBC News website. "There is still low-level awareness right now, but it is on the rise - the highest level of awareness is in Europe." A European Union (EU) directive, WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment), comes into effect in August. It puts the responsibility on electrical manufacturers to recycle items that are returned to them. But developments are also being made to design better technologies which are more energy efficient and which do not contain harmful substances. Elements like chromium, lead, and cadmium - common in consumer electronics goods - will be prohibited in all products in the EU by 2006. But it is not just about recycling either. The predicted huge growth in the gadget market means the amount of energy used to power them up is on the rise too. The biggest culprit, according to the EPA, is the innocuous power adaptor, nicknamed "energy vampires". They provide vital juice for billions of mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), digital cameras, camcorders, and digital music players. Although there is a focus on developing efficient and improved circuits in the devices themselves, the technologies inside rechargers are still outdated and so eat up more energy than is needed to power a gadget. On 1 January, new efficiency standards for external power supplies came into effect as part of the European Commission Code of Conduct. But at CES, the EPA also unveiled new guidelines for its latest Energy Star initiative which targets external power adapters. These map out the framework for developing better adaptors that can be labelled with an Energy Star logo, meaning they are about 35% more efficient. The initiative is a global effort and more manufacturers\' adaptors are being brought on board. Most are made in China. About two billion are shipped global every year, and about three billion are in use in the US alone. The EPA is already working with several companies which make more than 22% of power supplies on the market. "We are increasingly finding companies that not only want to provide neat, hi-tech devices, but also bundle with it a hi-tech, efficient power supply," the EPA\'s Andrew Fanara said. Initiatives like this are critical; if power adaptors continue to be made and used as they are now, consumer electronics and other small appliances will be responsible for more than 40% of electricity used in US homes, said the EPA. New delay hits EU software laws A fresh delay has hit controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as planned at a Brussels meeting on Monday during which it was supposed to have been discussed. The fresh delay came after Polish officials had raised concerns about the law for the second time in two months. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small ones and could impact open-source software innovation. "There was at one point the intention to put the item on today\'s agenda. But in the end we could not put it on," an EU spokesman told the Reuters agency. He added that no date had been chosen for more discussion of the law. In December, Poland requested more time to consider the issue because it was concerned that the law could lead to the patenting of pure computer software. Its ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes software patenting. Poland is a large EU member, so its backing for the legislation is vital. The EU says the law would bring Europe more in line with how such laws work in the US, but this has caused some angry debate amongst critics and supporters. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service. Critics say a similar model in Europe would hurt small software developers which do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies. But supporters say current law does not let big companies protect inventions which they have spent years developing. Nintendo handheld given Euro date Nintendo\'s new handheld console, the DS, will launch in Europe on 11 March, the company has announced. The portable games machine, which features touch-screen control, will retail for £99 in the UK (149 euros). Nintendo said 15 games would be available in the UK at launch, with prices ranging from £19 to £29. More than 2.8 million DS consoles have been sold since it first appeared in the US and Japan at the end of 2004. Rival Sony has said it will launch its first handheld console, the PSP, in the US and Europe before the end of March. The PSP is expected to compete for a large part of the same handheld market, despite Sony\'s assertion that the machines are aimed at different consumers. The 15 games available on the European launch date will include Nintendo\'s Super Mario 64 DS, as well as titles from third-party developers such as Ubisoft\'s Rayman DS. More than 120 games are in development for the new console, Nintendo has said. The DS is backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance, allowing the earlier machine\'s back catalogue of 700 games to be played. Additionally, a short-range wireless link for multiplayer gaming is built in to the DS, with a "download play" option which allows a group to play against each other, even if just one person owns a copy. Other features include a short-range messaging application called Pictochat, and a built-in microphone which is used in Sega\'s launch title Project Rub. Nintendo has also announced a media adapter, which will allow the console to play music and video on the move. The launch price of £99 (149 euros) compares favourably with the US price of $149, according to John Houlihan, editor of the Computerandvideogames.com magazine. "It\'s a very, very competitive price point. There are some innovative features, and Nintendo has created quite a buzz," he says. "However, the line-up of games could have been stronger. Everyone wanted to see the eight-player Mario Kart DS, for example." Mr Houlihan believes that there is likely to be an audience for both the Nintendo DS and Sony\'s new PSP, with the former aimed largely at a younger audience and the latter expected to be marketed as a multimedia device. "The PSP is a sexy bit of kit, but Sony\'s attitude to the PSP has been very understated in Europe, so far," Mr Houlihan said. The worldwide handheld software market had an estimated worth of $2.6bn at the end of 2004, according to industry analysts Screen Digest. In the past, games consoles and handhelds have generally launched much later in Europe than in other parts of the world. However Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the company was "pleased to have offered such a short period of time between the US and European launch". "Europe is an extremely important market for Nintendo," Mr Iwata added. Nintendo raised its sales targets for the DS console last December after selling a million in the US and Japan in just a few weeks. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Portable PlayStation ready to go Sony\'s PlayStation Portable (PSP) will go on sale in Japan on 12 December. The long-awaited handheld game playing gadget will cost about 19,800 yen (145 euros) when it hits the shelves. At launch 21 games will be available for the PSP, including Need for Speed, Ridge Racer, Metal Gear Acid and Vampire Chronicle. Sony has not yet announced when the PSP will be available in Europe and the US, but analysts expect it to debut in those territories in early 2005. Fifa 2005 is back at the top of the UK games charts, a week after losing it to rival Pro Evolution Soccer 4. Konami\'s Pro Evo dropped only one place to two, while the only new entry in the top 10 was another football title, LMA Manager 2005, in at number seven. Tony Hawk\'s Underground 2 held its own at three, while Star Wars Battlefront inched up to four places to four. There was good news for Disney, with the spin-off from the Shark\'s Tale film moving up the charts into number eight. Fans of the Gran Turismo series in Europe are going to have to wait until next year for the latest version. Sony has said that the PAL version of GT4 will not be ready for Christmas. "The product is localised into 13 different languages across the PAL territories, therefore the process takes considerably longer than it does in Japan," it said. Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 is still expected to be released in Japan and the USA this year. Halo 2 has broken video game records, with pre-orders of more than 1.5 million in the US alone. Some 6,500 US stores plan to open just after midnight on Tuesday 9 November for the game\'s release. "Halo 2 is projected to bring in more revenue than any day one box office blockbuster movie in the United States," said Xbox\'s Peter Moore. "We\'ve even heard rumours of fan anticipation of the \'Halo 2 flu\' on 9 November." Broadband in the UK growing fast High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. The 600,000 connections take the total number of people in the UK signing up for broadband from BT to almost 3.3 million. Nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. Britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of Europe. According to figures gathered by industry watchdog, Ofcom, the growth means that the UK has now surpassed Germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. The UK total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people, compared to 6.7 in Germany and 15.8 in the Netherlands. The numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. "This breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas," said Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. BT Retail, which sells net services under its own name, also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. This was a slight increase on the previous three months. Despite the good news about growth in broadband, figures from telecommunications regulator Ofcom show that BT faces increasing competition, and dwindling influence, in other sectors. Local Loop Unbundling, (LLU), in which BT rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer\'s home or office, is growing steadily. Cable & Wireless and NTL have announced that they are investing millions to start offering LLU services. By the end of September more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called Carrier Pre-Section (CPS) services, such as TalkTalk and One.Tel, which route phone calls across non-BT networks from a local exchange. There are now more than 300 different firms offering CPS services and the percentage of people using BT lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%. Broadband takes on TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. DS aims to touch gamers The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. Market leader Nintendo, however, is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played. The first striking thing about the DS is how retro it looks. Far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld, it looks more like Nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. The lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens, and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. Both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. Nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen. The Japanese gaming giant hopes the DS will maintain the firm\'s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market. Nintendo first launched its GameBoy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. But its lead can no longer be taken for granted. Sony will enter the market later this year with its PlayStation Portable, while start-up companies Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac are also offering hybrid devices. "We believe the DS will appeal to all ages, both genders and gamers of any skill," said David Yarnton, Nintendo Europe\'s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. With its two screens, wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the GameBoy Advance, the DS certainly has a number of unique selling points. It went on sale in the US in mid-November priced $150 and Nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations, without giving detailed figures. Japan and Europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. With more than two million pre-orders for the device in Japan, Nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. But will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed? The game ships with a demo of Metroid Hunters - a 3D action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine\'s wireless capabilities. It certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people. The game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. The top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. It is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful re-creation of the Nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. The game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. One thing is for certain. Hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices, Ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. If they manage to create titles which use the Nintendo DS\'s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. The fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks. Broadband challenges TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Halo 2 sells five million copies Microsoft is celebrating bumper sales of its Xbox sci-fi shooter, Halo 2. The game has sold more than five million copies worldwide since it went on sale in mid-November, the company said. Halo 2 has proved popular online, with gamers notching up a record 28 million hours playing the game on Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, nine out of 10 Xbox Live members have played the game for an average of 91 minutes per session. The sequel to the best-selling Need for Speed: Underground has inched ahead of the competition to take the top slot in the official UK games charts. The racing game moved up one spot to first place, nudging GTA: San Andreas down to second place. Halo 2 dropped one place to five, while Half-Life 2 fell to number nine. Last week\'s new releases, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Killzone, both failed to make it into the top 10, debuting at number 11 and 12 respectively. Record numbers of Warcraft fans are settling in the games online world. On the opening day of the World of Warcraft massive multi-player online game more than 200,000 players signed up to play. On the evening of the first day more than 100,000 players were in the world, forcing Blizzard to add another 34 servers to cope with the influx. The online game turns the stand alone Warcraft games into a persistent world that players can inhabit not just visit Europe\'s gamers could be waiting until January to hear when they can get their mitts on Nintendo\'s handheld device, Nintendo DS, says gamesindustry.biz. David Yarnton, Nintendo UK general manager, told a press conference to look out for details in the New Year. Its US launch was on Sunday and it goes on sale in Japan on 2 December. Nintendo has a 95% share of the handheld gaming market and said it expected to sell around five million of the DS by March 2005. \'Brainwave\' cap controls computer A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer. Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users, successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. Previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. The New York team reported their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions," said Jonathan Wolpaw and Dennis McFarlane. The research team, from New York State Department of Health and State University of New York in Albany, said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought. The four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which, meant no surgery or implantation was needed. Brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. Complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. Such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles, so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively. "The impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm, a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis," said the researchers. The four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. Although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall, the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. It is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. Some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. Earlier this year, a team at the MIT Media Labs Europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character. \'Brainwave\' cap controls computer A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer. Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users, successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. Previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. The New York team reported their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions," said Jonathan Wolpaw and Dennis McFarlane. The research team, from New York State Department of Health and State University of New York in Albany, said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought. The four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which, meant no surgery or implantation was needed. Brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. Complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. Such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles, so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively. "The impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm, a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis," said the researchers. The four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. Although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall, the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. It is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. Some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. Earlier this year, a team at the MIT Media Labs Europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character. Europe backs digital TV lifestyle How people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change, following the launch of an ambitious European project. In Nice last week, the European Commission announced its Networked & Electronic Media (NEM) initiative. Its broad scope stretches from the way media is created, through each of the stages of its distribution, to its playback. The Commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly, when on the move, at home or at work, no matter who supplies the devices, network, content, or content protection scheme. More than 120 experts were in Nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as Nokia, Intel, Philips, Alcatel, France Telecom, Thomson and Telefonica. It might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. But again and again, speakers stated they could not see incompatible, stand-alone solutions working. A long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required. The European Commission is being pragmatic in its approach. They have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that NEM encompasses. The NEM approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline, pick out the best, bring them together and identify where the gaps are. Where it finds holes, it will develop standards to fill them. What is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. This is bound to please, if not surprise, many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. Many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the Commission will be to identify a solution for different Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes. Currently DRM solutions are incompatible, locking certain types of purchased content, making them unplayable on all platforms. With the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally, the prize for being the supplier of the world\'s dominant DRM scheme is huge. Although entertainment is an obvious first step, it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare, energy efficiency and control of the smart home. The 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the EC has been funding for a number of years. Simon Perry is the editor of the Digital Lifestyles website, which covers the impact of technology on media Broadband in the UK growing fast High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. The 600,000 connections take the total number of people in the UK signing up for broadband from BT to almost 3.3 million. Nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. Britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of Europe. According to figures gathered by industry watchdog, Ofcom, the growth means that the UK has now surpassed Germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. The UK total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people, compared to 6.7 in Germany and 15.8 in the Netherlands. The numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. "This breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas," said Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. BT Retail, which sells net services under its own name, also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. This was a slight increase on the previous three months. Despite the good news about growth in broadband, figures from telecommunications regulator Ofcom show that BT faces increasing competition, and dwindling influence, in other sectors. Local Loop Unbundling, (LLU), in which BT rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer\'s home or office, is growing steadily. Cable & Wireless and NTL have announced that they are investing millions to start offering LLU services. By the end of September more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called Carrier Pre-Section (CPS) services, such as TalkTalk and One.Tel, which route phone calls across non-BT networks from a local exchange. There are now more than 300 different firms offering CPS services and the percentage of people using BT lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%. Nintendo DS aims to touch gamers The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. Market leader Nintendo, however, is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played. The first striking thing about the DS is how retro it looks. Far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld, it looks more like Nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. The lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens, and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. Both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. Nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen. The Japanese gaming giant hopes the DS will maintain the firm\'s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market. Nintendo first launched its GameBoy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. But its lead can no longer be taken for granted. Sony will enter the market later this year with its PlayStation Portable, while start-up companies Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac are also offering hybrid devices. "We believe the DS will appeal to all ages, both genders and gamers of any skill," said David Yarnton, Nintendo Europe\'s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. With its two screens, wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the GameBoy Advance, the DS certainly has a number of unique selling points. It went on sale in the US in mid-November priced $150 and Nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations, without giving detailed figures. Japan and Europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. With more than two million pre-orders for the device in Japan, Nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. But will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed? The game ships with a demo of Metroid Hunters - a 3D action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine\'s wireless capabilities. It certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people. The game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. The top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. It is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful re-creation of the Nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. The game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. One thing is for certain. Hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices, Ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. If they manage to create titles which use the Nintendo DS\'s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. The fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks. Gadget market \'to grow in 2005\' The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world\'s largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%, while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important. "Everything is going digital," Kirsten Pfeifer from the Consumer Electronics Association, told the BBC News website. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured the pick of 2005\'s products. "Consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like HDTVs [high-definition TVs], digital radio, and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005. "All the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry." Despite showing diversity, some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much "wow factor" as in previous years. The portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of CES, which was the "time and place shifting" of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere, at any time. At the start of last year\'s CES, the CEA predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. That figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players, personal video recorders and digital cameras. It was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice, with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. Part of this has been the rise in spending power of the "generation X-ers" who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. More than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers, according to CEA research. Hybrid devices, which combine a number of multimedia functions, were also in evidence on the show floor. "A lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it," said Stephen Baker, a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. "Some of these functions cost next to nothing to add." As well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable MP3 players to giant high-definition TVs, several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders, such as Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Despite several embarrassing technical glitches during Mr Gate\'s pre-show speech, he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the US market. He unveiled new ways of letting people take TV shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. He disappointed some, however, by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the Xbox games console. Another disappointment was the lack of exposure Sony\'s new portable games device, the PSP, had at the show. Sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in March for the US and Europe. It went on sale in Japan before Christmas. There were only two PSPs embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. A Sony representative told the BBC News website this was because Sony did not consider it to be part of their "consumer technology" offering. Elsewhere at the show, there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens, including Samsung\'s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. Industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005, with new formats for DVDs coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional DVDs. With so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage, like Seagate\'s 5GB pocket sized external hard drive, which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. More than 120,000 trade professionals attended CES in Las Vegas, which officially ran from 6 to 9 January. Lifestyle \'governs mobile choice\' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by handset maker Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson\'s consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People\'s habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it\'s a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters\' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson\'s research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life. Europe backs digital TV lifestyle How people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change, following the launch of an ambitious European project. In Nice last week, the European Commission announced its Networked & Electronic Media (NEM) initiative. Its broad scope stretches from the way media is created, through each of the stages of its distribution, to its playback. The Commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly, when on the move, at home or at work, no matter who supplies the devices, network, content, or content protection scheme. More than 120 experts were in Nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as Nokia, Intel, Philips, Alcatel, France Telecom, Thomson and Telefonica. It might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. But again and again, speakers stated they could not see incompatible, stand-alone solutions working. A long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required. The European Commission is being pragmatic in its approach. They have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that NEM encompasses. The NEM approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline, pick out the best, bring them together and identify where the gaps are. Where it finds holes, it will develop standards to fill them. What is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. This is bound to please, if not surprise, many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. Many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the Commission will be to identify a solution for different Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes. Currently DRM solutions are incompatible, locking certain types of purchased content, making them unplayable on all platforms. With the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally, the prize for being the supplier of the world\'s dominant DRM scheme is huge. Although entertainment is an obvious first step, it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare, energy efficiency and control of the smart home. The 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the EC has been funding for a number of years. Simon Perry is the editor of the Digital Lifestyles website, which covers the impact of technology on media TV future in the hands of viewers With home theatre systems, plasma high-definition TVs, and digital video recorders moving into the living room, the way people watch TV will be radically different in five years\' time. That is according to an expert panel which gathered at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to discuss how these new technologies will impact one of our favourite pastimes. With the US leading the trend, programmes and other content will be delivered to viewers via home networks, through cable, satellite, telecoms companies, and broadband service providers to front rooms and portable devices. One of the most talked-about technologies of CES has been digital and personal video recorders (DVR and PVR). These set-top boxes, like the US\'s TiVo and the UK\'s Sky+ system, allow people to record, store, play, pause and forward wind TV programmes when they want. Essentially, the technology allows for much more personalised TV. They are also being built-in to high-definition TV sets, which are big business in Japan and the US, but slower to take off in Europe because of the lack of high-definition programming. Not only can people forward wind through adverts, they can also forget about abiding by network and channel schedules, putting together their own a-la-carte entertainment. But some US networks and cable and satellite companies are worried about what it means for them in terms of advertising revenues as well as "brand identity" and viewer loyalty to channels. Although the US leads in this technology at the moment, it is also a concern that is being raised in Europe, particularly with the growing uptake of services like Sky+. "What happens here today, we will see in nine months to a years\' time in the UK," Adam Hume, the BBC Broadcast\'s futurologist told the BBC News website. For the likes of the BBC, there are no issues of lost advertising revenue yet. It is a more pressing issue at the moment for commercial UK broadcasters, but brand loyalty is important for everyone. "We will be talking more about content brands rather than network brands," said Tim Hanlon, from brand communications firm Starcom MediaVest. "The reality is that with broadband connections, anybody can be the producer of content." He added: "The challenge now is that it is hard to promote a programme with so much choice." What this means, said Stacey Jolna, senior vice president of TV Guide TV group, is that the way people find the content they want to watch has to be simplified for TV viewers. It means that networks, in US terms, or channels could take a leaf out of Google\'s book and be the search engine of the future, instead of the scheduler to help people find what they want to watch. This kind of channel model might work for the younger iPod generation which is used to taking control of their gadgets and what they play on them. But it might not suit everyone, the panel recognised. Older generations are more comfortable with familiar schedules and channel brands because they know what they are getting. They perhaps do not want so much of the choice put into their hands, Mr Hanlon suggested. "On the other end, you have the kids just out of diapers who are pushing buttons already - everything is possible and available to them," said Mr Hanlon. "Ultimately, the consumer will tell the market they want." Of the 50,000 new gadgets and technologies being showcased at CES, many of them are about enhancing the TV-watching experience. High-definition TV sets are everywhere and many new models of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs have been launched with DVR capability built into them, instead of being external boxes. One such example launched at the show is Humax\'s 26-inch LCD TV with an 80-hour TiVo DVR and DVD recorder. One of the US\'s biggest satellite TV companies, DirectTV, has even launched its own branded DVR at the show with 100-hours of recording capability, instant replay, and a search function. The set can pause and rewind TV for up to 90 hours. And Microsoft chief Bill Gates announced in his pre-show keynote speech a partnership with TiVo, called TiVoToGo, which means people can play recorded programmes on Windows PCs and mobile devices. All these reflect the increasing trend of freeing up multimedia so that people can watch what they want, when they want. Lifestyle \'governs mobile choice\' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by telecommunications company Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson\'s consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People\'s habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it\'s a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters\' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson\'s research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life. More power to the people says HP The digital revolution is focused on letting people tell and share their own stories, according to Carly Fiorina, chief of technology giant Hewlett Packard. The job of firms such as HP now, she said in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was to ensure digital and physical worlds fully converged. She said the goal for 2005 was to make people the centre of technology. CES showcases 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005. The tech-fest, the largest of its kind in the world, runs from 6 to 9 January. "The digital revolution is about the democratisation of technology and the experiences it makes possible," she told delegates. "Revolution has always been about giving power to the people." She added: "The real story of the digital revolution is not just new products, but the millions of experiences made possible and stories that millions can tell." Part of giving people more control has been about the freeing up of content, such as images, video and music. Crucial to this has been the effort to make devices that speak to each other better so that content can be more easily transferred from one device, such as a digital camera, to others, such as portable media players. A lot of work still needs to be done, however, to sort out compatibility issues and standards within the technology industry so that gadgets just work seamlessly, she said. Ms Fiorina\'s talk also touted the way technology is being designed to focus on lifestyle, fashion and personalisation, something she sees as key to what people want. Special guest, singer Gwen Stefani, joined her on-stage to promote her own range of HP digital cameras which Ms Stefani has helped design and which are heavily influenced by Japanese youth culture. The digital cameras, which are due to go on sale in the US by the summer, are based on the HP 607 model. The emphasis on personalisation and lifestyle is a big theme at this year\'s CES, with tiny, wearable MP3 players at every turn and rainbow hues giving colour to everything. Ms Fiorina also announced that HP was working with Nokia to launch a visual radio service for mobiles, which would launch in Europe early this year. The service will let people listen to radio on their mobiles and download relevant content, like a track\'s ringtone, simultaneously. The service is designed to make mobile radio more interactive. Among the other new products she showcased was the Digital Media Hub, a big upgrade to HP\'s Digital Entertainment Centre. Coming out in the autumn in the US, the box is a networked, high-definition TV, cable set-top box, digital video recorder and DVD recorder. It has a removable hard drive cartridge, memory card slots, and Light Scribe labelling software which lets people design and print customised DVD labels and covers. It is designed to contain all a household\'s digital media, such as pre-recorded TV shows, pictures, videos and music so it can all be managed in one place. The hub reflects the increasing move to re-box the PC so that it can work as part of other key centres of entertainment. Research suggests that about 258 million images are saved and shared every day, equating to 94 billion a year. Eighty per cent of those remain on cameras. Media hubs are designed to encourage people to organise them on one box. Ms Fiorina was one of several keynote speakers, who also included Microsoft chief Bill Gates, to set out what major technology companies think people will be doing with technologies and gadgets in the next 12 months. In a separate announcement during the keynote speech, Ms Fiorina said that HP would be partnering MTV to replace this year\'s MTV Asia music award. MTV\'s Asia Aid will be held in Bangkok on 3 February, and is aimed at helping to raise money for the Asian tsunami disaster. Internet boom for gift shopping Cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for Christmas shoppers. Forecasts predict that British people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season, an increase of 64% on 2003. Surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising, as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online. Savvy shoppers are also using the net to find the hot presents that are all but sold out in High Street stores. Almost half of the UK population now shop online according to figures collected by the Interactive Media in Retail Group which represents web retailers. About 85% of this group, 18m people, expect to do a lot of their Christmas gift buying online this year, reports the industry group. On average each shopper will spend £220 and Britons lead Europe in their affection for online shopping. Almost a third of all the money spent online this Christmas will come out of British wallets and purses compared to 29% from German shoppers and only 4% from Italian gift buyers. James Roper, director of the IMRG, said shoppers were now much happier to buy so-called big ticket items such as LCD television sets and digital cameras. Mr Roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for Christmas. He advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular. A survey by Hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents, such as lingerie, for wives and girlfriends. Much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time, according to research carried out by security firm Saint Bernard Software. The research reveals that up to two working days will be lost by staff who do their shopping via their work computer. Worst offenders will be those in the 18-35 age bracket, suggests the research, who will spend up to five hours per week in December browsing and buying at online shops. Iggy Fanlo, chief revenue officer at Shopping.com, said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping. "When you consider narrowband and broadband the conversion to sale is two times higher," he said. Higher speeds meant that everything happened much faster, he said, which let people spend time browsing and finding out about products before they buy. The behaviour of online shoppers was also changing, he said. "The single biggest reason people went online before this year was price," he said. "The number one reason now is convenience." "Very few consumers click on the lowest price," he said. "They are looking for good prices and merchant reliability." Consumer comments and reviews were also proving popular with shoppers keen to find out who had the most reliable customer service. Data collected by eBay suggests that some smart shoppers are getting round the shortages of hot presents by buying them direct through the auction site. According to eBay UK there are now more than 150 Robosapiens remote control robots for sale via the site. The Robosapiens toy is almost impossible to find in online and offline stores. Similarly many shoppers are turning to eBay to help them get hold of the hard-to-find slimline PlayStation 2, which many retailers are only selling as part of an expensive bundle. The high demand for the PlayStation 2 has meant that prices for it are being driven up. In shops the PS2 is supposed to sell for £104.99. In some eBay UK auctions the price has risen to more than double this figure. Many people are also using eBay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. The portable version of the PlayStation has only just gone on sale in Japan yet some enterprising eBay users are selling the device to UK gadget fans. Gamers snap up new Sony PSP Gamers have bought almost all of the first batch of Sony\'s new PlayStation Portable (PSP) games console, which went on sale in Japan on Sunday. Thousands of people queued for hours to get hold of one of the 200,000 PSPs which were shipped to retailers. The handheld console can play games, music and movies and goes on sale in Europe and North America next year. Despite the demand Sony said it would not increase the 500,000-strong stock of PSPs it plans to ship by year\'s end. Sony says it intends to ship three million of the consoles by March 2005. The company is hoping to challenge the dominance of Nintendo in the handheld market. Nintendo released its new DS console earlier this year and has already raised shipment targets for the device by 40%. The PSP is selling in Japan for 19,800 yen ($188; £98) while Nintendo\'s DS console sells in the US and Japan for $150 (£78). Nintendo\'s goal is to ship 5 million of its new Nintendo DS handheld consoles by March 2005. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. PC ownership to \'double by 2010\' The number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines, according to a report by analysts Forrester Research. The growth will be driven by emerging markets such as China, Russia and India, the report predicted. More than a third of all new PCs will be in these markets, with China adding 178 million new PCs by 2010, it said. Low-priced computers made by local companies are expected to dominate in such territories, Forrester said. The report comes less than a week after IBM, a pioneer of the PC business, sold its PC hardware division to China\'s number one computer maker Lenovo. The $1.75bn (£900m) deal will make the combined operation the third biggest PC vendor in the world. "Today\'s products from Western PC vendors won\'t dominate in those markets in the long term," Simon Yates, a senior analyst for Forrester, said. "Instead local PC makers like Lenovo Group in China and Aquarius in Russia that can better tailor the PC form factor, price point and applications to their local markets will ultimately win the market share battle," he said. There are currently 575 million PCs in use globally. The United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to add 150 million new PCs by 2010, according to the study. The report forecast that there will be 80 million new PC users in India by 2010 and 40 million new users in Indonesia. EA to take on film and TV giants Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says it wants to become the biggest entertainment firm in the world. The US firm says it wants to compete with companies such as Disney and will only achieve this by making games appeal to mainstream audiences. EA publishes blockbuster titles such as Fifa and John Madden, as well as video game versions of movies such as Harry Potter and the James Bond films. Its revenues were $3bn (£1.65bn) in 2004, which EA hoped to double by 2009. EA is the biggest games publisher in the world and in 2004 had 27 titles which sold in excess of one million copies each. Nine of the 20 biggest-selling games in the UK last year were published by EA. Gerhard Florin, EA\'s managing director for European publishing, said: "Doubling our industry in five years is not rocket science." He said it would take many years before EA could challenge Disney - which in 2004 reported revenues of $30bn (£16bn) - but it remained a goal for the company. "We will be able to bring more people into gaming because games will be more emotional." Mr Florin predicted that the next round of games console would give developers enough power to create real emotion. "It\'s the subtleties, the eyes, the mouth - 5,000 polygons doesn\'t really sell the emotion. "With PS3 and Xbox 2, we can go on the main character with 30,000 to 50,000 polygons," he said. "With that increased firepower, the Finding Nemo video game looks just like the movie, but it will be interactive." Mr Florin said that more than 50% of all EA\'s games were sold to adults and played by adults, but the perception remained that the video game industry was for children. "Our goal is to bring games to the masses which bring out emotions." EA said the video game industry was now bigger than the music industry. "Nobody queues for music anymore." "You can\'t ignore an industry when people queue to buy a game at midnight because they are so desperate to play it," he said, referring to demand for titles for such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2. Jan Bolz, EA\'s vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, said the firm was working to give video games a more central role in popular culture. He said the company was in advanced stages of discussions over a reality TV show in which viewers could control the actions of the characters as in its popular game The Sims. "One idea could be that you\'re controlling a family, telling them when to go to the kitchen and when to go to the bedroom, and with this mechanism you have gamers all over the world \'playing the show\'," said Mr Bolz. He also said EA was planning an international awards show "similar to the Oscars and the Grammys" which would combine video games, music and movies. Mr Bolz said video games firm had to work more closely with celebrities. "People will want to play video games if their heroes like Robbie Williams or Christina Aguilera are in them." Mr Florin said the challenge was to keep people playing in their 30s, 40s and 50s. "There\'s an indication that a 30 year old comes home from work and still wants to play games. "If that\'s true, that\'s a big challenge for TV broadcasters - because watching TV is the biggest pastime at present." Dublin hi-tech labs to shut down Dublin\'s hi-tech research laboratory, Media Labs Europe, is to shut down. The research centre, which was started by the Irish government and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a hotbed for technology concepts. Since its opening in 2000, the centre has developed ideas, such as implants for teeth, and also aimed to be a digital hub for start-ups in the area. The centre was supposed to be self-funded, but has failed to attract the private cash injection it needs. In a statement, Media Labs Europe said the decision to close was taken because neither the Irish Government nor the prestigious US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was willing to fund it. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern had wanted to the centre to become a big draw for smaller hi-tech companies, in an attempt to regenerate the area. About three dozen small firms were attracted to the area, but it is thought the effects of the dot.com recession damaged the Labs\' long-term survival. The Labs needed about 10 million euros (US$13 million) a year from corporate sponsors to survive. "In the end, it was too deep and too long a recession," said Simon Jones, the Labs\' managing director. Ian Pearson, BT\'s futurologist, told the BBC News website that the closure was a "real shame". BT was just one of the companies that had worked with the Labs, looking at RFID tag developments and video conferencing. "There were a lot of very talented, creative people there and they came up with some great ideas that were helping to ensure greater benefits of technology for society. "I have no doubt that the individuals will be quickly snapped up by other research labs, but the synergies from them working as a team will be lost." Noel Dempsey, the government\'s communications minister, said Mr Ahern had been "very committed" to the project. "He is, I know, very disappointed it has come to this. At the time it seemed to be the right thing to do," he said. "Unfortunately the model is not a sustainable one in the current climate." During its five years, innovative and some unusual ideas for technologies were developed. In recent months, 14 patent applications had been filed by the Labs. Many concepts fed into science, engineering, and psychology as well as technology, but it is thought too few of the ideas were commercially viable in the near-term. Several research teams explored how which humans could react with technologies in ways which were entirely different. The Human Connectedness group, for example, developed the iBand, a bracelet which stored and exchanged information about you and your relationships. This information could be beamed to another wearer when two people shook hands. Other projects looked at using other human senses, like touch, to interact with devoices which could be embedded in the environment, or on the body itself. One project examined how brainwaves could directly control a computer game. The Labs, set up in an old Guinness brewery, housed around 100 people, made up of staff, researchers, students, collaborators and part-time undergraduate students. It is thought more than 50 people will lose their jobs when the Labs close on 1 February. According to its latest accounts, Media Lab Europe said it spent 8.16 million euros (about US$10.6 million) in 2003 and raised just 2.56 million euros (US$3.3 million). Peer-to-peer nets \'here to stay\' Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts. Once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year, firms will be very keen to try and make money from P2P technology. The expert panel probed the future of P2P at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in January. The first convictions for P2P piracy were handed out in the US in January. William Trowbridge and Michael Chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. Since the first successful file-sharing network Napster was forced to close down, the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of P2P technology, blaming it for falling sales and piracy. But that is going to change very soon, according to the panel. The music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate P2P networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. But they have slowly realised that P2P is a good way to distribute content, said Travis Kalanick, founder and chairman of P2P network Red Swoosh, and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. They are just waiting to come up with "business models" that work for them, which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards. But, until the legal actions are resolved, experimentation with P2P cannot not happen, said Michael Weiss, president of StreamCast Networks. Remembering the furore around VCRs when they first came out, Mr Weiss said: "Old media always tries to stop new media. "When they can\'t stop it, they try to control it. Then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money." Once the courts decided that the VCR in itself was not an illegal technology, the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. In August 2004, the San Francisco-based US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Grokster and StreamCast, two file-sharing networks. The court said they were essentially in the same position that Sony was in the 1980s VCR battle, and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal. P2P networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. Instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. There are now many different types of P2P systems than work in different ways. P2P nets can be used to share any kind of file, like photos, free software, licensed music and any other digital content. The BBC has already decided to embrace the technology. It aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use P2P technology to distribute them. The files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. But the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. The global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month, and about half a million films are downloaded a day. Legal music download services, like Apple iTunes, Napster, have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. Sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months, the IFPI reported this week. But such download services are very different from P2P networks, not least because of the financial aspect. There are several money-spinning models that could turn P2P into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. Paid-for-pass-along, in which firms receive money each time a file is shared, along with various DRM solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered. "We see there are going to be different models for commoditising P2P," said Marc Morgenstern, vice president of anti-piracy firm Overpeer. "Consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together," agreed Mr Morgenstern. But many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry\'s potential controlling grip on content and P2P technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. Unsigned bands, for example, use P2P networks to distribute their music effectively, which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign. "Increasingly, what you are seeing on P2P is consumer-created content," said Derek Broes, from Microsoft. "They will probably pay an increasing role in helping P2P spread," he said. Looking into P2P\'s future, file sharing is just the beginning for P2P networks, as far as Mr Broes is concerned. "Once some of these issues are resolved, you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content, but also in ways that are unimaginable now," he said. "File-sharing is the tip of the iceberg." More power to the people says HP The digital revolution is focused on letting people tell and share their own stories, according to Carly Fiorina, chief of technology giant Hewlett Packard. The job of firms such as HP now, she said in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was to ensure digital and physical worlds fully converged. She said the goal for 2005 was to make people the centre of technology. CES showcases 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005. The tech-fest, the largest of its kind in the world, runs from 6 to 9 January. "The digital revolution is about the democratisation of technology and the experiences it makes possible," she told delegates. "Revolution has always been about giving power to the people." She added: "The real story of the digital revolution is not just new products, but the millions of experiences made possible and stories that millions can tell." Part of giving people more control has been about the freeing up of content, such as images, video and music. Crucial to this has been the effort to make devices that speak to each other better so that content can be more easily transferred from one device, such as a digital camera, to others, such as portable media players. A lot of work still needs to be done, however, to sort out compatibility issues and standards within the technology industry so that gadgets just work seamlessly, she said. Ms Fiorina\'s talk also touted the way technology is being designed to focus on lifestyle, fashion and personalisation, something she sees as key to what people want. Special guest, singer Gwen Stefani, joined her on-stage to promote her own range of HP digital cameras which Ms Stefani has helped design and which are heavily influenced by Japanese youth culture. The digital cameras, which are due to go on sale in the US by the summer, are based on the HP 607 model. The emphasis on personalisation and lifestyle is a big theme at this year\'s CES, with tiny, wearable MP3 players at every turn and rainbow hues giving colour to everything. Ms Fiorina also announced that HP was working with Nokia to launch a visual radio service for mobiles, which would launch in Europe early this year. The service will let people listen to radio on their mobiles and download relevant content, like a track\'s ringtone, simultaneously. The service is designed to make mobile radio more interactive. Among the other new products she showcased was the Digital Media Hub, a big upgrade to HP\'s Digital Entertainment Centre. Coming out in the autumn in the US, the box is a networked, high-definition TV, cable set-top box, digital video recorder and DVD recorder. It has a removable hard drive cartridge, memory card slots, and Light Scribe labelling software which lets people design and print customised DVD labels and covers. It is designed to contain all a household\'s digital media, such as pre-recorded TV shows, pictures, videos and music so it can all be managed in one place. The hub reflects the increasing move to re-box the PC so that it can work as part of other key centres of entertainment. Research suggests that about 258 million images are saved and shared every day, equating to 94 billion a year. Eighty per cent of those remain on cameras. Media hubs are designed to encourage people to organise them on one box. Ms Fiorina was one of several keynote speakers, who also included Microsoft chief Bill Gates, to set out what major technology companies think people will be doing with technologies and gadgets in the next 12 months. In a separate announcement during the keynote speech, Ms Fiorina said that HP would be partnering MTV to replace this year\'s MTV Asia music award. MTV\'s Asia Aid will be held in Bangkok on 3 February, and is aimed at helping to raise money for the Asian tsunami disaster. Gadget market \'to grow in 2005\' The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world\'s largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%, while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important. "Everything is going digital," Kirsten Pfeifer from the Consumer Electronics Association, told the BBC News website. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured the pick of 2005\'s products. "Consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like HDTVs [high-definition TVs], digital radio, and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005. "All the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry." Despite showing diversity, some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much "wow factor" as in previous years. The portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of CES, which was the "time and place shifting" of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere, at any time. At the start of last year\'s CES, the CEA predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. That figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players, personal video recorders and digital cameras. It was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice, with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. Part of this has been the rise in spending power of the "generation X-ers" who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. More than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers, according to CEA research. Hybrid devices, which combine a number of multimedia functions, were also in evidence on the show floor. "A lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it," said Stephen Baker, a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. "Some of these functions cost next to nothing to add." As well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable MP3 players to giant high-definition TVs, several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders, such as Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Despite several embarrassing technical glitches during Mr Gate\'s pre-show speech, he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the US market. He unveiled new ways of letting people take TV shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. He disappointed some, however, by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the Xbox games console. Another disappointment was the lack of exposure Sony\'s new portable games device, the PSP, had at the show. Sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in March for the US and Europe. It went on sale in Japan before Christmas. There were only two PSPs embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. A Sony representative told the BBC News website this was because Sony did not consider it to be part of their "consumer technology" offering. Elsewhere at the show, there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens, including Samsung\'s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. Industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005, with new formats for DVDs coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional DVDs. With so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage, like Seagate\'s 5GB pocket sized external hard drive, which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. More than 120,000 trade professionals attended CES in Las Vegas, which officially ran from 6 to 9 January. Gamers could drive high-definition TV, films, and games have been gearing up for some time now for the next revolution to transform the quality of what is on our screens. It is called high-definition - HD for short - and it is already hugely popular in Japan and the US. It is set, according to analysts, to do for images what CDs did for sound. Different equipment able to receive HD signals is needed though and is expensive. But Europe\'s gamers may be the early adopters to drive demand. Europeans will have to wait until at least 2006 until they see mainstream HDTV. To view it, it needs to be transmitted in HD format, and people need special receivers and displays that can handle the high-quality resolution. The next generation of consoles, however, are expected to start appearing at the end of 2005, start of 2006. And most new computer displays and plasma sets are already capable of handling such high-resolution pictures. "In the next generation [of consoles] HD support is mandatory," Dr Mark Tuffy games systems director at digital content firm THX told the BBC News website. "Every game is going to be playable in HD. "So consumers who have gone out and spent all this money on HDTVs, and who have no content to watch, are going to be blown away by these really high-detail pictures. "It\'s going to change really the way they look at gaming." At the end of last year, Chris Deering, Sony\'s European president, made a prediction that 20 million European households would have HDTV sets by 2008. A previous prediction from analysts Datamonitor put the figure at 4.6 million by 2008, an increase from an estimated 50,000 sets at the end of 2003. But those in Europe may see little point in buying what is quite an expensive bit of technology - about £2,000 - if there are few programmes or films to watch on them. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006 and the BBC intends to produce all of its content in HD by 2010. Until broadcast rights, format standards - and the practicalities of updating equipment - are agreed, TV content will be limited. All TV images are made up of pixels which go across the screen, and scan lines which go down the screen. Most standard UK TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. HD offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. This means the picture is up to six times as sharp as standard TV. "Probably, in the UK [gaming] is going to be the only thing you are going to really be able to show off, as in \'look what this TV can do\', until HD is really adopted by broadcasters," explains Dr Tuffy. But gamers are also the ideal target audience for HD because they always crave better quality graphics, and more immersive gaming experiences. They are used to spending money on hardware to match a game\'s requirements. Demographics have changed too and the "sweet spot" for the games industry is the gamer in his or her late 20s. This means they are likely to have higher disposable incomes and can afford the price of big-screen, high-definition display technologies and HD projectors, earlier than others. Higher capacity storage discs, such as HD-DVD and blue-ray , are set to be standard in the next round of games consoles - allowing developers more room for detailed graphics. For console developers though, HD offers some production changes. It could make games production slightly more expensive, thinks Dr Tuffy. "But we may see the cross-platform development of games becoming more common because they will more easily be able to take a PC game and apply it to a console," he says. "You are literally going to get to the point, with a Lord of the Rings game for example, is going to be closer and closer to the actual film, especially the CGI stuff from the DVD. "And the transition when they move from a cut scene to the game, just now they have almost got it seamless." With HD, he says, the transition will be completely seamless and the same quality as the big-screen cinema release. This could herald an increasing convergence between the film and gaming industry. But it may not be until the generation after the next games consoles where the two industries really collide. At that point, says Dr Tuffy, games could become more or less interactive movies. More women turn to net security Older people and women are increasingly taking charge of protecting home computers against malicious net attacks, according to a two-year study. The number of women buying programs to protect PCs from virus, spam and spyware attacks rose by 11.2% each year between 2002 and 2004. The study, for net security firm Preventon, shows that security messages are reaching a diversity of surfers. It is thought that 40% of those buying home net security programs are retired. For the last three years, that has gone up by an average of 13.2%. But more retired women (53%) were buying security software than retired men. The research reflects the changing stereotype and demographics of web users, as well as growing awareness of the greater risks that high-speed broadband net connections can pose to surfers. The study predicts that 40% of all home PC net security buyers will be women in 2005. They could even overtake men as the main buyers by 2007, if current rates persist, according to the research. "I think older people have become more vigilant about protecting their PCs as we tend to be more cautious and want an insurance policy in case something does go wrong", said one over-60 woman who took part in the research. "You started off with young male stereotype computer users for last 10 years," Paul Goosens, head of Preventon told the BBC News website. "Now we are seeing real people - both sexes and very often it is women who have more access at home." But net service providers still need to take more responsibility in making sure people are educated about net threats before they go online, particuarly if they are new to broadband, he said. Programs also need to be tailored so that they can be installed by dial-up users with a slower connection too, said Mr Goosens. Security software should be easy to use, with simple interfaces and instructions written in non-technical language, he added. The nature of the security threats are also becoming more than just about e-mail viruses. High-profile complaints about rogue diallers, and spyware or other programs that surreptitiously install themselves on computers, have also raised awareness about the need to have a combination of anti-virus, firewall and spyware-removal programs too. Without protection, these kinds of programs can be picked up just through surfing the web normally. More than 30,000 PCs a day globally are being recruited into networks that spread spam and viruses, a study from security from Symantec showed last year. Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are also getting rarer, according to net security experts. Programs are being unleashed to directly profit criminal gangs, many based in Eastern Europe, over those which are designed to show off technical skills or cause nuisance. The research shows that more people are taking these criminal net threats more seriously because, said Mr Goosens, they are reported in the press much more. "You are seeing older users being educated by the media and are seeing them picking up on this threat. They are asking the right questions," he explained. "It is more likely the younger users who naively assume that because they are using a reputable service provider, that they are safe to connect to the net." An unprotected computer on a broadband connection can be breached and infected with viruses or spyware within minutes. By the end of the year it is thought that more than 30% of UK homes will have broadband net access. In July last year, the number of UK households accessing the net via broadband surpassed those using dial-up for the first time, according to the Office of National Statistics. Sony PSP console hits US in March US gamers will be able to buy Sony\'s PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for $250 (£132) and the first million sold will come with Spider-Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it\'s not a gaming device. It\'s an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. Consumer concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Mobiles \'not media players yet\' Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life. Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple\'s iTunes, Napster and other net music download services. With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy\'s TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report. Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe\'s Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009. Apple iPod family expands market Apple has expanded its iPod family with the release of its next generation of the digital music players. Its latest challenges to the growing digital music gadget market include an iPod mini model which can hold 6GB compared to a previous 4GB. The company, which hopes to keep its dominant place in the digital music market, also said the gold coloured version of the mini would be dropped. A 30GB version has also been added to the iPod Photo family. The latest models have a longer battery life and their prices have been cut by an average of £40. The original iPod took an early lead in the digital music player market thanks to its large storage capacity and simple design. During 2004 about 25 million portable players were sold, 10 million of which were Apple iPods. But analysts agree that the success is also down to its integration with the iTunes online store, which has given the company a 70% share of the legal download music market. Mike McGuire, a research director at analyst Gartner, told the BBC News website that Apple had done a good job in "sealing off the market from competition" so far. "They have created a very seamless package which I think is the idea of the product - the design, function and the software are very impressive," he said. He added that the threat from others was always present, however. "Creative, other Microsoft-partnered devices, Real, Sony and so on, are ratcheting up the marketing message and advertising," he said. Creative was very upbeat about how many of its Creative Zen players it had shipped by the end of last year, he said. Its second-generation models, like the Creative Zen Micro Photo, is due out in the summer. It will have 5GB of memory on board. Digital music players are now the gadget of choice among young Americans, according to recent research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. One in 10 US adults - 22 million people - now owns a digital music player of some sort. Sales of legally downloaded songs also rose more than tenfold in 2004, according to the record industry, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months. The IFPI industry body said that the popularity of portable music players was behind the growth. Analysts say that the ease of use and growth of music services available on the net will continue to drive the trend towards portable music players. People are also starting to use them in novel ways. Some are combining automatic syncing functions many of them have with other net functions to automatically distribute DIY radio shows, called podcasts. But 2005 will also see more competition from mobile phone operators who are keen to offer streaming services on much more powerful and sophisticated handsets. According to Mr McGuire, research suggests that people like the idea of building up huge libraries of music, which they can do with high-capacity storage devices, like iPods and Creative Zens. Mobiles do not yet have this capacity though, and there are issues about the ease of portability of mobile music. Mr McGuire said Apple was ensuring it kept a foot in the mobile music door with its recent deal with Motorola to produce a version of iTunes for Motorola phones. US woman sues over ink cartridges A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world\'s biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK\'s Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers. Looks and music to drive mobiles Mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales, according to research from technology analysts Gartner. More than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally, said the report, the highest total sold to date. The figure was 30% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, Gartner said. Good design and the look of a mobile, as well as new services such as music downloads, could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005, said analysts. Although people were still looking for better replacement phones, there was evidence, according to Gartner, that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales. "All the markets grew apart from Japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western Europe," mobile analyst Carolina Milanesi told the BBC News website. "Japan is where north America and western European markets can be in a couple of years\' time. "They already have TV, music, ringtones, cameras, and all that we can think of on mobiles, so people have stopped buying replacement phones." But there could be a slight slowdown in sales in European and US markets too, according to Gartner, as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. This means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade, said Gartner. Third generation mobiles (3G) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer, like video, could drive people into upgrading their phones, but Ms Milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen. "At the end of the day, people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don\'t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical." Nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. The majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms. More likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics, as well as music services. The Motorola Razr V3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005, she added. This was not a "women\'s thing", she said, but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. It was not just about how the phone functioned, but about what it said about its owner. "Western Europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design," said Ms Milanesi. "People are after something that is nice-looking, and together with that, there is the entertainment side. "This year music will have a part to play in this." The market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004, but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£94 million) by 2009, according to Juniper Research. Sony Ericsson just released its Walkman branded mobile phone, the W800, which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours\' battery life, and a two megapixel camera. In July last year, Motorola and Apple announced a version of iTunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with Motorola mobile phones. Apple said the new iTunes music player would become Motorola\'s standard music application for its music phones. But the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the iPod. Ms Milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. But they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity, which would not put too much strain on battery life. \'No re-draft\' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms. The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament\'s request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council\'s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. Cebit opens to mobile music tune Cebit, the world\'s largest hi-tech fair, has opened its doors in Hanover for a look at the latest technologies for homes and businesses. There are more than 6,000 exhibitors registered and about 500,000 visitors are expected to pass through the doors. Third generation mobiles, the digital home and broadband are key themes at the show. Camera phones will get better resolutions as vendors set out to prove that bigger is definitely better. Samsung is set to steal some initial limelight with the launch of a 7-megapixel phone on the opening day. The SCH-V770 has some of the features of high-end digital single lens reflex cameras such as manual focus and the ability to attach a telephoto or wide-angle lens. Camera phones are likely to prove an interesting battle ground at the show, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm Gartner. "It is firmly established that cameras are an integral part of phones and now the technology arms race is on in terms of megapixels. There will be a certain amount of \'look how big mine is\'," he said. There will also be increasing focus on music-enabled mobiles. "At 3GSM in Cannes everyone went music mad and music is going to be a big theme for all the vendors at Cebit," said Mr Wood. Sony Ericsson will use the fair to show off the W800 - its recently unveiled Walkman branded phone - and there is speculation that Motorola may unveil its ROKR handset, widely tipped as the first to carry Apple\'s iTunes music software. Apple and Motorola announced they were getting together at the end of last year as a result of a long-standing friendship between Motorola\'s chief executive Ed Zander and Steve Jobs. Some analysts think Motorola may save the launch for CTIA, a wireless show in America the following week, which could be a telling sign about how operators are coming to view the German tech fair. "One of the interesting things is that CeBIT is clearly a show in decline," said Mr Wood. "A lot of the big players, such as Nokia, are pulling back saying it is hard to justify a big presence at all of the shows. It could be the last big year for Cebit," he said. Other themes include TV-enabled mobiles which are bound to create a buzz in the halls as Vodafone unveils a prototype handset that can show live digital television. There has been a glut of recent headlines about mobile TV - French operators are teaming up, O2 is trialling a system in Oxford, UK, and Nokia begins trialling a system in Finland with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE TV and commercial TV channels. Cebit could become the battleground for the two competing methods for getting TV on to mobiles, and is also likely to provide a stage for a technology slated to compete with 3G. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) has been described as "3G on steroids" and could offer consumers much faster download times. For instance, a song which currently takes one and a half minutes to download to a phone could be done in 10 seconds. Korean giants LG Electronics and Samsung will show off HSDPA handsets at the show and the technology is set to be rolled out in the US, Europe and Korea next year. Broadband will continue to be a key theme at the show with internet telephony proving this year\'s killer application. Germany\'s largest online service provider, T-Online, is tipped to reveal software for low-cost net telephony which would see it competing with its parent company Deutsche Telekom. Cebit is used by many to unveil cutting edge products and in the mobile sphere this is likely to mean a lot of bright, colourful handsets as fashion continues to compete with technology when it comes to the device everyone has in their pockets. Rainbow-coloured phones, influenced by handsets from Japan, are just one example of how Asian companies will stamp their mark on this year\'s show, at which they will have their biggest ever presence. Cebit organisers have created a digital home in Hall 25 of the 27 hangar-like buildings that will house the show. "The digital home will be a hyped theme at the show. The house will be totally wired and full of things that can be used for home entertainment," said Cebit organiser Gabriele Dorries. Broadband set to revolutionise TV BT is starting its push into television with plans to offer TV over broadband. As a telecoms company, BT is moving to a content distribution strategy, Andrew Burke, chief of BT\'s new Entertainment unit told the IPTV World Forum. "We want to be an entertainment facilitator," he said on the opening day of the London conference. The BBC is also trialling a service to play programmes over the net and has not ruled out offering it to non-licence fee payers overseas. The corporation\'s Interactive Media Player (iMP) is its first foray into broadband TV - known as IPTV (Internet Protocol TV). "We see several opportunities for delivering the type of content that normally broadcasters find it difficult to get to viewers," said BT\'s Andrew Burke. With more people on broadband, and connection speeds increasing, telcos around the world are looking for new ways to make money from it. Increased competition between net service providers, encouraged by Ofcom, has eroded BT\'s position in the market. It is looking for a good return on its investment in the technology which has made broadband over ADSL a reality. It also sees delivering TV over broadband as a way of getting high-definition (HD) content to people sooner than they will be able to get it through conventional, regular broadcasts. The BBC\'s iMP has just finished successful technical trials and is set for much larger consumer trials later in 2005. Before it officially launches, the BBC must show the government how it offers value for money. Delivering programmes over broadband offers clear public value, says the BBC, because it gives people more control, and more choice. IPTV is a similar idea to VoIP services, like Skype. Both use broadband net connections to carry information, like video and voice, in packets of data instead of conventional means. Since it uses internet technology, IPTV could mean more choice of programmes, more, more interactivity, tailored programming, and more localised content outside of conventional satellite, digital cable, and terrestrial broadcasts. It is all part of the larger changing TV technology landscape and, like personal digital video recorders (PVRs), gives people much more control over TV. Broadcasters see IPTV and PVRs as both as a threat and an opportunity. The BBC recognises that TV over broadband is a reality and aims to innovate with it, said Rahul Chakkara, controller of BBCi\'s 24/7 interactive TV services. The iMP is based on peer-to-peer technology, and lets people download programmes the BBC owns the rights to for up to seven days after broadcast. "IPTV enables us to take back that programme to our audience at different times," said Mr Chakkara. "So we can tell our audience that that programme they paid for [via the licence fee], they can access it any time they want." It helps, said Mr Burke, that people are more au fait with terms like "digital", "interactive", now that digital TV reaches more than 56% of UK homes. According to Benoit Joly from broadband telecoms firm Thales, 30% of Europe cannot get satellite TV or digital TV. They could get IPTV though. Analysts say that IPTV will account for 10% of the digital TV market in Europe alone by the end of the decade. What needs to happen now, agree analysts, is for connection speeds to be bumped up to handle the service; 20Mbps connections would be ideal. BT does not see itself as a broadcaster of IPTV services, rather as an "enabler", said Mr Burke. Its strategy is a "hybrid" approach, he explained, where over-the-air conventional broadcasts are supplemented with content over broadband. Initially appealing to niche markets, like sports fans, it will widen out. But IPTV could be used for home-monitoring, "pet cams", localised news services, and local authority TV, too says BT. It even suggests that it could target those households in the UK that do not own a computer, 40% of the country. Broadband to them would not be about data and the net - that could come later for them - but about cheap phone calls and more choice of TV programmes. Home Choice already offers 10,000 hours of shows and channels, delivered over broadband to homes in London. With a broadband net subscription, you can also get your TV and phone service. Through content deals and partnerships, it offers satellite as well as terrestrial channels, and bespoke channels based on what viewers pick and choose from its catalogues. It aims to expand nationally, but is seeing a lot of success with what it offers its 15,000 subscribers now, and aims to double uptake as well as reach by the summer. Although still at a very early stage, IPTV is another application for broadband that underlines its growing prominence as a backbone network - another utility like electricity. Chip maker backs net phone calls Rich Templeton, the head of giant chip maker Texas Instruments, has given his backing to the growing sector of Voice over Internet Telephony (Voip) Voip allows PC users, and in some cases those with just a broadband connection, to make telephone calls via the net. Mr Templeton said Voip would be the next major application to drive broadband connections into homes. Internet service provider Wanadoo has announced it is launching its own broadband telephony service in the UK. Subscribers to Wanadoo\'s broadband service will be able to use the service to make free evening and weekend calls to any UK landline, and free calls at any time to other Wanadoo users. The service will cost an extra £4 a month and will come with a free Livebox, the broadband hub which Wanadoo plans will be used in future to provide video-on-demand and home security services. The secondary phone line will mean customers can have an extra home phone number and will also provide wireless internet access around the home. Eventually the service will replace existing landline services as Wanadoo goes head to head with BT. "Voice-over broadband is a key trend across Europe and is set to have a dramatic impact on the telecommunications industry, " Eric Abensur, Wanadoo\'s chief executive told the BBC News website. Mr Templeton said he agreed. "Voice-over-packet is going to be the second killer application after broadband internet access," he said. The world\'s largest maker of chips for mobile phones believes the technology will grow rapidly from the relatively small user base it has currently. Almost 83 million people have downloaded the software that powers the Skype Voip service, according to the net telephony firm\'s website. Skype lets people make free calls to other Skype users and also make low-cost calls to ordinary phone numbers. US firm Vonage also offers a Voip service, but one which lets people plug an ordinary phone into a broadband router to make calls. Bill Simmelink, general manager of TI\'s Voip business, said the technology would only take off when people were making net calls with the ease of making a normal call. "It\'s not about the pipe, if you will, or the silicon per se, it\'s about the application," he said. "We want to communicate freely, effortlessly and economically wherever we are." In a sign that Voip is seeping into the mainstream, giant ISP AOL announced on Tuesday that it had plans to launch a net-based phone service for some of its members within the month. Customers will continue to use their traditional phones, but they will plug them into adapters connected to their broadband source rather than the jack provided by the telephone company. Calls are received and placed just like on the old telephone network. "We can help mass-market adoption of Voip," said AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller. "We can utilise our national footprint. We can help the entire industry become well known." Nintendo DS makes its Euro debut Nintendo\'s DS handheld game console has officially gone on sale in Europe. Many stores around the UK opened at midnight to let keen gamers get their hands on the device. The two-screen clamshell gadget costs £99 (149 euros) and 15 games are available for it at launch, some featuring well-known characters such as Super Mario and Rayman. The DS spearheads Nintendo\'s attempt to continue its dominance of the handheld gaming market. Since going on sale in Japan and the US at the end of 2004, Nintendo has sold almost 4m DS consoles. Part of this popularity may be due to the fact that the DS can run any of the catalogue of 700 games produced for Nintendo\'s GameBoy Advance handheld. Games for the DS are expected to cost between £19 and £29. About 130 games for the DS are in development. As well as having two screens, one of which is controlled by touch, the DS also lets players take on up to 16 other people via wireless. A "download play" option means DS owners can take each other on even if only one of them owns a copy of a particular game. Other DS owners can also be sent text messages and drawings. Nintendo is also planning to release a media adapter for the handheld so it can play music and video. Five Virgin megastores and 150 Game shops were expected to open early on Friday morning to let people buy a DS. "We know that customers want it as soon as it\'s released - and that means the minute, not the day," said Robert Quinn, Game\'s UK sales director. But Nintendo will only have sole control of Europe\'s handheld gaming market for a few weeks because soon Sony is expected to release its PSP console. Although Nintendo is aiming for younger players and the PSP is more for older gamers, it is likely that the two firms will be competing for many of the same customers. Sony\'s PSP represents a real threat to Nintendo because of the huge number of PlayStation owners around the world and the greater flexibility of the sleek black gadget. The PSP uses small discs for games, can play music and movies without the need for add-ons and also supports short-range wireless play. When it goes on sale the PSP is likely to cost between £130 and £200. Hitachi unveils \'fastest robot\' Japanese electronics firm Hitachi has unveiled its first humanoid robot, called Emiew, to challenge Honda\'s Asimo and Sony\'s Qrio robots. Hitachi said the 1.3m (4.2ft) Emiew was the world\'s quickest-moving robot yet. Two wheel-based Emiews, Pal and Chum, introduced themselves to reporters at a press conference in Japan. The robots will be guests at the World Expo later this month. Sony and Honda have both built sophisticated robots to show off developments in electronics. Explaining why Hitachi\'s Emiew used wheels instead of feet, Toshihiko Horiuchi, from Hitachi\'s Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, said: "We aimed to create a robot that could live and co-exist with people." "We want to make the robots useful for people ... If the robots moved slower than people, users would be frustrated." Emiew - Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate - can move at 3.7m/h. Its "wheel feet" resemble the bottom half of a Segway scooter. With sensors on the head, waist, and near the wheels, Pal and Chum demonstrated how they could react to commands. "I want to be able to walk about in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya [shopping districts] in the future without bumping into people and cars," Pal told reporters. Hitachi said Pal and Chum, which have a vocabulary of about 100 words, could be "trained" for practical office and factory use in as little as five to six years. Robotics researchers have long been challenged by developing robots that walk in the gait of a human. At the recent AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting in Washington DC, researchers showed off bipedal designs. The three designs, each built by a different research group, use the same principle to achieve a human-like gait. Sony and Honda have both used humanoid robots, which are not commercially available, as a way of showing off computing power and engineering expertise. Honda\'s Asimo was "born" five years ago. Since then, Honda and Sony\'s Qrio have tried to trump each other with what the robots can do at various technology events. Asimo, has visited the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and Ireland as part of a world tour. Sony\'s Qrio has been singing, jogging and dancing in formation around the world too and was, until last year, the fastest robot on two legs. But its record was beaten by Asimo. It is capable of 3km/h, which its makers claim is almost four times as fast as Qrio. Last year, car maker Toyota also stepped into the ring and unveiled its trumpet-playing humanoid robot. By 2007, it is predicted that there will be almost 2.5 million "entertainment and leisure" robots in homes, compared to about 137,000 currently, according to the United Nations (UN). By the end of that year, 4.1 million robots will be doing jobs in homes, said the report by the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics. Hitachi is one of the companies with home cleaning robot machines on the market. Gizmondo gadget hits the shelves The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on Saturday. Priced at £229, the handheld device is debuting in the UK and goes on sale in the US and mainland Europe in the next few weeks. A catalogue of about 20 games is being prepared for the gadget including The Great Escape and Conflict Vietnam. The British-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by Nintendo and Sony. The Gizmondo device packs a lot of functions inside its black cover and is aimed at gamers and those that want more from their game-playing gadgets. It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies. It can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text, multimedia and e-mail messages. The phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay Vodafone accounts bundled in with the device. It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services. The GPRS and Bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming. The gadget will be available from the Gizmondo store on London\'s Regent Street and from several other retail partners. Although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions, it will face serious competition from three established names in mobile gaming: Nintendo, Nokia and Sony. The main competition is likely to come from Nintendo and Sony. Nintendo\'s DS handheld went on sale on 11 March and priced at £99 costs far less than the Gizmondo. It also has a ready pool of fans of earlier Nintendo handhelds to draw on. In the first two days it was on sale in Europe the 87,000 DS handhelds were sold - a better debut than the GameCube enjoyed. Sony\'s PSP was due to make its European debut in March but now this is likely to be delayed by a few months. The PSP is due to go on sale in the US later this month and a bundle including the player, accessories and a copy of Spiderman 2 is expected to cost about $250 (£129). The PSP can also play music and movies and supports wireless multiplayer gaming. Nokia\'s N-Gage could also be a competitor on the telecommunications side. This too crams a fully functional phone into a gadget that also plays games. Confusion over high-definition TV Now that a critical mass of people have embraced digital TV, DVDs, and digital video recorders, the next revolution for TV is being prepared for our sets. In most corners of TV and technology industries, high-definition (HDTV) is being heralded as the biggest thing to happen to the television since colour. HD essentially makes TV picture quality at least four times better than now. But there is real concern that people are not getting the right information about HD on the High Street. Thousands of flat panel screens - LCDs (liquid crystal displays), plasma screens, and DLP rear-projection TV sets - have already been sold as "HD", but are in fact not able to display HD. "The UK is the largest display market in Europe," according to John Binks, director of GfK, which monitors global consumer markets. But, he added: "Of all the flat panel screens sold, just 1.3% in the UK are capable of getting high-definition." There are 74 different devices that are being sold as HD but are not HD-ready, according to Alexander Oudendijk, senior vice president of marketing for satellite giant Astra. They may be fantastic quality TVs, but many do not have adaptors in them - called DVI or HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors - which let the set handle the higher resolution digital images. Part of this is down to lack of understanding and training on the High Street, say industry experts, who gathered at Bafta in London for the 2nd European HDTV Summit last week. "We have to be careful about consumer confusion. There is a massive education process to go through," said Mr Binks. The industry already recognised that it would be a challenge to get the right information about it across to those of us who will be watching it. Eventually, that will be everyone. The BBC is currently developing plans to produce all its TV output to meet HDTV standards by 2010. Preparations for the analogue switch-off are already underway in some areas, and programmes are being filmed with HD cameras. BSkyB plans to ship its first generation set-top boxes, to receive HDTV broadcasts, in time for Christmas. Like its Sky+ boxes, they will also be personal video recorders (PVRs). The company will start broadcasts of HDTV programmes, offering them as "premium channel packages", concentrating, to start with, on sports, big events, and films, in early 2006. But the set-top box which receives HDTV broadcasts has to plug into a display - TV set - that can show the images at the much higher resolution that HD demands, if HDTV is to be "real". By 2010, 20% of homes in the UK will have some sort of TV set or display that can show HD in its full glory. But it is all getting rather confusing for people who have only just taken to "being digital". As a result, all the key players, those who make flat panel displays, as well as the satellite companies and broadcasters, formed a HD forum in 2004 to make sure they were all talking to each other. Part of the forum has been concerned with issues like industry standards and content protection. But it has also been preoccupied with how to help the paying public know exactly what they are paying for. From next month, all devices that have the right connectors and resolution required will carry a "HD-Ready" sticker. This also means they are equipped to cope with both analogue and HDTV signals, and so comply with the minimum specification set out by the industry. "The logo is absolutely the way forward," said David Mercer, analysts with Strategy Analytics. "But it is still not appearing on many retail products." The industry is upbeat that the sticker will help, but it is only a start. "We can only do so much with the position we are in today with manufacturers," said Mr Oudendijk. "There may well be a number of dissatisfied customers in the next few months." The European Broadcast Union (EBU) is testing different flavours of HD formats to prepare for even better HDTV further down the line. It is similarly concerned that people get the right information on HDTV formats, as well as which devices will support the formats. "We believe consumers buying expensive displays need to ensure their investment is worthwhile," said Phil Laven, technical director for the EBU. The TV display manufacturers want us to watch HD on screens that are at least 42in (106cm), to get the "true impact" of HD, they say, although smaller displays suffice. What may convince people to spend money on HD-ready devices is the falling prices, which continue to tumble across Europe. The prices are dropping an average of 20% every year, according to analysts. LCD prices dropped by 43% in Europe as a whole last year, according to Mr Oudendijk. Digital UK driven by net and TV The UK\'s adoption of digital TV and broadband has helped make it the fourth most digitally-savvy nation in Europe, according a report by Jupiter Research. But the UK still lags in terms of broadband speeds compared to others. The most digitally sophisticated Europeans, in terms of use of digital goods such as mobiles, TV, net and cameras, are the Scandinavians. About 14 million households in the UK, 60%, have digital TV, according to the communications regulator Ofcom. The least digital of the European nations was Greece, in 17th position, according to the Digital Life Index. Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark and Norway came out top in the report, but there were some differences in technology trends. "The European Digital Life Index demonstrates that digital lifestyles are common today, but across Europe there is no single digital lifestyle," said Nate Elliott, Jupiter analyst. "Consumers adopt different digital products and services in different countries." Although there are differences between different European nations, the gap between them is closing, the report concluded. The trend for gadgets and technologies, such as digital video recorders (DVR), broadband, and video-on-demand will continue across Europe, he added. More than six million UK households now have broadband net. By the middle of 2005, it is estimated that 50% of all UK net users will be on broadband. Cable company NTL is trialling faster ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband technology using ADSL2+ which can give speeds of 18Mbps compared to current speeds which are usually around 1Mbps or 2Mbps. BT is set to trial the technology later in the year. Super-fast broadband will be necessary to the delivery of services such as high-definition TV (HDTV) and video-on-demand, already very popular in France and other European countries. A separate survey by GMIPoll last week found that, globally, people\'s appetite for technology and gadgets continues unabated. The poll of 20,000 people in 20 countries found that 59% wanted more technology. The computer was the "must-have" gadget for most people (75%). The TV took second place (67%), while the mobile was ranked in third position with 54%. Digital cameras were the most popular choice of gadget for 2005, said the survey, with nearly 40% choosing this over wireless, home printing and DVR technologies. However, only 25% of Britons said a digital camera would be their top gadget purchase of the year. Almost a quarter, 22%, said they would be buying some sort of wireless device. Forty-four percent said they would be buying something "other". This might include digital music players, or gaming devices. The Nintendo DS, Sony\'s PSP and Gizmondo all hit the shops in 2005, and the first of the next generation of games consoles, Xbox 2, is set to launch later this year. Jupiter Research\'s index is calculated using 40 different variables across net users, digital TV adoption, wireless and mobile, online activity, and digital devices. Sony PSP handheld console hits US The latest handheld gaming gadget, Sony\'s PlayStation Portable, goes on sale in the US on Thursday. The entertainment device, which also stores images, music and video, is intended to compete with Nintendo\'s DS, released earlier this month in the UK. Gamers have been queuing outside shops across the US to get their hands on the gadget, which costs $250 (about £132). The first million sold will come with the Spider-Man 2 film on UMD, Sony\'s own disc format for the device. The PSP can be linked up with others for multiplayer gaming, via a wireless connection. Sony has touted the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan since its launch there last year. But it faces stiff competition from the Nintendo DS, which sold more than the GameCube in its first few days on release in Europe. It too allows for multiplayer gaming over the air. Nintendo dominates the handheld market, with more than a 90% share of the market in the US alone. The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget also went on sale in the UK last week. It hopes to take a share of the handheld gaming market too. "The story of the PSP is it\'s not a gaming device as much as it is a portable entertainment device," said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He told the Reuters news agency that he expected Sony to sell about 10 million PSPs in enough time to rival Apple\'s iPod. There is no date for the PSP\'s release in Europe yet. Sony has promised to have a million units ready for its US launch, but there are fears demand may not be met. It also said it expected to ship three million PSPs worldwide by the end of its fiscal year ending 31 March. The machine\'s European launch was put back "a few months" last week in order to make sure enough of the devices were ready for its US launch, as well as satisfying the Japanese market. The PSP has almost as much processing power in it as the PlayStation 2 console. Hundreds of gamers gathered at US shops, some waiting for more than 36 hours, to be the first to get their hands on the gadget. A spokesman for one US shop said it expected the device to sell out on its first day. The 24 games for the mini console include Ape Academy, Formula One, Wipeout Pure and Fired Up. Movie studios, including Lions Gate Entertainment and Disney, have also announced forthcoming film titles that will be made available on the UMD format. France starts digital terrestrial France has become the last big European country to launch a digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service. Initially, more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. Despite the long wait for a French DTT roll-out, the new platform\'s backers hope to emulate the success of its UK free-to-air counterpart, Freeview. Recent figures from the UK\'s regulator Ofcom showed Freeview was more popular than the Sky digital satellite service. In the three months to September 2004, almost five times as many people signed up to the UK\'s free-to-air DTT service compared with Sky. Almost 60% of UK households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable, satellite or Freeview. The French DTT platform is known as TNT, which stands for TV numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. But it is being branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or "digital television for all". TNT is a joint venture between public broadcaster France Televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. Digital terrestrial TV will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with, adding pay-TV channels later. Thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated. "A couple of years ago, DTT had a bad image," said Olivier Gerolami, chief operating officer of TNT. "But everyone\'s impressed with DTT in the UK, Italy and Germany, and they realise it is a very good idea. "France is the poorest market in Europe in terms of free-to-air national channels, so it has the potential to be one of the biggest DTT markets," Mr Gerolami added in remarks quoted by the US entertainment industry paper Variety. TNT aims to reach 35% of France\'s population at launch, from 17 transmission sites. The transmission area will initially include Paris, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse. Eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. Digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). A recent survey by Mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of DTT, and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. Consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sagem, Sony and Thomson are gearing up for production. The Conseil Superieur de l\'Audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator, said: "Following the recent success of Freeview in the UK, some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects". Media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. The CSA said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable, but the future of the remaining TV viewers required action by the public sector. For the most part, they are people living in mountainous or border areas, which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial TV for years. Up to 15 pay-TV channels will launch on DTT between September 2005 and March 2006. Leading pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. Free-to-air services will be broadcast in MPEG-2 format. But pay-TV operators will be allowed to broadcast in MPEG-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (HD) subscription services in the future. TNT expects between 700,000 and one million DTT set-top boxes to be sold in 2005. "It is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off," said Mr Gerolami, "but we\'re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in France." Other analysts were less optimistic, predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-TV subscriptions. "We think free DTT could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-TV in France," said Henri de Bodinat, vice-president of the Arthur D. Little consultancy. T-Mobile bets on \'pocket office\' T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access. Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company\'s existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola\'s MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile\'s chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already. In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000. It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK\'s London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move. "We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February. Apple laptop is \'greatest gadget\' The Apple Powerbook 100 has been chosen as the greatest gadget of all time, by US magazine Mobile PC. The 1991 laptop was chosen because it was one of the first "lightweight" portable computers and helped define the layout of all future notebook PCs. The magazine has compiled an all-time top 100 list of gadgets, which includes the Sony Walkman at number three and the 1956 Zenith remote control at two. Gadgets needed moving parts and/or electronics to warrant inclusion. The magazine staff compiled the list and specified that gadgets also needed to be a "self-contained apparatus that can be used on its own, not a subset of another device". "In general we included only items that were potentially mobile," said the magazine. "In the end, we tried to get to the heart of what really makes a gadget a gadget," it concluded. The oldest "gadget" in the top 100 is the abacus, which the magazine dates at 190 A.D., and put in 60th place. Other pre-electronic gadgets in the top 100 include the sextant from 1731 (59th position), the marine chronometer from 1761 (42nd position) and the Kodak Brownie camera from 1900 (28th position). The Tivo personal video recorder is the newest device to make the top 10, which also includes the first flash mp3 player (Diamond Multimedia), as well as the first "successful" digital camera (Casio QV-10) and mobile phone (Motorola Startac). The most popular gadget of the moment, the Apple iPod, is at number 12 in the list while the first Sony transistor radio is at number 13. Sony\'s third entry in the top 20 is the CDP-101 CD player from 1983. "Who can forget the crystalline, hiss-free blast of Madonna\'s Like A Virgin emanating from their first CD player?" asked the magazine. Karl Elsener\'s knife, the Swiss Army Knife from 1891, is at number 20 in the list. Gadgets which could be said to feature surprisingly low down in the list include the original telephone (23rd), the Nintendo GameBoy (25th), and the Pulsar quartz digital watch (36th). The list also contains plenty of oddities: the Pez sweet dispenser (98th), 1990s toy Tamagotchi (86th) and the bizarre Ronco inside the shell egg scrambler (84th). Almost everyone has a mobile phone, how many people own a Powerbook? or an iPod? The findings of this magazine are not very convincing. What about the magnetic compass? We still use it 1,000 years after it was invented. I am amazed by the obsession with individual gadgets rather than genre. For example the Sony walkman was the first truly portable way of listening to your own music on the move whereas Minidisc, Flash MP3, portable CD players etc. are really just improvements in technology. My favourite \'true\' gadgets are probably my portable MiniDisc player and the little battery powered whizzy thing I use to froth up my coffee! Calm down it\'s only in their opinion, and any list that includes the Taser in the top 100 gadgets has to be suspect.... Swiss army knife and no question about it. How many of the other items are still relatively unchanged from the original idea and still as useful/popular? You don\'t need a laptop or even a pocket calculator to work that one out! This list merely illustrates interesting cultural divides between the American authors and the overwhelmingly British responses. Brits see no further than mobile phones and the over thirties Sinclair; whilst the Americans focus on Apple, TV remotes and TiVO (which probably is rather obscure in Europe). What about the Soda Stream. This gadget changed my pre-teen life. Lap tops may enable you to "think different, but you cant use them to "get busy with the fizzy" How about Astro Wars, one of the pioneers for computer games, i remember spending many an hour playing this and it still works today! However tried it the other day and it was rubbish, still a great gadget of its time. Why worry about mobile phones. Soon they will be subsumed into the PDA\'s / laptops etc. What about the Marine Chronometer? Completely revolutionised navigation for boats and was in use for centuries. For it\'s time, a technological marvel! Sony Net Minidisc! It paved the way for more mp3 player to explode onto the market. I always used my NetMD, and could not go anywhere without it. A laptop computer is not a gadget! It\'s a working tool! The Sinclair Executive was the world\'s first pocket calculator. I think this should be there as well. How about the clockwork radio? Or GPS? Or a pocket calculator? All these things are useful to real people, not just PC magazine editors. Are the people who created this list insane ? Surely the most important gadget of the modern age is the mobile phone? It has revolutionised communication, which is more than can be said for a niche market laptop. From outside the modern age, the marine chronometer is the single most important gadget, without which modern transportation systems would not have evolved so quickly. Has everyone forgot about the Breville pie maker?? An interesting list. Of the electronic gadgets, thousands of journalists in the early 1980s blessed the original noteboook pc - the Tandy 100. The size of A4 paper and light, three weeks on a set of batteries, an excellent keyboard, a modem. A pity Tandy did not make it DOS compatible. What\'s an Apple Powerbook 100 ? It\'s out of date - not much of a "gadget". Surely it has to be something simple / timeless - the tin opener, Swiss Army Knife, safety razor blade, wristwatch or the thing for taking stones out of horses hooves ? It has to be the mobile phone. No other single device has had such an effect on our way of living in such a short space of time. The ball point pen has got to be one of the most used and common gadgets ever. Also many might be grateful for the pocket calculator which was a great improvement over the slide rule. The Casio pocket calculator that played a simple game and made tinny noises was also a hot gadget in 1980. A true gadget, it could be carried around and shown off. All top 10 are electronic toys, so the list is probably a better reflection of the current high-tech obsession than anything else. I say this as the Swiss Army Knife only made No 20. Sinclair QL a machine far ahead of its time. The first home machine with a true multi-takings OS. Shame the marketing was so bad!!! Apple.. a triumph of fashion over... well everything else. Utter rubbish. Yes, the Apple laptop and Sony Walkman are classic gadgets. But to call the sextant and the marine chronometer \'gadgets\' and rank them as less important than a TV remote control reveals a quite shocking lack of historical perspective. The former literally helped change the world by vastly improving navigation at see. The latter is the seed around which the couch potato culture has developed. No competition. I\'d also put Apple\'s Newton and the first Palm Pilot there as the front runners for portable computing, and possibly the Toshiba Libretto for the same reason. I only wish that Vulcan Inc\'s Flipstart wasn\'t just vapourware otherwise it would be at the top. How did a laptop ever manage to beat off the challenge of the wristwatch or the telephone (mobile or otherwise)? What about radios and TVs? The swiss army knife. By far the most useful gadget. I got mine 12 years ago. Still wearing and using it a lot! It stood the test of time. Psion Organiser series 3, should be up there. Had a usable qwerty keyboard, removable storage, good set of apps and programmable. Case design was good (batteries in the hinge - a first, I think). Great product innovation. The first mobile PC was voted best gadget by readers of...err... mobile PC?! Why do you keep putting these obviously biased lists on your site? It\'s obviously the mobile phone or remote control, and readers of a less partisan publication would tell you that. The Motorola Startac should be Number One. Why? There will be mobile phones long after notebook computers and other gadgets are either gone or integrated in communications devices. The Psion series 3c! The first most practical way to carry all your info around... I too would back the Sinclair Spectrum - without this little beauty I would never have moved into the world of IT and earn the living that I do now. I\'d have put the mobile phone high up the list. Probably a Nokia model. Sinclair Spectrum - 16k. It plugged into the tv. Games were rubbish but it gave me a taste for programming and that\'s what I do for a living now. I wish more modern notebooks -- even Apple\'s newest offerings -- were more like the PB100. Particularly disheartening is the demise of the trackball, which has given way to the largely useless "trackpad" which every notebook on the market today uses. They\'re invariably inaccurate, uncomfortable, and cumbersome to use. Congratulations to Apple, a deserved win! Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Peer-to-peer nets \'here to stay\' Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts. Once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year, firms will be very keen to try and make money from P2P technology. The expert panel probed the future of P2P at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in January. The first convictions for P2P piracy were handed out in the US in January. William Trowbridge and Michael Chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. Since the first successful file-sharing network Napster was forced to close down, the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of P2P technology, blaming it for falling sales and piracy. But that is going to change very soon, according to the panel. The music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate P2P networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. But they have slowly realised that P2P is a good way to distribute content, said Travis Kalanick, founder and chairman of P2P network Red Swoosh, and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. They are just waiting to come up with "business models" that work for them, which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards. But, until the legal actions are resolved, experimentation with P2P cannot not happen, said Michael Weiss, president of StreamCast Networks. Remembering the furore around VCRs when they first came out, Mr Weiss said: "Old media always tries to stop new media. "When they can\'t stop it, they try to control it. Then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money." Once the courts decided that the VCR in itself was not an illegal technology, the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. In August 2004, the San Francisco-based US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Grokster and StreamCast, two file-sharing networks. The court said they were essentially in the same position that Sony was in the 1980s VCR battle, and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal. P2P networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. Instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. There are now many different types of P2P systems than work in different ways. P2P nets can be used to share any kind of file, like photos, free software, licensed music and any other digital content. The BBC has already decided to embrace the technology. It aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use P2P technology to distribute them. The files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. But the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. The global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month, and about half a million films are downloaded a day. Legal music download services, like Apple iTunes, Napster, have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. Sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months, the IFPI reported this week. But such download services are very different from P2P networks, not least because of the financial aspect. There are several money-spinning models that could turn P2P into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. Paid-for-pass-along, in which firms receive money each time a file is shared, along with various DRM solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered. "We see there are going to be different models for commoditising P2P," said Marc Morgenstern, vice president of anti-piracy firm Overpeer. "Consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together," agreed Mr Morgenstern. But many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry\'s potential controlling grip on content and P2P technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. Unsigned bands, for example, use P2P networks to distribute their music effectively, which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign. "Increasingly, what you are seeing on P2P is consumer-created content," said Derek Broes, from Microsoft. "They will probably play an increasing role in helping P2P spread," he said. Looking into P2P\'s future, file sharing is just the beginning for P2P networks, as far as Mr Broes is concerned. "Once some of these issues are resolved, you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content, but also in ways that are unimaginable now," he said. "File-sharing is the tip of the iceberg." Cebit fever takes over Hanover Thousands of products and tens of thousands of visitors make Cebit the place to be for technology lovers. "Welcome to CeBit 2005" was the message from the pilot as we landed, the message on flyers at the airport, and the message on just about every billboard in town. CeBit fever has taken over Hanover. Hotels have been booked out for months; local people are letting out rooms in their homes to the hoards of exhibitors, visitors, and journalists. CeBit itself is huge, the exhibition site could almost be classified as a town in its own right. There are restaurants, shops, and a bus service between the halls - of which there are 27. There are more than 6,000 companies here, showing their latest products. The list of them that I was given when I came in is the size and weight of a phone book. One of the mains themes this year is the digital home, and one of the key buzzwords is convergence. The "entertainment PC" is being billed as the replacement for DVD players, stereos, telephones and computers - offering a one-box solution, wirelessly connected throughout a house. To show them off, one display has been modelled as a prototype "digital lifestyle home" by German magazine Computer Reseller News. "We wanted to show how this fits into a living room or workplace, to give people a feeling how it would work in their homes," said Claudia Neulling from the magazine. The house has webcams for security in each room, which can be called up on the high definition TV, connected to the PC in the living room. That PC provides home entertainment, movies or music. It can also be linked to the car parked outside, which is kitted out with a processor of its own, along with a DVD player and cordless headphones for the kids in the back. "Convergence for me is about how technology, the transfer of data, can do things that make it easier and more convenient for me as a consumer," said Mark Brailey, director of corporate marketing for Intel. "The real challenge is to show people it\'s easier than they think, and fun." He firmly believes that entertainment PCs are the future, but says they have to get past people\'s fears of frequent crashes and incompatibilities. That is something Microsoft is trying to do too - its stand has computers running Windows XP Media Centre edition 2005 for people to try out. Mobile phones do not escape the convergence theme. Samsung is showing off its SGH-i300, a handset with a three gigabyte hard drive, that can be used to watch compressed video or as an MP3 player. And if you would rather watch live TV than a downloaded movie NEC is showing a phone, on sale in China, which can show analogue TV on its colour screen. "I think the most probable application is at somewhere like the train station - if you want to check the status of the soccer game for example" said Koji Umemoto, manager of mobile terminals marketing for NEC. He admitted that the signal quality is not very good if you are on the move, and they do not have plans to launch it in Europe at the moment. Nokia was happy to demonstrate its 6230i, an upgrade to the very popular 6230. It now has a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a music player that can handle multiple formats, rather than just MP3s. It is also compatible with Nokia\'s new Visual Radio technology. The handset can receive FM broadcasts, and the user can interact with compatible broadcasts using a GPRS connection, to take part in competitions or get extra information such as the name of the song playing. Most companies are reluctant to show prototypes, preferring to display products that are already on sale, or just about to hit the market. Portable media player firm Creative showed off a new wireless technology, based on magnetic inductance rather than radio - a system some hearing aids use. "The benefits over conventional Bluetooth are the lack of interference, and longer battery life," said Riccardo de Rinaldini, Creative\'s European marketing manager. The firm has a prototype headset linked up to a Zen Micro player. The transmitter on the player creates a private, magnetic "bubble" around the user, which is picked up by the headset. The range is only about one metre so it is only suitable for personal use. A single AAA battery is said to last up to 30 hours. Creative expects it to hit the market in its final form later this year. Even clothing is likely to be part of the convergence trend. Adidas has a trainer which, according to Susanne Risse from the company, can "sense, understand, and adapt to your running style". It has a battery, processor, and motor embedded in the sole. Buttons on the side allow you to set the amount of cushioning you would like by adjusting the tension on a cable running through the heel. The processor then monitors the surface you are running on, and adjusts the tension accordingly. It is being billed as "the world\'s first intelligent shoe". Be careful how you code A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson. If it gets its way, the Dutch government will conclude its presidency of the European Union by pushing through a controversial measure that has been rejected by the European Parliament, lacks majority support from national governments and will leave millions of European citizens in legal limbo and facing the possibility of court cases against them. If the new law was about border controls, defence or even the new constitution, then our TV screens would be full of experts agonising over the impact on our daily lives. Sadly for those who will be directly affected, the controversy concerns the patenting of computer programs, a topic that may excite the bloggers, campaigning groups and technical press but does not obsess Middle Britain. After all, how much fuss can you generate about the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions, and the way it amends Article 52 of the 1973 European Patent Convention? Yet if the new directive is nodded through at the next meeting of one of the EU\'s ministerial councils, as seems likely, it will allow programs to be patented in Europe just as they are in the US. Many observers of the computing scene, including myself, think the results will be disastrous for small companies, innovative programmers and the free and open source software movement. It will let large companies patent all sorts of ideas and give legal force to those who want to limit their competitors\' use of really obvious ideas. In the US you cannot build a system that stores customer credit card details so that they can pay without having to re-enter them unless Amazon lets you, because they hold the patent on "one-click" online purchase. It is a small invention, but Amazon made it to the patent office first and now owns it. We are relatively free from this sort of thing over here, but perhaps not for long. The new proposals go back to 2002, although argument about patentability of software and computer-implemented inventions has been going on since at least the mid-1980s. They have come to a head now after a year in which proposals were made, endorsed by the Council of Ministers, radically modified by the European Parliament and then re-presented in their original form. Some national governments seem to be aware of the problems. Poland has rejected the proposal and Germany\'s main political parties have opposed it, but there is not enough opposition to guarantee their rejection. Early in December the British government held a consultation meeting with those who had commented on the proposals. Science Minister Lord Sainsbury went along to listen and outline the UK position, but according to those present, it was embarrassing to see how little the minister and his officials actually understood the issues concerned. The draft Directive is being put through the council as what is called an "A" item and can only be approved or rejected. No discussion or amendment is allowed. So why should we be worried? First, there is the abuse of the democratic process involved in disregarding the views of the parliament and abandoning all of their carefully argued amendments. This goes to the heart of the European project, and even those who do not care about software or patents should be worried. If coders are treated like this today, who is to say that it will not be you tomorrow? More directly, once software patents are granted then any programmer will have to worry that the code they are writing is infringing someone else\'s patent. This is not about stealing software, as code is already protected by copyright. Patents are not copyright, but something much stronger. A patent gives the owner the right to stop anyone else using their invention, even if the other person invented it separately. I have never, to my shame, managed to read Lord Byron\'s Childe Harold\'s Pilgrimage. If it was pointed out that one of my articles contained a substantial chunk of the poem then I could defend myself in court by claiming that I had simply made it up and it was coincidence. The same does not hold for a patent. If I sit down this afternoon and write a brilliant graphics compression routine and it happens to be the same as the LZW algorithm used in GIF files, then I am in trouble under patent law, at least in the US. Coincidence is no defence. The proposed directive is supported by many of the major software companies, but this is hardly surprising since most of them are US-based and they have already had to cope with a legal environment that allows patents. They have legal departments and, more crucially, patents of their own which they can trade or cross-license with other patent holders. Even this system breaks down, of course, as Microsoft found out last year when they initially lost a case brought by Eolas which claimed that Internet Explorer (and other browsers) infringed an Eolas patent. That one was eventually thrown out, but only after months of uncertainty and millions of dollars. But small companies, and the free and open software movement do not have any patents to trade. Much of the really useful software we use every day, programs like the Apache web server, the GNU/Linux operating system and the fearsomely popular Firefox browser, is developed outside company structures by people who do not have legal departments to check for patent infringements. The damage to software will not happen overnight, of course. If the directive goes through it has to be written into national laws and then there will be a steady stream of legal actions against small companies and open source products. Eventually someone will decide to attack Linux directly, probably with some secret funding from one or two large players. The new directive will limit innovation by forcing programmers to spend time checking for patent infringements or simply avoiding working in potentially competitive areas. And it will damage Europe\'s computer industry. We can only hope that the Council of Ministers has the integrity and strength to reject this bad law. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. Losing yourself in online gaming Online role playing games are time-consuming, but enthralling flights from reality. But are some people taking their fantasy lives too seriously? When video game World of Warcraft hit the shops in Europe last week fans wrote in to the BBC website to express their delight - and to offer a warning. "An addiction to a game like this is far more costly in time than any substance could impair - keep track of time," wrote Travis Anderson, in Texas. Some of the comments were humorous: "This game is so good I\'m not going to get it, there\'s no way I could limit the hours I\'d spend playing it," wrote Charles MacIntyre, from England. But some struck a more worrying tone about the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG): "\'You need to get out more\' could be the motto of any MMORPG. Shame they are getting more popular, as you know this problem is just going to mushroom," wrote Stuart Stanton-Davies, in Huddersfield. Scare-mongering articles about "addictive video games" have existed since the days the first game of Pong stopped everyone from working at the Atari offices. Gaming is like any other pastime - it can quickly become an unhealthy obsession, whether it is spending too much time in the gym, in front of the television, or reading poetry. Unfortunately, gaming and addiction is a far too easy association to make. However, stories about gamers spending 10 to 15 hours a day in front of some video games are becoming more frequent. And the impact that is having on their families is quite distressing for some. Massively multiplayer online role playing games - MMORPGs - allow thousands of gamers to share a common experience of sharing fantasy or science fiction worlds. The scope of these games - like Warcraft, EverQuest, Ultima among others - is epic, and exploration and adventure is almost infinite. Part of the "problem" is grinding - by which gamers have to perform long-winded, mindless tasks, to bring up their levels and gain access to more adventure. Such open-endedness brings with it a desire to keep playing; not for no reason is EverQuest (EQ) nicknamed EverCrack. E Hayot, writing in the culture blogzine Print Culture, said recently: "I used to play the online role-playing game EverQuest a lot. "By \'a lot\', I mean probably 15 to 20 hours a week on average, and on weeks where I didn\'t have to work, as many as 30 or 40 hours." He says that in the world of online gaming such behaviour "wasn\'t that unusual; lots of people I knew in the game played EQ that much". "You lie; you don\'t go into work because you "had stuff to do at home"; you cancel or refuse invitations to dinner, you spend much less time watching TV (a good thing, presumably)," he wrote, explaining how EverQuest took over his time. He quit the game, he says, because he realised life was more fun than EverQuest. Let us be clear - such obsession is rare. But the huge growth in online gaming means a growth in the numbers of people who take their passion for a hobby too far. Almost 400,000 people bought a copy of World of Warcraft in the first two days on sale earlier this month. Only a fraction will descend into obsessives. The thoughts of families and friends of gamers who have been affected by EverQuest can be found on one blog EverQuest Daily Grind. Jane, who runs the website, compiles a chronicle of heart-rending stories. "I am actually convinced at this point that there are more than \'some\' people who spend more times in MMOPRGs than in reality," she said. One unnamed correspondent - all are anonymous - wrote: "On the rare nights when my husband does come to bed at the same time as I do, I find that I am so used to sleeping by myself that it is difficult to get to sleep with another body laying next to me. "I can\'t talk to him while he is playing. There is absolutely no point as he doesn\'t hear me or is so distracted that I get a \'ummm... ya\' a few minutes after I ask him a question." "Gaming widows" has become a comedic term for women who have been shut out by male gamers. But for some it is not in the least funny. Another correspondent wrote: "I believe that he is addicted to the online gaming, and that is the cause of his depression and restlessness." And some of them are even sadder: "Today our son was five days old. "The sad truth is my husband spent 11 hours today playing his Warcraft game. He did not interact with our sweet tiny baby because there were important quests waiting online." Video game fans often complain that their hobby is misunderstood or marginalised. But as gaming becomes ever more mainstream, and games ever more immersive, there will be no hiding place for social problems. I wish 30-40 hours a week was unusual but I think it probably isn\'t. An 11 hour stretch isn\'t that surprising - I\'ve known people to play 15+ hours at a stretch. I know of people who are spending their week\'s holiday from work playing Warcraft. I know of people who would play Ever[Crack] in shifts...waking at 3am to take over from their friends and resume waiting for an item they \'needed\' to appear. I understand that the key sign of an addiction is if you alter your life around it rather than fit it into your life. By all standards many of us are addicts. So is the solution to force ourselves to stop playing..or do we just need to make real life a bit more interesting? Sadly with all the talk of people becoming obsessed with gaming, I find myself longing to have the time to join them. I have been in a long term relationship for over 4 years - since that began, games have become more and more complex. And more and more so I find I have less and less time to play them, with and marriage and work being the main drag on my time. I think the line between playing a game a lot and a gaming addiction is really quite distinct. I play games a lot, definately over 20 hours a week, but I don\'t go missing work or other commitments in order to play games. I have, about a year ago, deleted every game on my computer. RPGs are the worst - the real world fades and all your worries sorround a new magic staff or mighty sword. Unlike books, or perhaps even TV, you gain absolutely nothing. When you stop playing you\'re at the same point as when you started; all the achievements of your 10 hour session are irretrievably locked in the game and, since you\'ve gained nothing in the real world, you may as well pile on more achievement in the fake one. Despite having little monetary value, the "rewards" and encouragement offered by these MMORPGs is enough to hook games for hours daily. If only business could learn to leverage that very simply human need for easily measurable progress and recognition. Perhaps the unhealthily obsessed simply need more recognition for their achievements in reality? My advice to gaming widows is "if you can\'t beat \'em, join \'em". That is, try playing it yourself. If he wants to play as well, well at least you\'ll be together somewhere... I was an addict and it cost me my relationship. I still play now, but without the guilt , hehe, How long have i played in one sitting? From morning till the early hours of the next day, the birds were singing out side and i had to hobble to the bath room cos my bladder was so full i was in pain, i would hardly eat, perhaps some toast, smoke endlessly and drink. Now, thankfully the fascination has worn off and I have a girlfriend but still no job. For the most part online gaming give me an adiction to illusory achievement, and as there is no end in sight you keep going for the mirage of the ultimate. Obsessive behaviour is, of course, always cause for concern, but it always bothers me when articles about gaming talk in terms of "reality". Obviously, somebody who spends thirty hours a week playing EverQuest has a problem. This problem, however, has nothing to do with a dysfunctional sense of reality. An obsessive EQ player does not consider the game to be "real" any more than - for example - an obsessive automotive tinkerer considers their car to be human. If MMORPGs have a unique danger, in terms of encouraging obsessive behaviour, it is not that they create an absorbing virtual world, but rather that they can be easily accessed 24/7. The problem here does not lie with the nature of gaming, but with the nature of modern 24 hour culture. The problem with these so called MMORPGS is that you can never really complete them, there\'s always another quest to do. A few of my friends have only had about 10 hours sleep since it was released friday... Championship Manager consumed my life for years. One particular session started at about 2pm on a Sunday, paused for a brief sleep at 5am on the Monday and after visit to University for classes restarted at about midday for another 10 hour session. The people who tend to hark on about about the problems of "hardcore gaming" seem to be those who have rarely allowed themselves to become immersed in a game. I would expect their perspective to change if they were to do that. I used to be an EverQuest addict while I was in college. It came to the point where the gaming world felt more real than the real one. I failed alot of my courses and was able to barely graduate. I was lucky that I came to my senses when I did, others were less fortunate and dropped out of college. Now that I am holding a job, I avoid online RPGS like the plague. When I was made redundant I told my partner I had a new job for three months whilst every day I played EverQuest from 7:30am till 5:pm. When She came home I pretended I had just got in as well, hence justifying playing it all evening. I have since quit playing MMORPG and have a good job. When I got to the point where I was eating my dinner in front of the PC I realised things were getting silly so I\'m trying not to spend so much time on there. It\'s not easy. I feel as if I\'ve got a real addiction going on here. For me the problem is that I love to complete a goal. Once it is completed that is it, I am finished, time to move on. I become obsessed to complete the goal, so from that standpoint it is an addiction. In a game where you will never complete an "ultimate" goal, well it would be like falling into a black pit. It is easier to escape into a controlled fantasy world than face reality at times - in other words the goal offered in the PC game are "easier" and more fun than the real world. Pretty scary implications if you think about it. I can\'t buy World of Warcraft as it would destroy my marrage, I just know it!! I played Star Wars Galaxies for about a year and can attest to the addictiveness of these games. They are all engineered in such a way that early on in the game you progress quickly, but this progress becomes exponentially slower, requiring more and more time to reach the next level. I\'m sad to say that at the peak of my addiction I was spending entire weekends in front of my monitor, slowly building up my character, stopping only for food and toilet breaks. Thankfully I made a clean break, and actually managed to sell my Jedi account for £800 - which is my only sanity check in an otherwise completely unproductive time vacuum. Seven years ago, I began playing Ultima Online. This game dominated 2 years of my life. They were 2 wonderful years and I still have vivid memories of the experiences and friends I had. Online gaming can be a world of escapism where you can be yourself without fear of the thoughts of others. Something that cannot always be achieved in the day to day running of a normal life. Whilst I would warn against people giving to much of there life to these games, I believe they are a better way to spend your time than say watching TV. Gaming is addictive and should be made a recognised addiction. When I was single I used to play upto eight hours a night after work every night for about a year, building up my stats, completing evermore quests and battling ogres. But somehow I found time to get out, even met someone and got married! Has my life changed? Hell no! I still cast spells and battle till the early hours of the morning. On with the fun! Online gaming should be enjoyed just as much as you would enjoy watching television, or going to the cinema or the pub with your mates. Many people use recreational drugs on an occasional basis and are able to lead succesfull lives with families, relationships and good careers. A minority allow drugs to take over and destroy their lives and become addicted. According to this article the same is true of MMORPGs. The message to the government is clear, either legalise drugs, or outlaw online gaming!! Sounds like there are some sad stories here - and I can believe them all. I play alot of Warcraft myself, and know full well how addictive it is. I am resolute that it will not take over my life. It certainly gets in the way though. I think that some people simply do not know how to draw this line, or lack the willpower to stop themselves stepping over it. I think I\'m obsessed with gaming in general, I spend far too much time playing games like Everquest 2 and Football Manager rather than going out and interacting with real people and when I do try to, I\'m always thinking in the back if my mind that I\'d rather be in front of the computer winning the league with Cambridge United. I am obsessed with online role playing games. It\'s not so much quests but it has the adrenaline of a real life situation - goals to achieve etc. I spend about five hours per day online playing it and I rarely get more than four to five hours sleep before getting up for work the next morning... As many of the players spend their time in MMORPGs rather than in front of the TV I fail to see how it will affect players social lives negatively. Furthermore these types of games contain a huge social aspect, whereas other games and some other pursuits (such as being a couch potato) the players could be indulging in are solitary by nature. These games are like most things -- too much of anything is a bad thing, but as long as you can walk away from the computer to do other things too, they can be great fun. Living in Korea at the moment, they have lots PC Bangs (Internet Cafes). Nearly most of South Koreans are addicted to online games, and one Korean died because of the lack of food and water he had through playing online games. I play xbox live every day. I find my self lying and rescheduling everything around my gaming fix. The longest I played was a 24 hour straight session. I know I play for to long but it\'s an obsession that I can\'t control. Can you reccomend a counsellor - this is not a wind up... but something I\'m increasingly concerned with... Me and my mate play online for an hour or two a day, we\'re both aware of how much time can disappear by sitting in front of a TV, trying to \'frag\' some individual. It\'s getting the balance between getting home and relasing the stress of a day by an hour or so gaming, and enjoying \'real\' life... I bought the US version of World of Warcraft when it came out. The longest period I played was 23 hrs straight. I gave up the game after a month because it was so addictive, but have subsequently just bought the European version (couldn\'t help myself). In future, I\'m going to regulate my time far more strictly. Great game! Having played MMORPG games for some years I agree that these type of games can be life sucking. But my concern is for the younger generation of gamers that play for hours on end in an adult enviroment. Most MMORPG games you need a credit card to play but I dont think parents know just what they are letting there children into. Unless there is undeniable medical proof that staring at a computer screens for hours at a time can damage a person¿s health, you can expect this not to decline but to get worse. These people are pathetic. They need to get off their machines and notice that our world is being swiftly overcome by issues and troubles that make the trifling worries of and "online universe" absolutely meaningless. 24hours, when i was a kid at school and i was on half term, Ultima Online was the game, ahhhh them was the days ! LOL ',
'France': 'T-Mobile bets on \'pocket office\' T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access. Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company\'s existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola\'s MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile\'s chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already. In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000. It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK\'s London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move. "We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February. Cheaper chip for mobiles A mobile phone chip which combines a modem and a computer processor on one bit of silicon instead of two could make phones cheaper and more powerful. The specially-designed chip, developed by Texas Instruments, could drive down the cost of making mobiles capable of 3D gaming and 30-frame-a-second video. Currently, rich multimedia features tend to be on more expensive handsets. The technology, OMAP-Vox, is being tested by firms in Europe and Asia and could appear by the end of the year. Texas, which makes computer chips for more than half the world\'s mobile phones, said it was keen to make multimedia functions like video and gaming more affordable. "We\'re going to drive them down into meat-and-potatoes phones that have the largest market share," said Doug Rasor, a marketing vice president at Texas. The chip also uses much less power than conventional chips, said Texas, which means less strain on mobile battery life. More than 50 million people own a mobile in the UK, but mobile operators are keen to encourage people to move onto more sophisticated handsets that can do more. Texas is keen to cash in on the third generation (3G) of mobile technology, which offers high-speed networks for video streaming and other multimedia functions. But it faces stiff competition from the likes of Intel which is also looking to provide better chips for high-end mobiles. Competition to get people using 3G mobiles will grow in the next year as almost all of the UK\'s operators have now launched third generation networks. A recent survey by Sony Ericsson predicted that the number of 3G handsets sold in 2005 would double from 2004 to account for 10% of all phones sold. Many consumers are still to be convinced though. A further recent survey said that only 4% of mobile owners were thinking of upgrading to 3G phones. Many said they were confused about the different ways to pay for phones and the vast array of features most have onboard. But there will be continued demand for better chips as the industry continues to develop new standards and future networks. Earlier in January, NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone joined forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks, known as "super 3G", intended to be 10 times faster than 3G services. The first stage of development is to be completed by 2007, but no date has been set for a commercial launch The newly-designed OMAP-Vox chip set was announced ahead of the start of a major mobile industry conference, 3GSM, which takes place in Cannes, France this week. Concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Broadband takes on TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Broadband challenges TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Europe backs digital TV lifestyle How people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change, following the launch of an ambitious European project. In Nice last week, the European Commission announced its Networked & Electronic Media (NEM) initiative. Its broad scope stretches from the way media is created, through each of the stages of its distribution, to its playback. The Commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly, when on the move, at home or at work, no matter who supplies the devices, network, content, or content protection scheme. More than 120 experts were in Nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as Nokia, Intel, Philips, Alcatel, France Telecom, Thomson and Telefonica. It might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. But again and again, speakers stated they could not see incompatible, stand-alone solutions working. A long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required. The European Commission is being pragmatic in its approach. They have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that NEM encompasses. The NEM approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline, pick out the best, bring them together and identify where the gaps are. Where it finds holes, it will develop standards to fill them. What is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. This is bound to please, if not surprise, many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. Many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the Commission will be to identify a solution for different Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes. Currently DRM solutions are incompatible, locking certain types of purchased content, making them unplayable on all platforms. With the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally, the prize for being the supplier of the world\'s dominant DRM scheme is huge. Although entertainment is an obvious first step, it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare, energy efficiency and control of the smart home. The 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the EC has been funding for a number of years. Simon Perry is the editor of the Digital Lifestyles website, which covers the impact of technology on media UK broadband gets speed injection Broadband\'s rapid rise continues apace as speeds gear up a notch. An eight megabit service has been launched by internet service provider UK Online. It is 16 times faster than the average broadband package on the market and will pave the way for services such as video-on-demand and broadband TV. The service is possible due to a new regime which allows other operators to use BT\'s exchanges and will initially only be available in towns. It represents a "big leap forward" for broadband, said Chris Stening, UK Online general manager. The service comes with a hefty £39.99 monthly price tag but will mean users can download MP3s in seconds and offers TV-quality video streaming. The service includes WiFi as standard, meaning users can connect multiple PCs, laptops and game consoles from any room in the house. Not everybody will be able to take advantage of the service, as it will be restricted to metropolitan areas. The service will initially be available to users within 2km radius of 230 telephone exchanges in areas such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cambridge. That represents about 4.4 million households. The service is possible due to a decision to loosen BT\'s strangle-hold on telephone exchanges. The process, known as local loop unbundling, was put in motion by the now defunct telecoms watchdog Oftel but has only proved popular in recent months due to falling costs. UK Online is looking at the possibility of bundling services such as cheap net telephone calls, video-on-demand and TV by 2005 if the service proves popular. "The service is twice as fast as any other service on offer in the UK and 16 times faster than most broadband services," said Mr Stening. "It takes a big leap for broadband and we are very excited about it," he said. Countries such as South Korea and France have found the advantage of upping the speeds of broadband. In South Korea, video-on-demand over the net is cheaper than renting a DVD and online gaming is huge. Mr Stening believes the service will appeal to people in multi-occupancy buildings as well as easing family arguments. "A typical family with two adults and two children is currently sharing a 512 kilobit service. This will basically give them 2 megabits each," he said. Europe backs digital TV lifestyle How people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change, following the launch of an ambitious European project. In Nice last week, the European Commission announced its Networked & Electronic Media (NEM) initiative. Its broad scope stretches from the way media is created, through each of the stages of its distribution, to its playback. The Commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly, when on the move, at home or at work, no matter who supplies the devices, network, content, or content protection scheme. More than 120 experts were in Nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as Nokia, Intel, Philips, Alcatel, France Telecom, Thomson and Telefonica. It might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. But again and again, speakers stated they could not see incompatible, stand-alone solutions working. A long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required. The European Commission is being pragmatic in its approach. They have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that NEM encompasses. The NEM approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline, pick out the best, bring them together and identify where the gaps are. Where it finds holes, it will develop standards to fill them. What is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. This is bound to please, if not surprise, many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. Many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the Commission will be to identify a solution for different Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes. Currently DRM solutions are incompatible, locking certain types of purchased content, making them unplayable on all platforms. With the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally, the prize for being the supplier of the world\'s dominant DRM scheme is huge. Although entertainment is an obvious first step, it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare, energy efficiency and control of the smart home. The 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the EC has been funding for a number of years. Simon Perry is the editor of the Digital Lifestyles website, which covers the impact of technology on media Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Hollywood to sue net film pirates The US movie industry has launched legal action to sue people who facilitate illegal film downloading. The Motion Picture Association of America wants to stop people using the program BitTorrent to swap movies. The industry is targeting people who run websites which provide information and internet links to movies which have been copied or filmed in cinemas. More than 100 server operators have been targeted in the actions launched in the US and UK, the MPAA added. The suits were filed against users of the file-sharing programs BitTorrent, eDonkey and DirectConnect in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Finland and the Netherlands, the MPAA said. BitTorrent users can download movies by following a link to files which are found on websites called trackers. Unlike most peer-to-peer programs BitTorrent works by sharing a file, which could be anything from a legitimate digital photo to a copied movie, among multiple users at the same time. The movie industry hopes that suing the people who run the trackers will cut BitTorrent users off from illegal movies at source. Last month major film studios started legal action against 200 individuals who were swapping films online. The growth in broadband has made it quicker for people to download movies and the industry fears that if it does not take action now, it could suffer the same downturn as the music industry. Broadband soars in 2004 If broadband were a jumbo jet, then 2003 would have seen it taxiing down the runway, firing up its engines and preparing for take-off. But this year has seen it soar. In the spring it literally took to the skies as Lufthansa and British Airways trialled it on flights. This perhaps said more about how indispensable people were beginning to perceive the technology, rather than how useful sky-high broadband would actually be. It was flying high and by the autumn, five million Britons had signed up for high-speed net access at home. Such enthusiasm is unlikely to dampen any time soon and experts predict that by the end of next year the numbers will have risen to more than eight million, or more than 30% of homes. The two key factors in whetting people\'s appetite were falling prices and a huge marketing push. When operators such as BT and Telewest offered standard 512K broadband for less than £20 at the beginning of the year, it was as if an invisible barrier had been breached - broadband had truly gone mass market. A feeding frenzy followed as firms vied for eyeballs in a price war reminiscent of that following the mass market take-up of dial-up. Broadband for less than £10 was even touted by some firms, although such a low price raised eyebrows among more established companies questioning how they are able to sustain such business models. For those who became broadbanders in 2004 there was no turning back and the days of waiting for the modem to kick in began to seem as outdated an idea as a jungle without celebrities. The rest of the world was also falling in love with the benefits of fast internet access, to the tune of 100 million connections worldwide by April, prompting research firm Point Topic to declare it one of the fastest growing technologies ever. By September, the number of broadband connections in the UK finally overtook dial-up and in December BT announced that it was making a new broadband connection every 10 seconds. Broadband was being mentioned on the 10 O\'clock News and in the tabloids; the Sun even carried a cartoon joke about it. But two of the most significant pieces of news for broadband were items that did not make the headlines. In May, BT quietly announced that it was shaving 70% off the cost of allowing other operators access to its telephone exchanges, so-called local loop unbundling. The vital local loop is the crucial link between telephone exchanges and homes. At the moment BT has a stranglehold on more than 80% of these lines making it the key voice in deciding what ADSL products get into homes. With cheaper local loop unbundling, rivals to BT can offer faster services that will leave the broadband of today looking positively tortoise-like. It will mean the UK will finally catch up with countries such as France and the Netherlands, where homes are routinely enjoying speeds of up to 15Mb (megabits per second). And the major price fall means that, rather than just talk about it, companies are actually starting to get their own equipment into BT\'s exchanges. It may not seem that exciting but it is a remarkable transition given that just a few years ago the arguments over local loop unbundling bore more than a passing resemblance to the Northern Ireland peace talks - fraught, bitter and with no end in sight. Another big piece of news for broadband users in 2004 was the extension of BT\'s reach, meaning more than 95% of the population could get broadband, regardless of how far away from the exchange they lived. There was a slight caveat for those wanting to upgrade to 1Mbps broadband, they still have to live within six kilometres of a broadband-enabled exchange. For thousands frustrated by their inability to get the technology, the news meant they could finally join in. Broadband is not just about fast access over the telephone and cable operators NTL and Telewest also had a bumper year. The biggest news for them was increased speeds, introducing 2Mb and 3Mb services for users and offering a free upgrade to those on 512K. The cable operators are limited in their reach and it is perhaps testament to how big a deal local loop unbundling could become that even they are considering extending their range via this route. Broadband can seem confusing for consumers, with the huge amount of operators offering so many different products, some with capped bandwidth and different length contracts and set-up fees. It is unlikely to get any less easy to understand in 2005 but remains a plane worth catching. As it gets faster and offers extras such as cheap telephone calls online, the only real thing to remember for the coming year is to enjoy the ride. Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Consumer concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Hitachi unveils \'fastest robot\' Japanese electronics firm Hitachi has unveiled its first humanoid robot, called Emiew, to challenge Honda\'s Asimo and Sony\'s Qrio robots. Hitachi said the 1.3m (4.2ft) Emiew was the world\'s quickest-moving robot yet. Two wheel-based Emiews, Pal and Chum, introduced themselves to reporters at a press conference in Japan. The robots will be guests at the World Expo later this month. Sony and Honda have both built sophisticated robots to show off developments in electronics. Explaining why Hitachi\'s Emiew used wheels instead of feet, Toshihiko Horiuchi, from Hitachi\'s Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, said: "We aimed to create a robot that could live and co-exist with people." "We want to make the robots useful for people ... If the robots moved slower than people, users would be frustrated." Emiew - Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate - can move at 3.7m/h. Its "wheel feet" resemble the bottom half of a Segway scooter. With sensors on the head, waist, and near the wheels, Pal and Chum demonstrated how they could react to commands. "I want to be able to walk about in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya [shopping districts] in the future without bumping into people and cars," Pal told reporters. Hitachi said Pal and Chum, which have a vocabulary of about 100 words, could be "trained" for practical office and factory use in as little as five to six years. Robotics researchers have long been challenged by developing robots that walk in the gait of a human. At the recent AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting in Washington DC, researchers showed off bipedal designs. The three designs, each built by a different research group, use the same principle to achieve a human-like gait. Sony and Honda have both used humanoid robots, which are not commercially available, as a way of showing off computing power and engineering expertise. Honda\'s Asimo was "born" five years ago. Since then, Honda and Sony\'s Qrio have tried to trump each other with what the robots can do at various technology events. Asimo, has visited the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and Ireland as part of a world tour. Sony\'s Qrio has been singing, jogging and dancing in formation around the world too and was, until last year, the fastest robot on two legs. But its record was beaten by Asimo. It is capable of 3km/h, which its makers claim is almost four times as fast as Qrio. Last year, car maker Toyota also stepped into the ring and unveiled its trumpet-playing humanoid robot. By 2007, it is predicted that there will be almost 2.5 million "entertainment and leisure" robots in homes, compared to about 137,000 currently, according to the United Nations (UN). By the end of that year, 4.1 million robots will be doing jobs in homes, said the report by the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics. Hitachi is one of the companies with home cleaning robot machines on the market. Digital UK driven by net and TV The UK\'s adoption of digital TV and broadband has helped make it the fourth most digitally-savvy nation in Europe, according a report by Jupiter Research. But the UK still lags in terms of broadband speeds compared to others. The most digitally sophisticated Europeans, in terms of use of digital goods such as mobiles, TV, net and cameras, are the Scandinavians. About 14 million households in the UK, 60%, have digital TV, according to the communications regulator Ofcom. The least digital of the European nations was Greece, in 17th position, according to the Digital Life Index. Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark and Norway came out top in the report, but there were some differences in technology trends. "The European Digital Life Index demonstrates that digital lifestyles are common today, but across Europe there is no single digital lifestyle," said Nate Elliott, Jupiter analyst. "Consumers adopt different digital products and services in different countries." Although there are differences between different European nations, the gap between them is closing, the report concluded. The trend for gadgets and technologies, such as digital video recorders (DVR), broadband, and video-on-demand will continue across Europe, he added. More than six million UK households now have broadband net. By the middle of 2005, it is estimated that 50% of all UK net users will be on broadband. Cable company NTL is trialling faster ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband technology using ADSL2+ which can give speeds of 18Mbps compared to current speeds which are usually around 1Mbps or 2Mbps. BT is set to trial the technology later in the year. Super-fast broadband will be necessary to the delivery of services such as high-definition TV (HDTV) and video-on-demand, already very popular in France and other European countries. A separate survey by GMIPoll last week found that, globally, people\'s appetite for technology and gadgets continues unabated. The poll of 20,000 people in 20 countries found that 59% wanted more technology. The computer was the "must-have" gadget for most people (75%). The TV took second place (67%), while the mobile was ranked in third position with 54%. Digital cameras were the most popular choice of gadget for 2005, said the survey, with nearly 40% choosing this over wireless, home printing and DVR technologies. However, only 25% of Britons said a digital camera would be their top gadget purchase of the year. Almost a quarter, 22%, said they would be buying some sort of wireless device. Forty-four percent said they would be buying something "other". This might include digital music players, or gaming devices. The Nintendo DS, Sony\'s PSP and Gizmondo all hit the shops in 2005, and the first of the next generation of games consoles, Xbox 2, is set to launch later this year. Jupiter Research\'s index is calculated using 40 different variables across net users, digital TV adoption, wireless and mobile, online activity, and digital devices. France starts digital terrestrial France has become the last big European country to launch a digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service. Initially, more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. Despite the long wait for a French DTT roll-out, the new platform\'s backers hope to emulate the success of its UK free-to-air counterpart, Freeview. Recent figures from the UK\'s regulator Ofcom showed Freeview was more popular than the Sky digital satellite service. In the three months to September 2004, almost five times as many people signed up to the UK\'s free-to-air DTT service compared with Sky. Almost 60% of UK households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable, satellite or Freeview. The French DTT platform is known as TNT, which stands for TV numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. But it is being branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or "digital television for all". TNT is a joint venture between public broadcaster France Televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. Digital terrestrial TV will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with, adding pay-TV channels later. Thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated. "A couple of years ago, DTT had a bad image," said Olivier Gerolami, chief operating officer of TNT. "But everyone\'s impressed with DTT in the UK, Italy and Germany, and they realise it is a very good idea. "France is the poorest market in Europe in terms of free-to-air national channels, so it has the potential to be one of the biggest DTT markets," Mr Gerolami added in remarks quoted by the US entertainment industry paper Variety. TNT aims to reach 35% of France\'s population at launch, from 17 transmission sites. The transmission area will initially include Paris, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse. Eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. Digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). A recent survey by Mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of DTT, and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. Consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sagem, Sony and Thomson are gearing up for production. The Conseil Superieur de l\'Audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator, said: "Following the recent success of Freeview in the UK, some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects". Media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. The CSA said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable, but the future of the remaining TV viewers required action by the public sector. For the most part, they are people living in mountainous or border areas, which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial TV for years. Up to 15 pay-TV channels will launch on DTT between September 2005 and March 2006. Leading pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. Free-to-air services will be broadcast in MPEG-2 format. But pay-TV operators will be allowed to broadcast in MPEG-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (HD) subscription services in the future. TNT expects between 700,000 and one million DTT set-top boxes to be sold in 2005. "It is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off," said Mr Gerolami, "but we\'re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in France." Other analysts were less optimistic, predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-TV subscriptions. "We think free DTT could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-TV in France," said Henri de Bodinat, vice-president of the Arthur D. Little consultancy. T-Mobile bets on \'pocket office\' T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access. Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company\'s existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola\'s MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile\'s chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already. In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000. It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK\'s London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move. "We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February. ',
'Germany': 'Mobile networks seek turbo boost Third-generation mobile (3G) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services. That was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. Fast 3G networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. At 3GSM, Siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. The German company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3G networks. The system is not available commercially yet, but Motorola, the US mobile handset and infrastructure maker, held a clinic for mobile operators on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a high-speed, high bandwidth technology available now. Early HSDPA systems typically offer around two megabits per second (Mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) on standard 3G networks. "High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) - sometimes called Super 3G - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips," according to a report published by UK-based research consultancy Analysys. A number of companies are developing the technology. Nokia and Canada-based wireless communication products company Sierra Wireless recently agreed to work together on High Speed Downlink Packet Access. The two companies aim to jointly market the HSDPA solution to global network operator customers. "While HSDPA theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14Mbps, practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks," said Dr Alastair Brydon, author of the Analysys report: Pushing Beyond the Limits of 3G with HSDPA and Other Enhancements. "The typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which, even at this lower rate, will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic WCDMA [3G]," he added. Motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9Mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3G cell using a single HSDPA device. But some mobile operators are opting for a technology called Evolution, Data Optimised (EV-DO). US operator Sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3G network at the end of last year. We are "expanding our network and deploying EV-DO technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds," said Oliver Valente, Sprint\'s vice president for technology development, when the contract was announced. As part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year, Sprint will spend around $1bn on EV-DO technology from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and Motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second, and peak download rates of 2.4Mbps. MMO2, the UK-based operator with services in the UK, Ireland and Germany, has opted for technology based on the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) standard. Using technology from Lucent, it will offer data speeds of 3.6Mbps from next summer on its Isle of Man 3G network, and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. US operator Cingular Wireless is also adopting HSDPA, using technology from Lucent alongside equipment from Siemens and Ericsson. Siemens\' plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today, but Christoph Caselitz, president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that: "By the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015, the need for transmission capacities for voice, data, image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10." Siemens - in collaboration with the Fraunhofer German-Sino Lab for Mobile Communications and the Institute for Applied Radio System Technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae, instead of the usual one. This enables a data transmission, such as sending a big file or video, to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. The speeds offered by3G mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3G licences. But today, instead of connecting to the internet by slow, dial-up phone connection, many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - must faster than 3G. This means users are likely to find 3G disappointing unless the networks are souped up. If they aren\'t, those lucrative "power users", such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks, reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. But one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. Siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory, it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. A commercial system could be as far away as 2012, though Siemens did not rule out an earlier date. Concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Home phones face unclear future The fixed line phone in your home could soon be an endangered species. Research by handset maker Nokia shows that more and more people are using their mobile phone for every call they make or take. According to the study, more than 45 million people in the UK, Germany, US and South Korea now only use a mobile. It showed that people keep their fixed line phone because call charges are lower, but most of those questioned said the future was definitely mobile. The Nokia-sponsored research showed that mobiles and fixed phones were used for different purposes. Home phones were used for longer calls but conversations on mobiles tended to be shorter, between mobiles and to friends. In the UK 69% of those questioned said they turned to their fixed phone because it was still cheaper to use than a mobile. However, when pressed few could say with accuracy how tariffs on fixed and mobile phones compared. In the US and Germany many of those interviewed said they used the fixed phone because it was more reliable than a mobile handset and let them get access to the net at relatively high speeds. In all the countries where interviews were carried out, older people were more likely to use a fixed line phone more than a mobile. Women aged 50 or above almost never use a mobile phone, the research found. The move to mobile was most pronounced in South Korea where 65% of those questioned said they already make most of their calls from a mobile. 18% said they would not get a landline if they moved house. Many of those questioned said they had an emotional connection to their fixed phone that drew on its position in the home and the "cosiness" of making a call there. Nokia said these findings had implications for mobile operators who must work hard to ensure that mobiles are seen as cheap, reliable and providing good call quality. The survey also showed that it is not just voice calls that are going wireless. Some of those questioned said they were looking to use a mobile or wireless service to get net access within the next couple of years. Polling firm Mori interviewed more than 6,000 people in the UK, US, Germany and South Korea for the survey. Broadband in the UK growing fast High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. The 600,000 connections take the total number of people in the UK signing up for broadband from BT to almost 3.3 million. Nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. Britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of Europe. According to figures gathered by industry watchdog, Ofcom, the growth means that the UK has now surpassed Germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. The UK total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people, compared to 6.7 in Germany and 15.8 in the Netherlands. The numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. "This breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas," said Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. BT Retail, which sells net services under its own name, also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. This was a slight increase on the previous three months. Despite the good news about growth in broadband, figures from telecommunications regulator Ofcom show that BT faces increasing competition, and dwindling influence, in other sectors. Local Loop Unbundling, (LLU), in which BT rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer\'s home or office, is growing steadily. Cable & Wireless and NTL have announced that they are investing millions to start offering LLU services. By the end of September more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called Carrier Pre-Section (CPS) services, such as TalkTalk and One.Tel, which route phone calls across non-BT networks from a local exchange. There are now more than 300 different firms offering CPS services and the percentage of people using BT lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%. Broadband takes on TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Broadband challenges TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Broadband in the UK growing fast High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. The 600,000 connections take the total number of people in the UK signing up for broadband from BT to almost 3.3 million. Nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. Britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of Europe. According to figures gathered by industry watchdog, Ofcom, the growth means that the UK has now surpassed Germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. The UK total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people, compared to 6.7 in Germany and 15.8 in the Netherlands. The numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. "This breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas," said Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. BT Retail, which sells net services under its own name, also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. This was a slight increase on the previous three months. Despite the good news about growth in broadband, figures from telecommunications regulator Ofcom show that BT faces increasing competition, and dwindling influence, in other sectors. Local Loop Unbundling, (LLU), in which BT rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer\'s home or office, is growing steadily. Cable & Wireless and NTL have announced that they are investing millions to start offering LLU services. By the end of September more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called Carrier Pre-Section (CPS) services, such as TalkTalk and One.Tel, which route phone calls across non-BT networks from a local exchange. There are now more than 300 different firms offering CPS services and the percentage of people using BT lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Consumer concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Mobile networks seek turbo boost Third-generation mobile (3G) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services. That was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. Fast 3G networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. At 3GSM, Siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. The German company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3G networks. The system is not available commercially yet, but Motorola, the US mobile handset and infrastructure maker, held a clinic for mobile operators on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a high-speed, high bandwidth technology available now. Early HSDPA systems typically offer around two megabits per second (Mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) on standard 3G networks. "High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) - sometimes called Super 3G - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips," according to a report published by UK-based research consultancy Analysys. A number of companies are developing the technology. Nokia and Canada-based wireless communication products company Sierra Wireless recently agreed to work together on High Speed Downlink Packet Access. The two companies aim to jointly market the HSDPA solution to global network operator customers. "While HSDPA theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14Mbps, practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks," said Dr Alastair Brydon, author of the Analysys report: Pushing Beyond the Limits of 3G with HSDPA and Other Enhancements. "The typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which, even at this lower rate, will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic WCDMA [3G]," he added. Motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9Mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3G cell using a single HSDPA device. But some mobile operators are opting for a technology called Evolution, Data Optimised (EV-DO). US operator Sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3G network at the end of last year. We are "expanding our network and deploying EV-DO technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds," said Oliver Valente, Sprint\'s vice president for technology development, when the contract was announced. As part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year, Sprint will spend around $1bn on EV-DO technology from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and Motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second, and peak download rates of 2.4Mbps. MMO2, the UK-based operator with services in the UK, Ireland and Germany, has opted for technology based on HSDPA. Using technology from Lucent, it will offer data speeds of 3.6Mbps from next summer on its Isle of Man 3G network, and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. US operator Cingular Wireless is also adopting HSDPA, using technology from Lucent alongside equipment from Siemens and Ericsson. Siemens\' plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today, but Christoph Caselitz, president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that: "By the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015, the need for transmission capacities for voice, data, image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10." Siemens - in collaboration with the Fraunhofer German-Sino Lab for Mobile Communications and the Institute for Applied Radio System Technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae, instead of the usual one. This enables a data transmission, such as sending a big file or video, to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. The speeds offered by 3G mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3G licences. But today, instead of connecting to the internet by slow, dial-up phone connection, many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - much faster than 3G. This means users are likely to find 3G disappointing unless the networks are souped up. If they aren\'t, those lucrative "power users", such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks, reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. But one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. Siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory, it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. A commercial system could be as far away as 2012, though Siemens did not rule out an earlier date. Cebit opens to mobile music tune Cebit, the world\'s largest hi-tech fair, has opened its doors in Hanover for a look at the latest technologies for homes and businesses. There are more than 6,000 exhibitors registered and about 500,000 visitors are expected to pass through the doors. Third generation mobiles, the digital home and broadband are key themes at the show. Camera phones will get better resolutions as vendors set out to prove that bigger is definitely better. Samsung is set to steal some initial limelight with the launch of a 7-megapixel phone on the opening day. The SCH-V770 has some of the features of high-end digital single lens reflex cameras such as manual focus and the ability to attach a telephoto or wide-angle lens. Camera phones are likely to prove an interesting battle ground at the show, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm Gartner. "It is firmly established that cameras are an integral part of phones and now the technology arms race is on in terms of megapixels. There will be a certain amount of \'look how big mine is\'," he said. There will also be increasing focus on music-enabled mobiles. "At 3GSM in Cannes everyone went music mad and music is going to be a big theme for all the vendors at Cebit," said Mr Wood. Sony Ericsson will use the fair to show off the W800 - its recently unveiled Walkman branded phone - and there is speculation that Motorola may unveil its ROKR handset, widely tipped as the first to carry Apple\'s iTunes music software. Apple and Motorola announced they were getting together at the end of last year as a result of a long-standing friendship between Motorola\'s chief executive Ed Zander and Steve Jobs. Some analysts think Motorola may save the launch for CTIA, a wireless show in America the following week, which could be a telling sign about how operators are coming to view the German tech fair. "One of the interesting things is that CeBIT is clearly a show in decline," said Mr Wood. "A lot of the big players, such as Nokia, are pulling back saying it is hard to justify a big presence at all of the shows. It could be the last big year for Cebit," he said. Other themes include TV-enabled mobiles which are bound to create a buzz in the halls as Vodafone unveils a prototype handset that can show live digital television. There has been a glut of recent headlines about mobile TV - French operators are teaming up, O2 is trialling a system in Oxford, UK, and Nokia begins trialling a system in Finland with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE TV and commercial TV channels. Cebit could become the battleground for the two competing methods for getting TV on to mobiles, and is also likely to provide a stage for a technology slated to compete with 3G. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) has been described as "3G on steroids" and could offer consumers much faster download times. For instance, a song which currently takes one and a half minutes to download to a phone could be done in 10 seconds. Korean giants LG Electronics and Samsung will show off HSDPA handsets at the show and the technology is set to be rolled out in the US, Europe and Korea next year. Broadband will continue to be a key theme at the show with internet telephony proving this year\'s killer application. Germany\'s largest online service provider, T-Online, is tipped to reveal software for low-cost net telephony which would see it competing with its parent company Deutsche Telekom. Cebit is used by many to unveil cutting edge products and in the mobile sphere this is likely to mean a lot of bright, colourful handsets as fashion continues to compete with technology when it comes to the device everyone has in their pockets. Rainbow-coloured phones, influenced by handsets from Japan, are just one example of how Asian companies will stamp their mark on this year\'s show, at which they will have their biggest ever presence. Cebit organisers have created a digital home in Hall 25 of the 27 hangar-like buildings that will house the show. "The digital home will be a hyped theme at the show. The house will be totally wired and full of things that can be used for home entertainment," said Cebit organiser Gabriele Dorries. Hitachi unveils \'fastest robot\' Japanese electronics firm Hitachi has unveiled its first humanoid robot, called Emiew, to challenge Honda\'s Asimo and Sony\'s Qrio robots. Hitachi said the 1.3m (4.2ft) Emiew was the world\'s quickest-moving robot yet. Two wheel-based Emiews, Pal and Chum, introduced themselves to reporters at a press conference in Japan. The robots will be guests at the World Expo later this month. Sony and Honda have both built sophisticated robots to show off developments in electronics. Explaining why Hitachi\'s Emiew used wheels instead of feet, Toshihiko Horiuchi, from Hitachi\'s Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, said: "We aimed to create a robot that could live and co-exist with people." "We want to make the robots useful for people ... If the robots moved slower than people, users would be frustrated." Emiew - Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate - can move at 3.7m/h. Its "wheel feet" resemble the bottom half of a Segway scooter. With sensors on the head, waist, and near the wheels, Pal and Chum demonstrated how they could react to commands. "I want to be able to walk about in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya [shopping districts] in the future without bumping into people and cars," Pal told reporters. Hitachi said Pal and Chum, which have a vocabulary of about 100 words, could be "trained" for practical office and factory use in as little as five to six years. Robotics researchers have long been challenged by developing robots that walk in the gait of a human. At the recent AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting in Washington DC, researchers showed off bipedal designs. The three designs, each built by a different research group, use the same principle to achieve a human-like gait. Sony and Honda have both used humanoid robots, which are not commercially available, as a way of showing off computing power and engineering expertise. Honda\'s Asimo was "born" five years ago. Since then, Honda and Sony\'s Qrio have tried to trump each other with what the robots can do at various technology events. Asimo, has visited the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and Ireland as part of a world tour. Sony\'s Qrio has been singing, jogging and dancing in formation around the world too and was, until last year, the fastest robot on two legs. But its record was beaten by Asimo. It is capable of 3km/h, which its makers claim is almost four times as fast as Qrio. Last year, car maker Toyota also stepped into the ring and unveiled its trumpet-playing humanoid robot. By 2007, it is predicted that there will be almost 2.5 million "entertainment and leisure" robots in homes, compared to about 137,000 currently, according to the United Nations (UN). By the end of that year, 4.1 million robots will be doing jobs in homes, said the report by the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics. Hitachi is one of the companies with home cleaning robot machines on the market. France starts digital terrestrial France has become the last big European country to launch a digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service. Initially, more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. Despite the long wait for a French DTT roll-out, the new platform\'s backers hope to emulate the success of its UK free-to-air counterpart, Freeview. Recent figures from the UK\'s regulator Ofcom showed Freeview was more popular than the Sky digital satellite service. In the three months to September 2004, almost five times as many people signed up to the UK\'s free-to-air DTT service compared with Sky. Almost 60% of UK households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable, satellite or Freeview. The French DTT platform is known as TNT, which stands for TV numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. But it is being branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or "digital television for all". TNT is a joint venture between public broadcaster France Televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. Digital terrestrial TV will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with, adding pay-TV channels later. Thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated. "A couple of years ago, DTT had a bad image," said Olivier Gerolami, chief operating officer of TNT. "But everyone\'s impressed with DTT in the UK, Italy and Germany, and they realise it is a very good idea. "France is the poorest market in Europe in terms of free-to-air national channels, so it has the potential to be one of the biggest DTT markets," Mr Gerolami added in remarks quoted by the US entertainment industry paper Variety. TNT aims to reach 35% of France\'s population at launch, from 17 transmission sites. The transmission area will initially include Paris, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse. Eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. Digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). A recent survey by Mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of DTT, and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. Consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sagem, Sony and Thomson are gearing up for production. The Conseil Superieur de l\'Audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator, said: "Following the recent success of Freeview in the UK, some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects". Media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. The CSA said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable, but the future of the remaining TV viewers required action by the public sector. For the most part, they are people living in mountainous or border areas, which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial TV for years. Up to 15 pay-TV channels will launch on DTT between September 2005 and March 2006. Leading pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. Free-to-air services will be broadcast in MPEG-2 format. But pay-TV operators will be allowed to broadcast in MPEG-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (HD) subscription services in the future. TNT expects between 700,000 and one million DTT set-top boxes to be sold in 2005. "It is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off," said Mr Gerolami, "but we\'re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in France." Other analysts were less optimistic, predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-TV subscriptions. "We think free DTT could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-TV in France," said Henri de Bodinat, vice-president of the Arthur D. Little consultancy. Be careful how you code A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson. If it gets its way, the Dutch government will conclude its presidency of the European Union by pushing through a controversial measure that has been rejected by the European Parliament, lacks majority support from national governments and will leave millions of European citizens in legal limbo and facing the possibility of court cases against them. If the new law was about border controls, defence or even the new constitution, then our TV screens would be full of experts agonising over the impact on our daily lives. Sadly for those who will be directly affected, the controversy concerns the patenting of computer programs, a topic that may excite the bloggers, campaigning groups and technical press but does not obsess Middle Britain. After all, how much fuss can you generate about the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions, and the way it amends Article 52 of the 1973 European Patent Convention? Yet if the new directive is nodded through at the next meeting of one of the EU\'s ministerial councils, as seems likely, it will allow programs to be patented in Europe just as they are in the US. Many observers of the computing scene, including myself, think the results will be disastrous for small companies, innovative programmers and the free and open source software movement. It will let large companies patent all sorts of ideas and give legal force to those who want to limit their competitors\' use of really obvious ideas. In the US you cannot build a system that stores customer credit card details so that they can pay without having to re-enter them unless Amazon lets you, because they hold the patent on "one-click" online purchase. It is a small invention, but Amazon made it to the patent office first and now owns it. We are relatively free from this sort of thing over here, but perhaps not for long. The new proposals go back to 2002, although argument about patentability of software and computer-implemented inventions has been going on since at least the mid-1980s. They have come to a head now after a year in which proposals were made, endorsed by the Council of Ministers, radically modified by the European Parliament and then re-presented in their original form. Some national governments seem to be aware of the problems. Poland has rejected the proposal and Germany\'s main political parties have opposed it, but there is not enough opposition to guarantee their rejection. Early in December the British government held a consultation meeting with those who had commented on the proposals. Science Minister Lord Sainsbury went along to listen and outline the UK position, but according to those present, it was embarrassing to see how little the minister and his officials actually understood the issues concerned. The draft Directive is being put through the council as what is called an "A" item and can only be approved or rejected. No discussion or amendment is allowed. So why should we be worried? First, there is the abuse of the democratic process involved in disregarding the views of the parliament and abandoning all of their carefully argued amendments. This goes to the heart of the European project, and even those who do not care about software or patents should be worried. If coders are treated like this today, who is to say that it will not be you tomorrow? More directly, once software patents are granted then any programmer will have to worry that the code they are writing is infringing someone else\'s patent. This is not about stealing software, as code is already protected by copyright. Patents are not copyright, but something much stronger. A patent gives the owner the right to stop anyone else using their invention, even if the other person invented it separately. I have never, to my shame, managed to read Lord Byron\'s Childe Harold\'s Pilgrimage. If it was pointed out that one of my articles contained a substantial chunk of the poem then I could defend myself in court by claiming that I had simply made it up and it was coincidence. The same does not hold for a patent. If I sit down this afternoon and write a brilliant graphics compression routine and it happens to be the same as the LZW algorithm used in GIF files, then I am in trouble under patent law, at least in the US. Coincidence is no defence. The proposed directive is supported by many of the major software companies, but this is hardly surprising since most of them are US-based and they have already had to cope with a legal environment that allows patents. They have legal departments and, more crucially, patents of their own which they can trade or cross-license with other patent holders. Even this system breaks down, of course, as Microsoft found out last year when they initially lost a case brought by Eolas which claimed that Internet Explorer (and other browsers) infringed an Eolas patent. That one was eventually thrown out, but only after months of uncertainty and millions of dollars. But small companies, and the free and open software movement do not have any patents to trade. Much of the really useful software we use every day, programs like the Apache web server, the GNU/Linux operating system and the fearsomely popular Firefox browser, is developed outside company structures by people who do not have legal departments to check for patent infringements. The damage to software will not happen overnight, of course. If the directive goes through it has to be written into national laws and then there will be a steady stream of legal actions against small companies and open source products. Eventually someone will decide to attack Linux directly, probably with some secret funding from one or two large players. The new directive will limit innovation by forcing programmers to spend time checking for patent infringements or simply avoiding working in potentially competitive areas. And it will damage Europe\'s computer industry. We can only hope that the Council of Ministers has the integrity and strength to reject this bad law. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ',
'India': 'Mobile multimedia slow to catch on There is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular. Consumers swapping old phones for slinkier, dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004, according to analysts Gartner More than 167 million handsets were sold between July and September 2004, a period that, according to Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi is "seldom strong". But although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps, sounds and video clips few, so far, are taking the chance to do so. In fact, the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures, audio and video is growing. Figures gathered by Continental Research shows that 36% of British camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (MMS), up from 7% in 2003. This is despite the fact that, during the same period, the numbers of camera phones in the UK more than doubled to 7.5 million. Getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. The problem they face, said Shailendra Jain, head of MMS firm Adamind, is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets. "Also," he said, "they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it." Research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. According to Continental Research, 29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. Only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. The fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people\'s reluctance to start sending them, said Mr Jain. "They ask themselves: \'If I\'m streaming video from one handset to another will it work?\'" he said. "There\'s a lot of user apprehension about that." There are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. Andrew Bud, executive chairman of messaging firm Mblox, said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system. "The rate we can send MMS into the mobile network is fairly constant," he said. The reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users. No-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of MMS messages is capped, said Mr Bud. This has led to operators finding other technologies, particularly one known as Wap-push, to get multimedia to their customers. But when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers, the results can be dramatic. Israeli technology firm Celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. One of the first firms to use the Celltick service is Hutch India, the largest mobile firm in the country. The broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. While not multimedia messaging, such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. As a result 40% of the subscribers to the Hutch Alive, which uses Celltick\'s broadcast technology, regularly click for more pictures, sounds and images from the operator. "Operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers," said Yaron Toren, spokesman for Celltick. Until then, multimedia will be a message that is not getting through. PC ownership to \'double by 2010\' The number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines, according to a report by analysts Forrester Research. The growth will be driven by emerging markets such as China, Russia and India, the report predicted. More than a third of all new PCs will be in these markets, with China adding 178 million new PCs by 2010, it said. Low-priced computers made by local companies are expected to dominate in such territories, Forrester said. The report comes less than a week after IBM, a pioneer of the PC business, sold its PC hardware division to China\'s number one computer maker Lenovo. The $1.75bn (£900m) deal will make the combined operation the third biggest PC vendor in the world. "Today\'s products from Western PC vendors won\'t dominate in those markets in the long term," Simon Yates, a senior analyst for Forrester, said. "Instead local PC makers like Lenovo Group in China and Aquarius in Russia that can better tailor the PC form factor, price point and applications to their local markets will ultimately win the market share battle," he said. There are currently 575 million PCs in use globally. The United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to add 150 million new PCs by 2010, according to the study. The report forecast that there will be 80 million new PC users in India by 2010 and 40 million new users in Indonesia. China \'ripe\' for media explosion Asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond, with China and India filling the two top spots, analysts have predicted. Japan, South Korea and Singapore will also be strong players, but China\'s demographics give it the edge, a media conference in London heard. The world\'s most populous country - population 1.3bn - now has about 200 million middle-class consumers. Forty per cent fall in the key 16 to 35-year-old demographic. As a result, it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications, analysts told the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference last week. Interest in China among international media groups has surged in recent months after Beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television, radio and film production companies. News Corporation, Viacom and Sony Pictures are among the big names involved in joint ventures with Chinese players. More than 700 million Chinese listen to 1,000 radio stations, while 200 TV stations broadcast 2,900 channels. China Central Television (CCTV), the state broadcaster, claims an audience of more than a billion people. Of the country\'s 360 million households, 100 million receive cable TV programmes. The rest could be a potential audience for satellite broadcasting which China plans to launch in 2006. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which regulates broadcasting, plans to move all programmes to digital by 2015. The continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content, creating significant opportunities for both Chinese and foreign content providers. But according to recent reports from China, the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in TV production joint ventures. It has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be "unfriendly", according to reports. The SARFT said: "There is a very strong ideological component to production of broadcast television programmes." It added: "China must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector." According to the Financial Times\' China correspondent, the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in China\'s media sector. This is despite Beijing\'s decision to open the state-dominated sector to international investment. As well as traditional broadcasting, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media, like mobile services and online gaming. Mobile games already account for 15% of revenues from China\'s 340 million mobile users. Online gaming sales are predicted to top a billion US dollars next year, according to the UK-based journal Screen Digest. The video market is also seen as a big opportunity, although piracy levels are still very high despite an anti-piracy drive during the past year. In the cinema industry the deployment of digital screens is being accelerated. This is not just to modernise venues but also to curb piracy and regulate distribution. Li Ruigang, president of the commercial broadcaster Shanghai Media Group, told the conference that China\'s new media market "is already experiencing explosive growth". It was particularly strong in charged broadband services and mobile value-added services. Leading China-watcher, and founder of the CGA consultancy Jeanne-Marie Gescher, agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap China\'s huge media market potential. "China\'s media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it," Mrs Gescher concluded. Mobile multimedia slow to catch on There is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular. Consumers swapping old phones for slinkier, dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004, according to analysts Gartner More than 167 million handsets were sold globally between July and September 2004, a period that, according to Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi is "seldom strong". But although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps, sounds and video clips few, so far, are taking the chance to do so. In fact, the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures, audio and video is growing. Figures gathered by Continental Research shows that 36% of British camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (MMS), up from 7% in 2003. This is despite the fact that, during the same period, the numbers of camera phones in the UK more than doubled to 7.5 million. Getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. The problem they face, said Shailendra Jain, head of MMS firm Adamind, is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets. "Also," he said, "they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it." Research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. According to Continental Research, 29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. Only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. The fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people\'s reluctance to start sending them, said Mr Jain. "They ask themselves: \'If I\'m streaming video from one handset to another will it work?\'" he said. "There\'s a lot of user apprehension about that." There are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. Andrew Bud, executive chairman of messaging firm Mblox, said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system. "The rate we can send MMS into the mobile network is fairly constant," he said. The reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users. No-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of MMS messages is capped, said Mr Bud. This has led to operators finding other technologies, particularly one known as Wap-push, to get multimedia to their customers. But when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers, the results can be dramatic. Israeli technology firm Celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. One of the first firms to use the Celltick service is Hutch India, the largest mobile firm in the country. The broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. While not multimedia messaging, such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. As a result 40% of the subscribers to the Hutch Alive, which uses Celltick\'s broadcast technology, regularly click for more pictures, sounds and images from the operator. "Operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers," said Yaron Toren, spokesman for Celltick. Until then, multimedia will be a message that is not getting through. ',
'Indonesia': 'Ink helps drive democracy in Asia The Kyrgyz Republic, a small, mountainous state of the former Soviet republic, is using invisible ink and ultraviolet readers in the country\'s elections as part of a drive to prevent multiple voting. This new technology is causing both worries and guarded optimism among different sectors of the population. In an effort to live up to its reputation in the 1990s as "an island of democracy", the Kyrgyz President, Askar Akaev, pushed through the law requiring the use of ink during the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections. The US government agreed to fund all expenses associated with this decision. The Kyrgyz Republic is seen by many experts as backsliding from the high point it reached in the mid-1990s with a hastily pushed through referendum in 2003, reducing the legislative branch to one chamber with 75 deputies. The use of ink is only one part of a general effort to show commitment towards more open elections - the German Embassy, the Soros Foundation and the Kyrgyz government have all contributed to purchase transparent ballot boxes. The actual technology behind the ink is not that complicated. The ink is sprayed on a person\'s left thumb. It dries and is not visible under normal light. However, the presence of ultraviolet light (of the kind used to verify money) causes the ink to glow with a neon yellow light. At the entrance to each polling station, one election official will scan voter\'s fingers with UV lamp before allowing them to enter, and every voter will have his/her left thumb sprayed with ink before receiving the ballot. If the ink shows under the UV light the voter will not be allowed to enter the polling station. Likewise, any voter who refuses to be inked will not receive the ballot. These elections are assuming even greater significance because of two large factors - the upcoming parliamentary elections are a prelude to a potentially regime changing presidential election in the Autumn as well as the echo of recent elections in other former Soviet Republics, notably Ukraine and Georgia. The use of ink has been controversial - especially among groups perceived to be pro-government. Widely circulated articles compared the use of ink to the rural practice of marking sheep - a still common metaphor in this primarily agricultural society. The author of one such article began a petition drive against the use of the ink. The greatest part of the opposition to ink has often been sheer ignorance. Local newspapers have carried stories that the ink is harmful, radioactive or even that the ultraviolet readers may cause health problems. Others, such as the aggressively middle of the road, Coalition of Non-governmental Organizations, have lauded the move as an important step forward. This type of ink has been used in many elections in the world, in countries as varied as Serbia, South Africa, Indonesia and Turkey. The other common type of ink in elections is indelible visible ink - but as the elections in Afghanistan showed, improper use of this type of ink can cause additional problems. The use of "invisible" ink is not without its own problems. In most elections, numerous rumors have spread about it. In Serbia, for example, both Christian and Islamic leaders assured their populations that its use was not contrary to religion. Other rumours are associated with how to remove the ink - various soft drinks, solvents and cleaning products are put forward. However, in reality, the ink is very effective at getting under the cuticle of the thumb and difficult to wash off. The ink stays on the finger for at least 72 hours and for up to a week. The use of ink and readers by itself is not a panacea for election ills. The passage of the inking law is, nevertheless, a clear step forward towards free and fair elections." The country\'s widely watched parliamentary elections are scheduled for 27 February. David Mikosz works for the IFES, an international, non-profit organisation that supports the building of democratic societies. PC ownership to \'double by 2010\' The number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines, according to a report by analysts Forrester Research. The growth will be driven by emerging markets such as China, Russia and India, the report predicted. More than a third of all new PCs will be in these markets, with China adding 178 million new PCs by 2010, it said. Low-priced computers made by local companies are expected to dominate in such territories, Forrester said. The report comes less than a week after IBM, a pioneer of the PC business, sold its PC hardware division to China\'s number one computer maker Lenovo. The $1.75bn (£900m) deal will make the combined operation the third biggest PC vendor in the world. "Today\'s products from Western PC vendors won\'t dominate in those markets in the long term," Simon Yates, a senior analyst for Forrester, said. "Instead local PC makers like Lenovo Group in China and Aquarius in Russia that can better tailor the PC form factor, price point and applications to their local markets will ultimately win the market share battle," he said. There are currently 575 million PCs in use globally. The United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to add 150 million new PCs by 2010, according to the study. The report forecast that there will be 80 million new PC users in India by 2010 and 40 million new users in Indonesia. ',
'Italy': 'Mobiles \'not media players yet\' Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life. Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple\'s iTunes, Napster and other net music download services. With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy\'s TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report. Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe\'s Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Broadband takes on TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Broadband challenges TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Mobiles \'not media players yet\' Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life. Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple\'s iTunes, Napster and other net music download services. With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy\'s TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report. Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe\'s Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009. France starts digital terrestrial France has become the last big European country to launch a digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service. Initially, more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. Despite the long wait for a French DTT roll-out, the new platform\'s backers hope to emulate the success of its UK free-to-air counterpart, Freeview. Recent figures from the UK\'s regulator Ofcom showed Freeview was more popular than the Sky digital satellite service. In the three months to September 2004, almost five times as many people signed up to the UK\'s free-to-air DTT service compared with Sky. Almost 60% of UK households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable, satellite or Freeview. The French DTT platform is known as TNT, which stands for TV numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. But it is being branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or "digital television for all". TNT is a joint venture between public broadcaster France Televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. Digital terrestrial TV will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with, adding pay-TV channels later. Thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated. "A couple of years ago, DTT had a bad image," said Olivier Gerolami, chief operating officer of TNT. "But everyone\'s impressed with DTT in the UK, Italy and Germany, and they realise it is a very good idea. "France is the poorest market in Europe in terms of free-to-air national channels, so it has the potential to be one of the biggest DTT markets," Mr Gerolami added in remarks quoted by the US entertainment industry paper Variety. TNT aims to reach 35% of France\'s population at launch, from 17 transmission sites. The transmission area will initially include Paris, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse. Eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. Digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). A recent survey by Mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of DTT, and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. Consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sagem, Sony and Thomson are gearing up for production. The Conseil Superieur de l\'Audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator, said: "Following the recent success of Freeview in the UK, some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects". Media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. The CSA said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable, but the future of the remaining TV viewers required action by the public sector. For the most part, they are people living in mountainous or border areas, which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial TV for years. Up to 15 pay-TV channels will launch on DTT between September 2005 and March 2006. Leading pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. Free-to-air services will be broadcast in MPEG-2 format. But pay-TV operators will be allowed to broadcast in MPEG-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (HD) subscription services in the future. TNT expects between 700,000 and one million DTT set-top boxes to be sold in 2005. "It is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off," said Mr Gerolami, "but we\'re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in France." Other analysts were less optimistic, predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-TV subscriptions. "We think free DTT could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-TV in France," said Henri de Bodinat, vice-president of the Arthur D. Little consultancy. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. ',
'Japan': 'Sony PSP console hits US in March US gamers will be able to buy Sony\'s PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for $250 (£132) and the first million sold will come with Spider-Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it\'s not a gaming device. It\'s an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. BT boosts its broadband packages British Telecom has said it will double the broadband speeds of most of its home and business customers. The increased speeds will come at no extra charge and follows a similar move by internet service provider AOL. Many BT customers will now have download speeds of 2Mbps, although there are usage allowances of between one gigabyte and 30 gigabytes a month. The new speeds start to come into effect on 17 February for home customers and 1 April for businesses. "Britain is now broadband Britain," said Duncan Ingram, BT\'s managing director, broadband and internet services. He added: "Ninety percent of our customers will see real increases in speed. "These speed increases will give people the opportunity to do a lot more with their broadband connections," he said. Upload speeds - the speed at which information is sent from a PC via broadband - will remain at the same speed, said Mr Ingram. Despite the increases, BT will continue to have usage allowances for home customers. "The allowances are extremely generous," said Mr Ingram "For what we are seeing in the market place - they are really not an issue." BT will begin enforcing the allowances in the summer. Customers who exceed the amounts will either be able to pay for a bigger allowance or see their download speeds reduced. BT now has a 36% share of the broadband market - down from 39% - which is becoming increasingly competitive. In the last few months, many rival ISPs have begun to offer 2Mbps services, including AOL, Plusnet and UK Online. But Britain continues to lag behind some countries - especially Japan and South Korea - which offer broadband speeds of up to 40Mbps. But Mr Ingram said it was important to "separate hype from reality". He said that a limited number of people with those connections consistently received speeds of 40Mbps. Customers will not see their connections double immediately on 17 February. Mr Ingram said there would be a roll out across the network in order to prevent any problems. Looks and music to drive mobiles Mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales, according to research from technology analysts Gartner. More than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally, said the report, the highest total sold to date. The figure was 30% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, Gartner said. Good design and the look of a mobile, as well as new services such as music downloads, could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005, said analysts. Although people were still looking for better replacement phones, there was evidence, according to Gartner, that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales. "All the markets grew apart from Japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western Europe," mobile analyst Carolina Milanesi told the BBC News website. "Japan is where north America and western European markets can be in a couple of years\' time. "They already have TV, music, ringtones, cameras, and all that we can think of on mobiles, so people have stopped buying replacement phones." But there could be a slight slowdown in sales in European and US markets too, according to Gartner, as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. This means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade, said Gartner. Third generation mobiles (3G) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer, like video, could drive people into upgrading their phones, but Ms Milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen. "At the end of the day, people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don\'t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical." Nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. The majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms. More likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics, as well as music services. The Motorola Razr V3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005, she added. This was not a "women\'s thing", she said, but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. It was not just about how the phone functioned, but about what it said about its owner. "Western Europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design," said Ms Milanesi. "People are after something that is nice-looking, and together with that, there is the entertainment side. "This year music will have a part to play in this." The market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004, but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£9.4 million) by 2009, according to Jupiter Research. Sony Ericsson just released its Walkman branded mobile phone, the W800, which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours\' battery life, and a two megapixel camera. In July last year, Motorola and Apple announced a version of iTunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with Motorola mobile phones. Apple said the new iTunes music player would become Motorola\'s standard music application for its music phones. But the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the iPod. Ms Milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. But they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity, which would not put too much strain on battery life. Nintendo handheld given Euro date Nintendo\'s new handheld console, the DS, will launch in Europe on 11 March, the company has announced. The portable games machine, which features touch-screen control, will retail for £99 in the UK (149 euros). Nintendo said 15 games would be available in the UK at launch, with prices ranging from £19 to £29. More than 2.8 million DS consoles have been sold since it first appeared in the US and Japan at the end of 2004. Rival Sony has said it will launch its first handheld console, the PSP, in the US and Europe before the end of March. The PSP is expected to compete for a large part of the same handheld market, despite Sony\'s assertion that the machines are aimed at different consumers. The 15 games available on the European launch date will include Nintendo\'s Super Mario 64 DS, as well as titles from third-party developers such as Ubisoft\'s Rayman DS. More than 120 games are in development for the new console, Nintendo has said. The DS is backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance, allowing the earlier machine\'s back catalogue of 700 games to be played. Additionally, a short-range wireless link for multiplayer gaming is built in to the DS, with a "download play" option which allows a group to play against each other, even if just one person owns a copy. Other features include a short-range messaging application called Pictochat, and a built-in microphone which is used in Sega\'s launch title Project Rub. Nintendo has also announced a media adapter, which will allow the console to play music and video on the move. The launch price of £99 (149 euros) compares favourably with the US price of $149, according to John Houlihan, editor of the Computerandvideogames.com magazine. "It\'s a very, very competitive price point. There are some innovative features, and Nintendo has created quite a buzz," he says. "However, the line-up of games could have been stronger. Everyone wanted to see the eight-player Mario Kart DS, for example." Mr Houlihan believes that there is likely to be an audience for both the Nintendo DS and Sony\'s new PSP, with the former aimed largely at a younger audience and the latter expected to be marketed as a multimedia device. "The PSP is a sexy bit of kit, but Sony\'s attitude to the PSP has been very understated in Europe, so far," Mr Houlihan said. The worldwide handheld software market had an estimated worth of $2.6bn at the end of 2004, according to industry analysts Screen Digest. In the past, games consoles and handhelds have generally launched much later in Europe than in other parts of the world. However Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the company was "pleased to have offered such a short period of time between the US and European launch". "Europe is an extremely important market for Nintendo," Mr Iwata added. Nintendo raised its sales targets for the DS console last December after selling a million in the US and Japan in just a few weeks. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Portable PlayStation ready to go Sony\'s PlayStation Portable (PSP) will go on sale in Japan on 12 December. The long-awaited handheld game playing gadget will cost about 19,800 yen (145 euros) when it hits the shelves. At launch 21 games will be available for the PSP, including Need for Speed, Ridge Racer, Metal Gear Acid and Vampire Chronicle. Sony has not yet announced when the PSP will be available in Europe and the US, but analysts expect it to debut in those territories in early 2005. Fifa 2005 is back at the top of the UK games charts, a week after losing it to rival Pro Evolution Soccer 4. Konami\'s Pro Evo dropped only one place to two, while the only new entry in the top 10 was another football title, LMA Manager 2005, in at number seven. Tony Hawk\'s Underground 2 held its own at three, while Star Wars Battlefront inched up to four places to four. There was good news for Disney, with the spin-off from the Shark\'s Tale film moving up the charts into number eight. Fans of the Gran Turismo series in Europe are going to have to wait until next year for the latest version. Sony has said that the PAL version of GT4 will not be ready for Christmas. "The product is localised into 13 different languages across the PAL territories, therefore the process takes considerably longer than it does in Japan," it said. Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 is still expected to be released in Japan and the USA this year. Halo 2 has broken video game records, with pre-orders of more than 1.5 million in the US alone. Some 6,500 US stores plan to open just after midnight on Tuesday 9 November for the game\'s release. "Halo 2 is projected to bring in more revenue than any day one box office blockbuster movie in the United States," said Xbox\'s Peter Moore. "We\'ve even heard rumours of fan anticipation of the \'Halo 2 flu\' on 9 November." US top of supercomputing charts The US has pushed Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM\'s prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under the US Department of Energy. IBM test results show that Blue Gene/L has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. The previous top machine, Japan\'s NEC Earth Simulator, clocked up 35.86. The Top 500 list was announced on Monday and officially charts the fastest computers in the world. It is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called Linpack which measures calculations per second. Once completed in 2005, Blue Gene/L will be more powerful than its current prototype. "Next year with the final Blue Gene, four times what it is this year, it is going to be a real step up and will be hard to beat," said Erich Strohmaier, one of the co-founders of the Top500 list. It will help scientists work out the safety, security and reliability requirements for the US\'s nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for underground nuclear testing. It will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power, a big problem for supercomputers. In second place was Silicon Graphics\' Columbia supercomputer based at the US space agency\'s (Nasa) Ames Research Center in California. The Linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) in October. It will be used to model flight missions, climate research, and aerospace engineering. The defeated Japanese contender, the Earth Simulator, which was listed in third place, losing the top spot it had held since June 2002. It is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. Since the first supercomputer, the Cray-1, was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, US, in 1976, computational speed has leaped 500,000 times. The Cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). The Blue Gene/L machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. Started in 1993, the Top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. It is presented at the International Supercomputer Conference in Pittsburgh. DS aims to touch gamers The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. Market leader Nintendo, however, is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played. The first striking thing about the DS is how retro it looks. Far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld, it looks more like Nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. The lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens, and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. Both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. Nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen. The Japanese gaming giant hopes the DS will maintain the firm\'s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market. Nintendo first launched its GameBoy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. But its lead can no longer be taken for granted. Sony will enter the market later this year with its PlayStation Portable, while start-up companies Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac are also offering hybrid devices. "We believe the DS will appeal to all ages, both genders and gamers of any skill," said David Yarnton, Nintendo Europe\'s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. With its two screens, wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the GameBoy Advance, the DS certainly has a number of unique selling points. It went on sale in the US in mid-November priced $150 and Nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations, without giving detailed figures. Japan and Europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. With more than two million pre-orders for the device in Japan, Nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. But will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed? The game ships with a demo of Metroid Hunters - a 3D action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine\'s wireless capabilities. It certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people. The game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. The top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. It is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful re-creation of the Nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. The game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. One thing is for certain. Hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices, Ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. If they manage to create titles which use the Nintendo DS\'s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. The fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks. Halo 2 sells five million copies Microsoft is celebrating bumper sales of its Xbox sci-fi shooter, Halo 2. The game has sold more than five million copies worldwide since it went on sale in mid-November, the company said. Halo 2 has proved popular online, with gamers notching up a record 28 million hours playing the game on Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, nine out of 10 Xbox Live members have played the game for an average of 91 minutes per session. The sequel to the best-selling Need for Speed: Underground has inched ahead of the competition to take the top slot in the official UK games charts. The racing game moved up one spot to first place, nudging GTA: San Andreas down to second place. Halo 2 dropped one place to five, while Half-Life 2 fell to number nine. Last week\'s new releases, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Killzone, both failed to make it into the top 10, debuting at number 11 and 12 respectively. Record numbers of Warcraft fans are settling in the games online world. On the opening day of the World of Warcraft massive multi-player online game more than 200,000 players signed up to play. On the evening of the first day more than 100,000 players were in the world, forcing Blizzard to add another 34 servers to cope with the influx. The online game turns the stand alone Warcraft games into a persistent world that players can inhabit not just visit Europe\'s gamers could be waiting until January to hear when they can get their mitts on Nintendo\'s handheld device, Nintendo DS, says gamesindustry.biz. David Yarnton, Nintendo UK general manager, told a press conference to look out for details in the New Year. Its US launch was on Sunday and it goes on sale in Japan on 2 December. Nintendo has a 95% share of the handheld gaming market and said it expected to sell around five million of the DS by March 2005. Supercomputer breaks speed record The US is poised to push Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM\'s prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy (DOE) lab. DOE test results show that Blue Gene/L has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. The current top machine, Japan\'s NEC Earth Simulator, clocks up 35.86. Due next week, the Top 500 list officially charts the fastest computers in the world. It is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called Linpack which measures calculations per second. The speeds will most likely make it the fastest computer system on the planet, yet the chip technology powering the machine is the kind which can be found in familiar devices such as games consoles. The US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham confirmed that the machine had reached the breakneck speed, according to the Linpack benchmark. Until the official list is published, however, Blue Gene/L\'s position will not be confirmed, and there are expected to be some other new entries. But the test results raise the bar of supercomputing enormously and signal a remarkable achievement. Surpassing the 40 trillion calculations per second (teraflop) mark has been considered a landmark for some time. The IBM Blue Gene/L is only a prototype and is one 5th the speed of the full version, due to be completed for the Livermore labs in 2005. Its peak theoretical performance is expected to be 360 teraflops, and will fit into 64 full racks. It will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power, a big problem for supercomputers. The final machine will help scientists work out the safety, security and reliability requirements for the US\'s nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for underground nuclear testing. The Earth Simulator has held on to the top spot since June 2002. It is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. But in September, IBM said that another Blue Gene/L machine clocked up 36.01 teraflops, marginally surpassing the Earth Simulator\'s performance. This was achieved during internal testing at IBM\'s production facility in Rochester, Minnesota, though, so was not an official record. Another giant to enter the fray is Silicon Graphics\' Columbia supercomputer based at Nasa\'s Ames Research Center in California. It would be used to model flight missions, climate research, and aerospace engineering. The Linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 teraflops in October. Supercomputers are hugely important for working out very complex problems across science and society. Their massive simulation and processing power means they can improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, help design better cars, and improve disease diagnosis. IBM\'s senior vice president of technology and manufacturing, Nick Donofrio, believes that by 2006, Blue Gene will be capable of petaflop computing. This means it would be capable of doing 1,000 trillion operations a second. "When you get a computer as large as a petaflop, you can start to think of simulations that might complement the physical world," Mr Donofrio recently told the BBC News website. "You can start to be more proactive, more interactive and more innovative." One area where Mr Donofrio sees supercomputing - and Blue Gene machines in particular - as crucial is health. He believes the machines can help scientists understand one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century: protein folding. "Health is one of the most important problems, not just mapping the human genome, but also protein structures. "We are a great believer in simulation. It gives you another tool," he said. Once the structures of proteins are understood fully, then drugs can be tailor-made to fight diseases more effectively. Compared with the current fastest supercomputers, Blue Gene is designed to consume one 15th the power and be 10 times more compact. Since the first supercomputer, the Cray-1, was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976, computational speed has leaped 500,000 times. The Cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). The Blue Gene/L machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. Started in 1993, the Top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. It is presented at the International Supercomputer Conference in Pittsburgh. Learning to love broadband We are reaching the point where broadband is a central part of daily life, at least for some, argues technology analyst Bill Thompson. One of the nice things about being a writer is that I rarely have to go to an office to work. I can sit in a café or a library, with or without a wi-fi connection, and research and write articles. If I am passing through Kings Cross station on my way to a meeting then I can log on from the platform. And I can spend the day working with my girlfriend Anne, a children\'s writer, at her house in Cambridge, sharing her wireless network. But just over a week ago I arrived at her house to find that there was no network connection. We checked the cable modem and noticed that it had no power, and when she changed the power lead it sparked at her in a way which made it abundantly clear that it was never going to talk to the internet again. She called her service provider, and they told her it would be five days before an engineer would show up with a new cable modem. This did not seem too bad, but in fact she really suffered until her connection was restored on Wednesday. With no modem installed in her computer, she had to borrow internet access from friends or use the dial-up connection on her daughter\'s laptop, so she had to choose between copying her files onto her USB memory card or accepting a slower and flakier net connection. As a result she did not submit the pictures she wanted to use for a book on earthquakes because they were too big to send over dial-up. She could not research other material because she is used to having easy access to a fast link that lets her search quickly and effectively. But the impact spread into her personal life too. She did not take her children to the cinema during half-term because she could not find out which films were showing at the local cinemas. She planned a trip to Norfolk but did not check the weather because the only place she knows to look for weather information is the BBC website. And she did not know where to go fossil-hunting on the trip because she could not type "fossils Norfolk" into Google. Of course, she readily admits, she could have answered these questions if she had looked in the local paper, listened to the radio or found a book on fossils. But she did not, because having fast, always on, and easy access to the net has become part of the routine of her daily life, and when it was taken away it was too much effort to go back to the old ways of doing things. She may be unusual, but I do not think Anne is alone. According to Ofcom there were almost four million broadband users in the UK in April 2004, and numbers are climbing fast. There will certainly be five million by the end of the year. Dial-up users are switching to broadband. My dad finally made the change earlier this month and new net users are selecting broadband from the start. More and more of these broadband users are beginning to mould their daily lives around the availability of broadband internet connections, and they too will find it difficult to cope if they cannot get online for any reason. It is part of the process of adaptation, and it is a vital step in the growth of broadband in the UK and elsewhere. People who have integrated net access into their daily lives tell their friends about it, and show off the cool stuff they can do. They encourage other people to get broadband so that they can share digital photos and do all of the other things that need fast and reliable connectivity. Of course, broadband in the UK is laughably slow compared to other parts of the world. In South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong normal connection speeds are measured in megabits, or millions of bits, a second rather than the thousands that we are supposed to be happy with. But speed is only a small part of the attraction of broadband, and when it comes to checking websites for film times, looking at weather forecasts, or all of the other small things that make a real difference to the routines and habits of our daily lives, even UK speeds are sufficient. It may not be the brave new world of streaming full-screen video and superfast file downloads, but it will do for now. And it is certainly better than slow access or no access. Just ask Anne. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. Nintendo DS aims to touch gamers The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. Market leader Nintendo, however, is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played. The first striking thing about the DS is how retro it looks. Far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld, it looks more like Nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. The lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens, and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. Both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. Nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen. The Japanese gaming giant hopes the DS will maintain the firm\'s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market. Nintendo first launched its GameBoy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. But its lead can no longer be taken for granted. Sony will enter the market later this year with its PlayStation Portable, while start-up companies Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac are also offering hybrid devices. "We believe the DS will appeal to all ages, both genders and gamers of any skill," said David Yarnton, Nintendo Europe\'s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. With its two screens, wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the GameBoy Advance, the DS certainly has a number of unique selling points. It went on sale in the US in mid-November priced $150 and Nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations, without giving detailed figures. Japan and Europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. With more than two million pre-orders for the device in Japan, Nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. But will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed? The game ships with a demo of Metroid Hunters - a 3D action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine\'s wireless capabilities. It certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people. The game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. The top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. It is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful re-creation of the Nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. The game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. One thing is for certain. Hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices, Ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. If they manage to create titles which use the Nintendo DS\'s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. The fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks. Gadget market \'to grow in 2005\' The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world\'s largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%, while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important. "Everything is going digital," Kirsten Pfeifer from the Consumer Electronics Association, told the BBC News website. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured the pick of 2005\'s products. "Consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like HDTVs [high-definition TVs], digital radio, and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005. "All the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry." Despite showing diversity, some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much "wow factor" as in previous years. The portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of CES, which was the "time and place shifting" of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere, at any time. At the start of last year\'s CES, the CEA predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. That figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players, personal video recorders and digital cameras. It was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice, with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. Part of this has been the rise in spending power of the "generation X-ers" who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. More than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers, according to CEA research. Hybrid devices, which combine a number of multimedia functions, were also in evidence on the show floor. "A lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it," said Stephen Baker, a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. "Some of these functions cost next to nothing to add." As well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable MP3 players to giant high-definition TVs, several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders, such as Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Despite several embarrassing technical glitches during Mr Gate\'s pre-show speech, he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the US market. He unveiled new ways of letting people take TV shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. He disappointed some, however, by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the Xbox games console. Another disappointment was the lack of exposure Sony\'s new portable games device, the PSP, had at the show. Sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in March for the US and Europe. It went on sale in Japan before Christmas. There were only two PSPs embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. A Sony representative told the BBC News website this was because Sony did not consider it to be part of their "consumer technology" offering. Elsewhere at the show, there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens, including Samsung\'s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. Industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005, with new formats for DVDs coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional DVDs. With so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage, like Seagate\'s 5GB pocket sized external hard drive, which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. More than 120,000 trade professionals attended CES in Las Vegas, which officially ran from 6 to 9 January. Lifestyle \'governs mobile choice\' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by handset maker Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson\'s consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People\'s habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it\'s a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters\' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson\'s research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life. TV future in the hands of viewers With home theatre systems, plasma high-definition TVs, and digital video recorders moving into the living room, the way people watch TV will be radically different in five years\' time. That is according to an expert panel which gathered at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to discuss how these new technologies will impact one of our favourite pastimes. With the US leading the trend, programmes and other content will be delivered to viewers via home networks, through cable, satellite, telecoms companies, and broadband service providers to front rooms and portable devices. One of the most talked-about technologies of CES has been digital and personal video recorders (DVR and PVR). These set-top boxes, like the US\'s TiVo and the UK\'s Sky+ system, allow people to record, store, play, pause and forward wind TV programmes when they want. Essentially, the technology allows for much more personalised TV. They are also being built-in to high-definition TV sets, which are big business in Japan and the US, but slower to take off in Europe because of the lack of high-definition programming. Not only can people forward wind through adverts, they can also forget about abiding by network and channel schedules, putting together their own a-la-carte entertainment. But some US networks and cable and satellite companies are worried about what it means for them in terms of advertising revenues as well as "brand identity" and viewer loyalty to channels. Although the US leads in this technology at the moment, it is also a concern that is being raised in Europe, particularly with the growing uptake of services like Sky+. "What happens here today, we will see in nine months to a years\' time in the UK," Adam Hume, the BBC Broadcast\'s futurologist told the BBC News website. For the likes of the BBC, there are no issues of lost advertising revenue yet. It is a more pressing issue at the moment for commercial UK broadcasters, but brand loyalty is important for everyone. "We will be talking more about content brands rather than network brands," said Tim Hanlon, from brand communications firm Starcom MediaVest. "The reality is that with broadband connections, anybody can be the producer of content." He added: "The challenge now is that it is hard to promote a programme with so much choice." What this means, said Stacey Jolna, senior vice president of TV Guide TV group, is that the way people find the content they want to watch has to be simplified for TV viewers. It means that networks, in US terms, or channels could take a leaf out of Google\'s book and be the search engine of the future, instead of the scheduler to help people find what they want to watch. This kind of channel model might work for the younger iPod generation which is used to taking control of their gadgets and what they play on them. But it might not suit everyone, the panel recognised. Older generations are more comfortable with familiar schedules and channel brands because they know what they are getting. They perhaps do not want so much of the choice put into their hands, Mr Hanlon suggested. "On the other end, you have the kids just out of diapers who are pushing buttons already - everything is possible and available to them," said Mr Hanlon. "Ultimately, the consumer will tell the market they want." Of the 50,000 new gadgets and technologies being showcased at CES, many of them are about enhancing the TV-watching experience. High-definition TV sets are everywhere and many new models of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs have been launched with DVR capability built into them, instead of being external boxes. One such example launched at the show is Humax\'s 26-inch LCD TV with an 80-hour TiVo DVR and DVD recorder. One of the US\'s biggest satellite TV companies, DirectTV, has even launched its own branded DVR at the show with 100-hours of recording capability, instant replay, and a search function. The set can pause and rewind TV for up to 90 hours. And Microsoft chief Bill Gates announced in his pre-show keynote speech a partnership with TiVo, called TiVoToGo, which means people can play recorded programmes on Windows PCs and mobile devices. All these reflect the increasing trend of freeing up multimedia so that people can watch what they want, when they want. Lifestyle \'governs mobile choice\' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by telecommunications company Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson\'s consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People\'s habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it\'s a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters\' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson\'s research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life. Robotic pods take on car design A new breed of wearable robotic vehicles that envelop drivers are being developed by Japanese car giant Toyota. The company\'s vision for the single passenger in the 21st Century involves the driver cruising by in a four-wheeled leaf-like device or strolling along encased in an egg-shaped cocoon that walks upright on two feet. Both these prototypes will be demonstrated, along with other concept vehicles and helper robots, at the Toyota stand at the Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, in March 2005. The models are being positioned as so-called personal mobility devices, which have few limits. The open leaf-like "i-unit" vehicle is the latest version of the concept which the company introduced last year. Built using environmentally friendly plant-based materials, the single passenger unit is equipped with intelligent transport system technologies that allow for safe autopilot driving in specially equipped lanes. The model allows the user to make tight on-the-spot turns, move upright amongst other people at low speeds and can be easily switched into a reclining position at higher speeds. Body colours can be customized to suit individual preferences and a personal recognition system offers both information and music. Also on display at the show will be the egg-shaped "i-foot". This is a two-legged mountable robot like device that can be controlled with a joystick. Standing at a height of well over seven feet (2.1 metres), the unit can walk along at a speed of about 1.35km/h (0.83mph) and navigate staircases into the bargain. Mounting and dismounting is accomplished with the aid of the bird-like legs that bend over backwards. "They are clearly what we call concept vehicles, innovative ideas which have yet to be transformed into potential products and which are a few years away from actual production," said Dr David Gillingwater from the Transport Studies Group at Loughborough University. "They clearly have eye-catching appeal, which is in part the name of the game here, and are linked to the iMac and iPod-type niche which Apple have been responsible for developing and leading in recent years - new, different, hi-tech, image conscious products. "As always with these concept vehicles, it is difficult to see \'who\' they would appeal to and what their role would be in the \'personal transport\' marketplace." The personal transport arena is taking on a new dimension though with futuristic devices that augment human capabilities. Toyota\'s prototypes represent the latest incarnation of wearable exoskeletons in a vehicular form that is specially focused on transport. Powered robotic exoskeletons have been the focus of much US military research over the years and Japan seems to have jumped onto the bandwagon with a wave of products being developed for specific applications. With an emerging range of devices targeted towards the ageing world population, care giving and the military, wearable exoskeletons seem to represent a new line of future technologies that meet an individual\'s particular mobility needs. While Toyota\'s prototypes are geared towards mass transport, the company says that the vehicles will allow the elderly and the disabled to achieve independent mobility. Experts, though, are a bit sceptical of their acceptance in this area. "Those with arguably the greatest needs for this sort of assistance, now and certainly in the future, are the elderly and infirm people," Dr Gillingwater told the BBC News website. "You have to ask whether these sorts of vehicles will appeal to these groups." Design considerations also exist. Dr Erel Avineri, of the Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England in Bristol said: "The design of the introduced mobility devices is not completely adjusted to the specific needs of the elderly and the disabled. "For example, one problem that many older passengers experience is limited ability to rotate the neck and upper body, making it difficult to look to the side and back when backing up. "It looks like the visual design of the device interior does not consider this need. This and other human-factors related issues in the design of such devices are not the only issues that should be considered," said Dr Avineri. "In general, introducing a new technology requires the passenger to change behaviour patterns that have served the older passenger for decades. Elderly users might not necessarily accept such innovation. "This may be another barrier to the commercial success of such a vehicle." Such single-person vehicles may find a relatively small market niche and may be more suited towards specialised applications rather than revolutionising the face of mass transport. "The concept of personal mobility behind these sorts of innovations is great but they beg a huge number of questions," said Dr Gillingwater. "What\'s their range? How user-friendly will they really be? What infrastructure will be required to allow these vehicles to be used. "Overall I think these vehicles pose a number of important questions than provide answers or solutions." Internet boom for gift shopping Cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for Christmas shoppers. Forecasts predict that British people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season, an increase of 64% on 2003. Surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising, as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online. Savvy shoppers are also using the net to find the hot presents that are all but sold out in High Street stores. Almost half of the UK population now shop online according to figures collected by the Interactive Media in Retail Group which represents web retailers. About 85% of this group, 18m people, expect to do a lot of their Christmas gift buying online this year, reports the industry group. On average each shopper will spend £220 and Britons lead Europe in their affection for online shopping. Almost a third of all the money spent online this Christmas will come out of British wallets and purses compared to 29% from German shoppers and only 4% from Italian gift buyers. James Roper, director of the IMRG, said shoppers were now much happier to buy so-called big ticket items such as LCD television sets and digital cameras. Mr Roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for Christmas. He advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular. A survey by Hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents, such as lingerie, for wives and girlfriends. Much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time, according to research carried out by security firm Saint Bernard Software. The research reveals that up to two working days will be lost by staff who do their shopping via their work computer. Worst offenders will be those in the 18-35 age bracket, suggests the research, who will spend up to five hours per week in December browsing and buying at online shops. Iggy Fanlo, chief revenue officer at Shopping.com, said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping. "When you consider narrowband and broadband the conversion to sale is two times higher," he said. Higher speeds meant that everything happened much faster, he said, which let people spend time browsing and finding out about products before they buy. The behaviour of online shoppers was also changing, he said. "The single biggest reason people went online before this year was price," he said. "The number one reason now is convenience." "Very few consumers click on the lowest price," he said. "They are looking for good prices and merchant reliability." Consumer comments and reviews were also proving popular with shoppers keen to find out who had the most reliable customer service. Data collected by eBay suggests that some smart shoppers are getting round the shortages of hot presents by buying them direct through the auction site. According to eBay UK there are now more than 150 Robosapiens remote control robots for sale via the site. The Robosapiens toy is almost impossible to find in online and offline stores. Similarly many shoppers are turning to eBay to help them get hold of the hard-to-find slimline PlayStation 2, which many retailers are only selling as part of an expensive bundle. The high demand for the PlayStation 2 has meant that prices for it are being driven up. In shops the PS2 is supposed to sell for £104.99. In some eBay UK auctions the price has risen to more than double this figure. Many people are also using eBay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. The portable version of the PlayStation has only just gone on sale in Japan yet some enterprising eBay users are selling the device to UK gadget fans. Gamers snap up new Sony PSP Gamers have bought almost all of the first batch of Sony\'s new PlayStation Portable (PSP) games console, which went on sale in Japan on Sunday. Thousands of people queued for hours to get hold of one of the 200,000 PSPs which were shipped to retailers. The handheld console can play games, music and movies and goes on sale in Europe and North America next year. Despite the demand Sony said it would not increase the 500,000-strong stock of PSPs it plans to ship by year\'s end. Sony says it intends to ship three million of the consoles by March 2005. The company is hoping to challenge the dominance of Nintendo in the handheld market. Nintendo released its new DS console earlier this year and has already raised shipment targets for the device by 40%. The PSP is selling in Japan for 19,800 yen ($188; £98) while Nintendo\'s DS console sells in the US and Japan for $150 (£78). Nintendo\'s goal is to ship 5 million of its new Nintendo DS handheld consoles by March 2005. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Speech takes on search engines A Scottish firm is looking to attract web surfers with a search engine that reads out results. Called Speegle, it has the look and feel of a normal search engine, with the added feature of being able to read out the results. Scottish speech technology firm CEC Systems launched the site in November. But experts have questioned whether talking search engines are of any real benefit to people with visual impairments. The Edinburgh-based firm CEC has married speech technology with ever-popular internet search. The ability to search is becoming increasingly crucial to surfers baffled by the huge amount of information available on the web. According to search engine Ask Jeeves, around 80% of surfers visit search engines as their first port of call on the net. People visiting Speegle can select one of three voices to read the results of a query or summarise news stories from sources such as the BBC and Reuters. "It is still a bit robotic and can make a few mistakes but we are never going to have completely natural sounding voices and it is not bad," said Speegle founder Gordon Renton. "The system is ideal for people with blurred vision or for those that just want to search for something in the background while they do something else. "We are not saying that it will be suitable for totally blind people, although the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) is looking at the technology," he added. But Julie Howell, digital policy manager at the RNIB, expressed doubts over whether Speegle and similar sites added anything to blind people\'s experience of the web. "There are a whole lot of options like this springing up on the web and one has to think carefully about what the market is going to be," she said. "Blind people have specialised screen readers available to them which will do the job these technologies do in a more sophisticated way," she added. The site uses a technology dubbed PanaVox, which takes web text and converts it into synthesised speech. In the past speech technology has only been compatible with broadband because of the huge files it downloads but CEC says its compression technology means it will also work on slower dial-up connections. Visitors to Speegle may notice that the look and feel of the site bears more than a passing resemblance to the better known, if silent, search engine Google. Google has no connection with Speegle and the use of bright colours is simply to make the site more visible for those with visual impairments, said Mr Renton. "It is not a rip-off. We are doing something that Google does not do and is not planning to do and there is truth in the saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," he said. Speegle is proving popular with those learning English in countries such as Japan and China. "The site is bombarded by people just listening to the words. The repetition could be useful although they may all end up talking like robots," said Mr Renton. Gadget market \'to grow in 2005\' The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world\'s largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%, while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important. "Everything is going digital," Kirsten Pfeifer from the Consumer Electronics Association, told the BBC News website. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured the pick of 2005\'s products. "Consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like HDTVs [high-definition TVs], digital radio, and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005. "All the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry." Despite showing diversity, some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much "wow factor" as in previous years. The portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of CES, which was the "time and place shifting" of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere, at any time. At the start of last year\'s CES, the CEA predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. That figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players, personal video recorders and digital cameras. It was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice, with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. Part of this has been the rise in spending power of the "generation X-ers" who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. More than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers, according to CEA research. Hybrid devices, which combine a number of multimedia functions, were also in evidence on the show floor. "A lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it," said Stephen Baker, a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. "Some of these functions cost next to nothing to add." As well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable MP3 players to giant high-definition TVs, several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders, such as Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Despite several embarrassing technical glitches during Mr Gate\'s pre-show speech, he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the US market. He unveiled new ways of letting people take TV shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. He disappointed some, however, by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the Xbox games console. Another disappointment was the lack of exposure Sony\'s new portable games device, the PSP, had at the show. Sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in March for the US and Europe. It went on sale in Japan before Christmas. There were only two PSPs embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. A Sony representative told the BBC News website this was because Sony did not consider it to be part of their "consumer technology" offering. Elsewhere at the show, there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens, including Samsung\'s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. Industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005, with new formats for DVDs coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional DVDs. With so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage, like Seagate\'s 5GB pocket sized external hard drive, which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. More than 120,000 trade professionals attended CES in Las Vegas, which officially ran from 6 to 9 January. Gamers could drive high-definition TV, films, and games have been gearing up for some time now for the next revolution to transform the quality of what is on our screens. It is called high-definition - HD for short - and it is already hugely popular in Japan and the US. It is set, according to analysts, to do for images what CDs did for sound. Different equipment able to receive HD signals is needed though and is expensive. But Europe\'s gamers may be the early adopters to drive demand. Europeans will have to wait until at least 2006 until they see mainstream HDTV. To view it, it needs to be transmitted in HD format, and people need special receivers and displays that can handle the high-quality resolution. The next generation of consoles, however, are expected to start appearing at the end of 2005, start of 2006. And most new computer displays and plasma sets are already capable of handling such high-resolution pictures. "In the next generation [of consoles] HD support is mandatory," Dr Mark Tuffy games systems director at digital content firm THX told the BBC News website. "Every game is going to be playable in HD. "So consumers who have gone out and spent all this money on HDTVs, and who have no content to watch, are going to be blown away by these really high-detail pictures. "It\'s going to change really the way they look at gaming." At the end of last year, Chris Deering, Sony\'s European president, made a prediction that 20 million European households would have HDTV sets by 2008. A previous prediction from analysts Datamonitor put the figure at 4.6 million by 2008, an increase from an estimated 50,000 sets at the end of 2003. But those in Europe may see little point in buying what is quite an expensive bit of technology - about £2,000 - if there are few programmes or films to watch on them. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006 and the BBC intends to produce all of its content in HD by 2010. Until broadcast rights, format standards - and the practicalities of updating equipment - are agreed, TV content will be limited. All TV images are made up of pixels which go across the screen, and scan lines which go down the screen. Most standard UK TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. HD offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. This means the picture is up to six times as sharp as standard TV. "Probably, in the UK [gaming] is going to be the only thing you are going to really be able to show off, as in \'look what this TV can do\', until HD is really adopted by broadcasters," explains Dr Tuffy. But gamers are also the ideal target audience for HD because they always crave better quality graphics, and more immersive gaming experiences. They are used to spending money on hardware to match a game\'s requirements. Demographics have changed too and the "sweet spot" for the games industry is the gamer in his or her late 20s. This means they are likely to have higher disposable incomes and can afford the price of big-screen, high-definition display technologies and HD projectors, earlier than others. Higher capacity storage discs, such as HD-DVD and blue-ray , are set to be standard in the next round of games consoles - allowing developers more room for detailed graphics. For console developers though, HD offers some production changes. It could make games production slightly more expensive, thinks Dr Tuffy. "But we may see the cross-platform development of games becoming more common because they will more easily be able to take a PC game and apply it to a console," he says. "You are literally going to get to the point, with a Lord of the Rings game for example, is going to be closer and closer to the actual film, especially the CGI stuff from the DVD. "And the transition when they move from a cut scene to the game, just now they have almost got it seamless." With HD, he says, the transition will be completely seamless and the same quality as the big-screen cinema release. This could herald an increasing convergence between the film and gaming industry. But it may not be until the generation after the next games consoles where the two industries really collide. At that point, says Dr Tuffy, games could become more or less interactive movies. Sony PSP console hits US in March US gamers will be able to buy Sony\'s PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for $250 (£132) and the first million sold will come with Spider-Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it\'s not a gaming device. It\'s an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. Mobile audio enters new dimension As mobile phones move closer to being a ubiquitous, all-in-one media player, audio is becoming ever more important. But how good can that sound be from such a small device? The sound of a buzzing bee jumps from left to right before disappearing around the back of my head. The surround sound demo is unremarkable when heard on a multi-speaker home cinema system but startling when emerging from a small mobile phone. British firm Sonaptic is one of a number of companies to have developed 3D audio technology that emerges from stereo speakers. Firms AM3D and SRS both offer stereo-widening technology for mobile phones. But Sonaptic\'s managing director David Monteith says his firm is the only company to offer positional 3D audio on a mobile. "There are quite a few basic technologies out there, making the sound seem a bit bigger, headphones a bit nicer. "No-one has really tried before to make proper 3D positional audio - where an individual channel can be moved around." Sonaptic has been working with Japanese mobile network NTT DoCoMo to set standards for 3D audio on mobile phones. In the last few months handsets from NEC, Fujitsu and Mitsubishi have been released on to the Japanese marker which have chips produced by Yamaha and Rohm with Sonaptic\'s technology. "The technology has been around on PCs and games consoles for some time but what we are doing is making it more efficient so it can go on a small consumer device like a mobile phone," said Mr Monteith. The technology works through applying the science of psychoacoustics and grew out of medical research done by the company\'s research director Dr Alastair Sibbald. "We are basically trying to fool your ears into thinking sound is coming from areas it actually isn\'t. "Your brain uses certain bits of information which we are effectively synthesising on a mobile phone handset." The structure of the ear works as a 3D encoder for sound - helping the brain understand from where sound is emanating. Sonaptic\'s audio processing algorithms mimic that 3D encoding, giving the impression that sound is coming from the left, right, and behind a listener when in fact it is coming from a single source. Mr Montieth says: "If the sound is off to one side it will get to one ear before the other - if it is on the right it has to bend around your head to get to your left ear. "The shape of your ear causes differences in sound from one ear to the other. We are synthesising those differences." Sonaptic hopes the technology will have a big impact in the growing market of mobile gaming and music downloading. "Handhelds often have limitations - screens will be small by definition. "If you want to get impact from media you are running - either a movie, a game or watching TV - if you want it to be more immersive then our technology can help." A fishing game is the first title to use the technology, creating a 3D sound field while the gamer plays. Driving games and shoot \'em ups using the technology are in development. The technology can also be used for music - giving songs a much more expansive and immersive feel. Sonaptic offers its technology on a chip or in software and is about to release a new version which significantly improves the efficiency of the audio processing. "It\'s important we only use 10 or 15% of the processor otherwise you won\'t be able to play a game on the handset," explained Mr Montieth. The company is now looking to the US and European markets, where it has been working with network Vodafone. "We have focused first on Japan because it has a very advanced mobile phone market. "We knew Japan would be the first place to have the handsets that could use our technology. "There should be handsets out in the UK in the next six months." Looks and music to drive mobiles Mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales, according to research from technology analysts Gartner. More than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally, said the report, the highest total sold to date. The figure was 30% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, Gartner said. Good design and the look of a mobile, as well as new services such as music downloads, could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005, said analysts. Although people were still looking for better replacement phones, there was evidence, according to Gartner, that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales. "All the markets grew apart from Japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western Europe," mobile analyst Carolina Milanesi told the BBC News website. "Japan is where north America and western European markets can be in a couple of years\' time. "They already have TV, music, ringtones, cameras, and all that we can think of on mobiles, so people have stopped buying replacement phones." But there could be a slight slowdown in sales in European and US markets too, according to Gartner, as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. This means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade, said Gartner. Third generation mobiles (3G) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer, like video, could drive people into upgrading their phones, but Ms Milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen. "At the end of the day, people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don\'t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical." Nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. The majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms. More likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics, as well as music services. The Motorola Razr V3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005, she added. This was not a "women\'s thing", she said, but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. It was not just about how the phone functioned, but about what it said about its owner. "Western Europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design," said Ms Milanesi. "People are after something that is nice-looking, and together with that, there is the entertainment side. "This year music will have a part to play in this." The market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004, but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£94 million) by 2009, according to Juniper Research. Sony Ericsson just released its Walkman branded mobile phone, the W800, which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours\' battery life, and a two megapixel camera. In July last year, Motorola and Apple announced a version of iTunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with Motorola mobile phones. Apple said the new iTunes music player would become Motorola\'s standard music application for its music phones. But the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the iPod. Ms Milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. But they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity, which would not put too much strain on battery life. More movies head to Sony\'s PSP Movies Open Water and Saw are among those to be made available for Sony\'s PSP games console. Film studio Lions Gate entertainment has announced an initial list of 12 movies that will be on the UMD format used by the handheld. "The typical buyer of the machine [is] the core demographic to whom our films generally appeal," said Steve Beeks, president of Lions Gate. Already available in Japan, the PSP is released in the US on 24 March. Spider-Man 2 on UMD will be given to the first million customers in the US. The Punisher and House of the Dead along with older titles such as Total Recall and Rambo: First Blood, will be in the UMD format, with disks costing between $20 (£10.40) to $30 (£15.60) for new titles and $10 (£5.20) to $20 for older films. "When we first saw the machine and started talking to Sony, we immediately decided it was going to be a winner, both from the gaming perspective and from the perspective of people watching movies on the go," Mr Beeks said. The disks, which are smaller than DVDs, only work in Sony\'s PSP and can hold up to 1.8GB of data. "We actually believe people who buy the UMD would not have bought it on DVD," he said. "There are people who will want UMD because of the portability. Maybe they\'re already taking the games with them out of the house, and they\'re bigger gamers than they are movie watchers." Four movies have already been announced for PSP. They are: XXX, Hellboy, Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Cebit opens to mobile music tune Cebit, the world\'s largest hi-tech fair, has opened its doors in Hanover for a look at the latest technologies for homes and businesses. There are more than 6,000 exhibitors registered and about 500,000 visitors are expected to pass through the doors. Third generation mobiles, the digital home and broadband are key themes at the show. Camera phones will get better resolutions as vendors set out to prove that bigger is definitely better. Samsung is set to steal some initial limelight with the launch of a 7-megapixel phone on the opening day. The SCH-V770 has some of the features of high-end digital single lens reflex cameras such as manual focus and the ability to attach a telephoto or wide-angle lens. Camera phones are likely to prove an interesting battle ground at the show, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm Gartner. "It is firmly established that cameras are an integral part of phones and now the technology arms race is on in terms of megapixels. There will be a certain amount of \'look how big mine is\'," he said. There will also be increasing focus on music-enabled mobiles. "At 3GSM in Cannes everyone went music mad and music is going to be a big theme for all the vendors at Cebit," said Mr Wood. Sony Ericsson will use the fair to show off the W800 - its recently unveiled Walkman branded phone - and there is speculation that Motorola may unveil its ROKR handset, widely tipped as the first to carry Apple\'s iTunes music software. Apple and Motorola announced they were getting together at the end of last year as a result of a long-standing friendship between Motorola\'s chief executive Ed Zander and Steve Jobs. Some analysts think Motorola may save the launch for CTIA, a wireless show in America the following week, which could be a telling sign about how operators are coming to view the German tech fair. "One of the interesting things is that CeBIT is clearly a show in decline," said Mr Wood. "A lot of the big players, such as Nokia, are pulling back saying it is hard to justify a big presence at all of the shows. It could be the last big year for Cebit," he said. Other themes include TV-enabled mobiles which are bound to create a buzz in the halls as Vodafone unveils a prototype handset that can show live digital television. There has been a glut of recent headlines about mobile TV - French operators are teaming up, O2 is trialling a system in Oxford, UK, and Nokia begins trialling a system in Finland with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE TV and commercial TV channels. Cebit could become the battleground for the two competing methods for getting TV on to mobiles, and is also likely to provide a stage for a technology slated to compete with 3G. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) has been described as "3G on steroids" and could offer consumers much faster download times. For instance, a song which currently takes one and a half minutes to download to a phone could be done in 10 seconds. Korean giants LG Electronics and Samsung will show off HSDPA handsets at the show and the technology is set to be rolled out in the US, Europe and Korea next year. Broadband will continue to be a key theme at the show with internet telephony proving this year\'s killer application. Germany\'s largest online service provider, T-Online, is tipped to reveal software for low-cost net telephony which would see it competing with its parent company Deutsche Telekom. Cebit is used by many to unveil cutting edge products and in the mobile sphere this is likely to mean a lot of bright, colourful handsets as fashion continues to compete with technology when it comes to the device everyone has in their pockets. Rainbow-coloured phones, influenced by handsets from Japan, are just one example of how Asian companies will stamp their mark on this year\'s show, at which they will have their biggest ever presence. Cebit organisers have created a digital home in Hall 25 of the 27 hangar-like buildings that will house the show. "The digital home will be a hyped theme at the show. The house will be totally wired and full of things that can be used for home entertainment," said Cebit organiser Gabriele Dorries. Nintendo DS makes its Euro debut Nintendo\'s DS handheld game console has officially gone on sale in Europe. Many stores around the UK opened at midnight to let keen gamers get their hands on the device. The two-screen clamshell gadget costs £99 (149 euros) and 15 games are available for it at launch, some featuring well-known characters such as Super Mario and Rayman. The DS spearheads Nintendo\'s attempt to continue its dominance of the handheld gaming market. Since going on sale in Japan and the US at the end of 2004, Nintendo has sold almost 4m DS consoles. Part of this popularity may be due to the fact that the DS can run any of the catalogue of 700 games produced for Nintendo\'s GameBoy Advance handheld. Games for the DS are expected to cost between £19 and £29. About 130 games for the DS are in development. As well as having two screens, one of which is controlled by touch, the DS also lets players take on up to 16 other people via wireless. A "download play" option means DS owners can take each other on even if only one of them owns a copy of a particular game. Other DS owners can also be sent text messages and drawings. Nintendo is also planning to release a media adapter for the handheld so it can play music and video. Five Virgin megastores and 150 Game shops were expected to open early on Friday morning to let people buy a DS. "We know that customers want it as soon as it\'s released - and that means the minute, not the day," said Robert Quinn, Game\'s UK sales director. But Nintendo will only have sole control of Europe\'s handheld gaming market for a few weeks because soon Sony is expected to release its PSP console. Although Nintendo is aiming for younger players and the PSP is more for older gamers, it is likely that the two firms will be competing for many of the same customers. Sony\'s PSP represents a real threat to Nintendo because of the huge number of PlayStation owners around the world and the greater flexibility of the sleek black gadget. The PSP uses small discs for games, can play music and movies without the need for add-ons and also supports short-range wireless play. When it goes on sale the PSP is likely to cost between £130 and £200. Hitachi unveils \'fastest robot\' Japanese electronics firm Hitachi has unveiled its first humanoid robot, called Emiew, to challenge Honda\'s Asimo and Sony\'s Qrio robots. Hitachi said the 1.3m (4.2ft) Emiew was the world\'s quickest-moving robot yet. Two wheel-based Emiews, Pal and Chum, introduced themselves to reporters at a press conference in Japan. The robots will be guests at the World Expo later this month. Sony and Honda have both built sophisticated robots to show off developments in electronics. Explaining why Hitachi\'s Emiew used wheels instead of feet, Toshihiko Horiuchi, from Hitachi\'s Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, said: "We aimed to create a robot that could live and co-exist with people." "We want to make the robots useful for people ... If the robots moved slower than people, users would be frustrated." Emiew - Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate - can move at 3.7m/h. Its "wheel feet" resemble the bottom half of a Segway scooter. With sensors on the head, waist, and near the wheels, Pal and Chum demonstrated how they could react to commands. "I want to be able to walk about in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya [shopping districts] in the future without bumping into people and cars," Pal told reporters. Hitachi said Pal and Chum, which have a vocabulary of about 100 words, could be "trained" for practical office and factory use in as little as five to six years. Robotics researchers have long been challenged by developing robots that walk in the gait of a human. At the recent AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting in Washington DC, researchers showed off bipedal designs. The three designs, each built by a different research group, use the same principle to achieve a human-like gait. Sony and Honda have both used humanoid robots, which are not commercially available, as a way of showing off computing power and engineering expertise. Honda\'s Asimo was "born" five years ago. Since then, Honda and Sony\'s Qrio have tried to trump each other with what the robots can do at various technology events. Asimo, has visited the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and Ireland as part of a world tour. Sony\'s Qrio has been singing, jogging and dancing in formation around the world too and was, until last year, the fastest robot on two legs. But its record was beaten by Asimo. It is capable of 3km/h, which its makers claim is almost four times as fast as Qrio. Last year, car maker Toyota also stepped into the ring and unveiled its trumpet-playing humanoid robot. By 2007, it is predicted that there will be almost 2.5 million "entertainment and leisure" robots in homes, compared to about 137,000 currently, according to the United Nations (UN). By the end of that year, 4.1 million robots will be doing jobs in homes, said the report by the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics. Hitachi is one of the companies with home cleaning robot machines on the market. Sony PSP handheld console hits US The latest handheld gaming gadget, Sony\'s PlayStation Portable, goes on sale in the US on Thursday. The entertainment device, which also stores images, music and video, is intended to compete with Nintendo\'s DS, released earlier this month in the UK. Gamers have been queuing outside shops across the US to get their hands on the gadget, which costs $250 (about £132). The first million sold will come with the Spider-Man 2 film on UMD, Sony\'s own disc format for the device. The PSP can be linked up with others for multiplayer gaming, via a wireless connection. Sony has touted the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan since its launch there last year. But it faces stiff competition from the Nintendo DS, which sold more than the GameCube in its first few days on release in Europe. It too allows for multiplayer gaming over the air. Nintendo dominates the handheld market, with more than a 90% share of the market in the US alone. The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget also went on sale in the UK last week. It hopes to take a share of the handheld gaming market too. "The story of the PSP is it\'s not a gaming device as much as it is a portable entertainment device," said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He told the Reuters news agency that he expected Sony to sell about 10 million PSPs in enough time to rival Apple\'s iPod. There is no date for the PSP\'s release in Europe yet. Sony has promised to have a million units ready for its US launch, but there are fears demand may not be met. It also said it expected to ship three million PSPs worldwide by the end of its fiscal year ending 31 March. The machine\'s European launch was put back "a few months" last week in order to make sure enough of the devices were ready for its US launch, as well as satisfying the Japanese market. The PSP has almost as much processing power in it as the PlayStation 2 console. Hundreds of gamers gathered at US shops, some waiting for more than 36 hours, to be the first to get their hands on the gadget. A spokesman for one US shop said it expected the device to sell out on its first day. The 24 games for the mini console include Ape Academy, Formula One, Wipeout Pure and Fired Up. Movie studios, including Lions Gate Entertainment and Disney, have also announced forthcoming film titles that will be made available on the UMD format. China \'ripe\' for media explosion Asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond, with China and India filling the two top spots, analysts have predicted. Japan, South Korea and Singapore will also be strong players, but China\'s demographics give it the edge, a media conference in London heard. The world\'s most populous country - population 1.3bn - now has about 200 million middle-class consumers. Forty per cent fall in the key 16 to 35-year-old demographic. As a result, it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications, analysts told the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference last week. Interest in China among international media groups has surged in recent months after Beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television, radio and film production companies. News Corporation, Viacom and Sony Pictures are among the big names involved in joint ventures with Chinese players. More than 700 million Chinese listen to 1,000 radio stations, while 200 TV stations broadcast 2,900 channels. China Central Television (CCTV), the state broadcaster, claims an audience of more than a billion people. Of the country\'s 360 million households, 100 million receive cable TV programmes. The rest could be a potential audience for satellite broadcasting which China plans to launch in 2006. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which regulates broadcasting, plans to move all programmes to digital by 2015. The continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content, creating significant opportunities for both Chinese and foreign content providers. But according to recent reports from China, the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in TV production joint ventures. It has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be "unfriendly", according to reports. The SARFT said: "There is a very strong ideological component to production of broadcast television programmes." It added: "China must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector." According to the Financial Times\' China correspondent, the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in China\'s media sector. This is despite Beijing\'s decision to open the state-dominated sector to international investment. As well as traditional broadcasting, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media, like mobile services and online gaming. Mobile games already account for 15% of revenues from China\'s 340 million mobile users. Online gaming sales are predicted to top a billion US dollars next year, according to the UK-based journal Screen Digest. The video market is also seen as a big opportunity, although piracy levels are still very high despite an anti-piracy drive during the past year. In the cinema industry the deployment of digital screens is being accelerated. This is not just to modernise venues but also to curb piracy and regulate distribution. Li Ruigang, president of the commercial broadcaster Shanghai Media Group, told the conference that China\'s new media market "is already experiencing explosive growth". It was particularly strong in charged broadband services and mobile value-added services. Leading China-watcher, and founder of the CGA consultancy Jeanne-Marie Gescher, agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap China\'s huge media market potential. "China\'s media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it," Mrs Gescher concluded. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. ',
'Mexico': 'Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Seamen sail into biometric future The luxury cruise liner Crystal Harmony, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology. As holidaymakers enjoy balmy breezes, their ship\'s crew is testing prototype versions of the world\'s first internationally issued biometric ID cards, the seafarer\'s equivalent of a passport. Along with the owner\'s picture, name and personal details, the new Seafarers\' Identity Document incorporates a barcode representing unique features of its holder\'s fingerprints. The cards are due to be issued in February next year, in line with the revised UN Convention on Seafarers\' Identity Documents of June 2003. Tests currently under way in the Caribbean are designed to ensure that new cards and their machine readers, produced by different companies in different countries, are working to interoperable standards. Results of the current tests, which involve seafarers from a wide range of occupations and nationalities, will be published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) by the end of November. Crystal Cruises, which operates the Crystal Harmony, is exploring the use of biometrics but has not yet committed to the technology. Authenti-corp, the US technology consultancy, has been working with the ILO on its technical specifications for the cards. "If you\'re issued a seafarer\'s ID in your country, you want to be sure that when the ship lands in a port in, say, my country you can validate yourself using whatever equipment we have installed," Authenti-corp\'s CEO, Cynthia Musselman, told the BBC\'s Go Digital programme. She said French, Jordanian and Nigerian nationals would be the first seafarers to get the new ID cards since their countries have already ratified the convention. It aims to combat international terrorism whilst guaranteeing the welfare the one million seafarers estimated to be at sea. The convention highlights the importance of access to shore facilities and shore leave as vital elements to a sailor\'s wellbeing and, therefore, it says, to safer shipping and cleaner oceans. "By increasing security on the seas as well as border control and protection, the cards will hopefully reduce the number of piracy problems around the world," said Ms Musselman. "It should be a safer environment for seafarers to work in, and will allow people protecting their borders to have confidence that the people getting off the ship are, in fact, seafarers." Seamen sail into biometric future The luxury cruise liner Crystal Harmony, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology. As holidaymakers enjoy balmy breezes, their ship\'s crew is testing prototype versions of the world\'s first internationally issued biometric ID cards, the seafarer\'s equivalent of a passport. Along with the owner\'s picture, name and personal details, the new Seafarers\' Identity Document incorporates a barcode representing unique features of its holder\'s fingerprints. The cards are due to be issued in February next year, in line with the revised UN Convention on Seafarers\' Identity Documents of June 2003. Tests currently under way in the Caribbean are designed to ensure that new cards and their machine readers, produced by different companies in different countries, are working to interoperable standards. Results of the current tests, which involve seafarers from a wide range of occupations and nationalities, will be published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) by the end of November. Crystal Cruises, which operates the Crystal Harmony, is exploring the use of biometrics but has not yet committed to the technology. Authenti-corp, the US technology consultancy, has been working with the ILO on its technical specifications for the cards. "If you\'re issued a seafarer\'s ID in your country, you want to be sure that when the ship lands in a port in, say, my country you can validate yourself using whatever equipment we have installed," Authenti-corp\'s CEO, Cynthia Musselman, told the BBC\'s Go Digital programme. She said French, Jordanian and Nigerian nationals would be the first seafarers to get the new ID cards since their countries have already ratified the convention. It aims to combat international terrorism whilst guaranteeing the welfare the one million seafarers estimated to be at sea. The convention highlights the importance of access to shore facilities and shore leave as vital elements to a sailor\'s wellbeing and, therefore, it says, to safer shipping and cleaner oceans. "By increasing security on the seas as well as border control and protection, the cards will hopefully reduce the number of piracy problems around the world," said Ms Musselman. "It should be a safer environment for seafarers to work in, and will allow people protecting their borders to have confidence that the people getting off the ship are, in fact, seafarers." Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. More movies head to Sony\'s PSP Movies Open Water and Saw are among those to be made available for Sony\'s PSP games console. Film studio Lions Gate entertainment has announced an initial list of 12 movies that will be on the UMD format used by the handheld. "The typical buyer of the machine [is] the core demographic to whom our films generally appeal," said Steve Beeks, president of Lions Gate. Already available in Japan, the PSP is released in the US on 24 March. Spider-Man 2 on UMD will be given to the first million customers in the US. The Punisher and House of the Dead along with older titles such as Total Recall and Rambo: First Blood, will be in the UMD format, with disks costing between $20 (£10.40) to $30 (£15.60) for new titles and $10 (£5.20) to $20 for older films. "When we first saw the machine and started talking to Sony, we immediately decided it was going to be a winner, both from the gaming perspective and from the perspective of people watching movies on the go," Mr Beeks said. The disks, which are smaller than DVDs, only work in Sony\'s PSP and can hold up to 1.8GB of data. "We actually believe people who buy the UMD would not have bought it on DVD," he said. "There are people who will want UMD because of the portability. Maybe they\'re already taking the games with them out of the house, and they\'re bigger gamers than they are movie watchers." Four movies have already been announced for PSP. They are: XXX, Hellboy, Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. ',
'Russia': 'PC ownership to \'double by 2010\' The number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines, according to a report by analysts Forrester Research. The growth will be driven by emerging markets such as China, Russia and India, the report predicted. More than a third of all new PCs will be in these markets, with China adding 178 million new PCs by 2010, it said. Low-priced computers made by local companies are expected to dominate in such territories, Forrester said. The report comes less than a week after IBM, a pioneer of the PC business, sold its PC hardware division to China\'s number one computer maker Lenovo. The $1.75bn (£900m) deal will make the combined operation the third biggest PC vendor in the world. "Today\'s products from Western PC vendors won\'t dominate in those markets in the long term," Simon Yates, a senior analyst for Forrester, said. "Instead local PC makers like Lenovo Group in China and Aquarius in Russia that can better tailor the PC form factor, price point and applications to their local markets will ultimately win the market share battle," he said. There are currently 575 million PCs in use globally. The United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to add 150 million new PCs by 2010, according to the study. The report forecast that there will be 80 million new PC users in India by 2010 and 40 million new users in Indonesia. Big war games battle it out The arrival of new titles in the popular Medal Of Honor and Call of Duty franchises leaves fans of wartime battle titles spoilt for choice. The acclaimed PC title Call of Duty has been updated for console formats, building on many of the original\'s elements. For its part, the long-running Medal of Honor series has added Pacific Assault to its PC catalogue, adapting the console game Rising Sun. Call of Duty: Finest Hour casts you as a succession of allied soldiers fighting on World War 2 battlefronts including Russia and North Africa. It is a traditional first-person-viewed game that lets you control just one character, in the midst of a unit where cohorts constantly bark orders at you. On a near-identical note, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault does all it can to make you feel part of a tight-knit team and plum in the middle of all-out action. Its arenas are the war\'s Pacific battles, including Guadalcanal and Pearl Harbour. You play one character throughout, a raw and rather talkative US soldier. Both games rely on a carefully stage-managed structure that keeps things ticking along. When this works, it is a brilliant device to make you feel part of a story. When it does not, it is tedious. A winning moment is an early scene in Pacific Assault, where you come under attack at the famous US base in Hawaii. You are first ushered into a gunboat attacking the incoming waves of Japanese planes, then made to descend into a sinking battleship to rescue crewman, before seizing the anti-aircraft guns. It is one of the finest set-pieces ever seen in a video game. This notion of shuffling the player along a studiously pre-determined path, forcibly witnessing a series of pre-set moments of action, is a perilous business which can make the whole affair feel stilted rather than organic. The genius of something like Half Life 2 is that it skilfully disguises its linear plotting by various means of misdirection. This pair of games do not really accomplish that, being more concerned with imparting a full-on atmospheric experience. Call of Duty comes with a suitably bombastic score and overblown presentation. Finest Hour has a similar determination, framing everything in moody wartime music, archive footage and lots of reflective voice-overs. Letting you play a number of different roles is an interesting ploy that adds new dimensions to the Call of Duty endeavour, even if it sacrifices the narrative flow somewhat. The game\'s drawback could be said to be its format; tastes differ, but these wartime shooters often do seem to work better on PC. The mouse control is a big reason why, along with the sharper graphics a top-end computer can muster and the apparent notion that PC games are allowed to get away with a bit more subtlety. Call of Duty on PC was more detailed, plot-wise and graphically, and this new adaptation feels a little rough and ready. Targeting with the PS2 controller proved tricky, not helped by unconvincing collision-detection. You can shoot an enemy repeatedly with zero question as to your aim, yet the bullets will just refuse to hit him. Checkpoints are so few and far between that when you get shot, which happens regularly, you are set harshly far back, and will find yourself covering vast tracts of scorched earth again and again. The game wants to be a challenge, and is, and many players will like it for that. It is as dynamic a battlefield simulator as you will experience and even if it is not as refined as its PC parent, the sense of being part of the action is thoroughly impressive. Both of these games feature military colleagues who are disturbingly bad shots and prone to odd behaviour. And in Pacific Assault in particular, their commands and comments are irritatingly meaningless. But the teamwork element in titles like this is superficial, designed to add atmosphere and camaraderie rather than affect the gameplay mechanics at all. Of the two games, Pacific Assault gets more things right, including little points like auto-saving intelligently and having tidier presentation. It engages you very well and also looks wonderful, making the most of the lush tropical settings that are reminiscent of the glorious Far Cry, although we had to ramp up the settings on a high-spec machine to get the most out of them. Finest Hour is by no means bad, and it is only because the PC original was so dazzling that this version sometimes feels underwhelming. Those looking for a wartime game with plenty of atmosphere and a hearty abundance of enemies to shoot will be contented. But they will also have a niggling puzzlement as to why it does not break a little more ground rather then just being competent. ',
'Turkey': 'Ink helps drive democracy in Asia The Kyrgyz Republic, a small, mountainous state of the former Soviet republic, is using invisible ink and ultraviolet readers in the country\'s elections as part of a drive to prevent multiple voting. This new technology is causing both worries and guarded optimism among different sectors of the population. In an effort to live up to its reputation in the 1990s as "an island of democracy", the Kyrgyz President, Askar Akaev, pushed through the law requiring the use of ink during the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections. The US government agreed to fund all expenses associated with this decision. The Kyrgyz Republic is seen by many experts as backsliding from the high point it reached in the mid-1990s with a hastily pushed through referendum in 2003, reducing the legislative branch to one chamber with 75 deputies. The use of ink is only one part of a general effort to show commitment towards more open elections - the German Embassy, the Soros Foundation and the Kyrgyz government have all contributed to purchase transparent ballot boxes. The actual technology behind the ink is not that complicated. The ink is sprayed on a person\'s left thumb. It dries and is not visible under normal light. However, the presence of ultraviolet light (of the kind used to verify money) causes the ink to glow with a neon yellow light. At the entrance to each polling station, one election official will scan voter\'s fingers with UV lamp before allowing them to enter, and every voter will have his/her left thumb sprayed with ink before receiving the ballot. If the ink shows under the UV light the voter will not be allowed to enter the polling station. Likewise, any voter who refuses to be inked will not receive the ballot. These elections are assuming even greater significance because of two large factors - the upcoming parliamentary elections are a prelude to a potentially regime changing presidential election in the Autumn as well as the echo of recent elections in other former Soviet Republics, notably Ukraine and Georgia. The use of ink has been controversial - especially among groups perceived to be pro-government. Widely circulated articles compared the use of ink to the rural practice of marking sheep - a still common metaphor in this primarily agricultural society. The author of one such article began a petition drive against the use of the ink. The greatest part of the opposition to ink has often been sheer ignorance. Local newspapers have carried stories that the ink is harmful, radioactive or even that the ultraviolet readers may cause health problems. Others, such as the aggressively middle of the road, Coalition of Non-governmental Organizations, have lauded the move as an important step forward. This type of ink has been used in many elections in the world, in countries as varied as Serbia, South Africa, Indonesia and Turkey. The other common type of ink in elections is indelible visible ink - but as the elections in Afghanistan showed, improper use of this type of ink can cause additional problems. The use of "invisible" ink is not without its own problems. In most elections, numerous rumors have spread about it. In Serbia, for example, both Christian and Islamic leaders assured their populations that its use was not contrary to religion. Other rumours are associated with how to remove the ink - various soft drinks, solvents and cleaning products are put forward. However, in reality, the ink is very effective at getting under the cuticle of the thumb and difficult to wash off. The ink stays on the finger for at least 72 hours and for up to a week. The use of ink and readers by itself is not a panacea for election ills. The passage of the inking law is, nevertheless, a clear step forward towards free and fair elections." The country\'s widely watched parliamentary elections are scheduled for 27 February. David Mikosz works for the IFES, an international, non-profit organisation that supports the building of democratic societies. Players sought for $1m prize UK gamers are getting a chance to take part in a $1m tournament thanks to one of the country\'s top teams. The Four-Kings clan is staging a Pop Idol type competition to find new members who can take on the world\'s best in the lucrative tournament. Four-Kings hopes the open qualifiers will turn up gamers good enough to beat all comers at the Painkiller game. Top players also get a contract with the Four-Kings team which will pay travelling expenses for the contest. UK gamers have until 12 November to register their interest in taking part and can sign up via the Four-Kings, Jolt.co.uk and Painkiller tournament websites. Philip Wride, who co-manages the Four-Kings team, said online qualifiers will be held from 16-28 November to find the best eight players of the Painkiller game. He said the clan was running the contest because Four-Kings does not currently have any players that excel at Painkiller. These eight players will be brought together in London on 3-5 December for the Bloodline Tournament that will find the best two players. The event will be filmed and the final cut made available online for others to watch. The movie is being put together by Simon Bysshe who has shot many other films about pro-gaming that have been widely shared online. Said Mr Bysshe: "Painkiller is a new game and the opportunity is there for a new player to step up." Painkiller has been described as a game that adds a few modern touches, such as improved graphics, to the old-fashioned first-person shooter. These two players will be put forward as the UK\'s entrants to the Cyberathlete Professional League $1m Painkiller contest that will take place throughout 2005. The event is being billed as the CPL World Tour and will be arranged around ten separate tournaments at different locations around the world. Travel expenses to all the stops on the tour will be paid by Four-Kings for the two UK players who make the grade. The top prize at each stop on the world tour will be $15,000. A further $150,000 will be given to the winner of the Grand Final due to be held in December 2005. Mr Wride said any gamer that wins a few tour stop tournaments and the grand final will have a very good year. The first stop on the world tour will be Istanbul, Turkey from 10-13 February. A total of $50,000 in cash prizes is on offer. The CPL has said that it picked a one-on-one game such as Painkiller to make it easier for spectators to follow the action. Counter-Strike, by far the most popular online game, pits teams against each other and can be confusing to follow if those watching are not familiar with the layout of the maps on which it is played. The decision to pick Painkiller was greeted with surprise by many gamers, as it was widely expected that Doom 3 would be chosen as the one-one-one title. ',
'UK': 'UK net users leading TV downloads British TV viewers lead the trend of illegally downloading US shows from the net, according to research. New episodes of 24, Desperate Housewives and Six Feet Under, appear on the web hours after they are shown in the US, said a report. Web tracking company Envisional said 18% of downloaders were from within the UK and that downloads of TV programmes had increased by 150% in the last year. About 70% were using file-sharing program BitTorrent, the firm said. "It\'s now as easy to download a pirate TV show as it is to programme a VCR," said Ben Coppin from Envisional. A typical episode of 24 was downloaded by about 100,000 people globally, said the report, and an estimated 20,000 of those were from within the UK. Fans of many popular US TV programmes, like 24, usually have to wait weeks or months until the latest series is shown in the UK. But in some cases, said the report, people were able to watch the new episodes in Britain before US audiences on the west coast of the country. "Missing a television show presents little problem to anyone with a basic knowledge of the internet," explained Mr Coppin. "Two clicks and your favourite programme is downloading. In effect, the internet is now a global video recorder." Exact figures are difficult to pin down, but it is thought that about 80,000 to 100,000 people in the UK download TV programmes. Some may just want the odd episode, others are downloading regularly. Many broadcast analysts agree that the net is radically altering the way people get content, like TV programmes. This presents a challenge to broadcasters who are concerned that channel schedules may become less important to people. It is also of concern to them because advertisements are usually cut out of the downloaded programmes. The industry has coined the term "time-shifting" to describe this trend of being able to watch what you want, when you want. The increased popularity of personal digital video recorders, TiVo-type boxes which automatically record programmes like Sky+, have also contributed to the trend. There are also numerous programs available on the net which automatically search and store TV programmes for viewers, effectively creating a personal video recorder on a computer. Within half an hour, recorded episodes can be uploaded - or posted - onto file-sharing networks or other download sites. Because they tend to be shorter then full-length films, they can be processed - digitised - quickly. More people with high-speed broadband connections in the UK also means that episodes can be downloaded quickly. According to Jupiter Research 40% of homes with broadband say it helps them pick and choose the programmes they want to see or that friends have recommended. The Envisional reports said that the TV industry should consider offering a legal way to download shows. The BBC ran a trial of what it calls the Interactive Media Player (iMP) last year, which was based on a peer-to-peer distribution model. It let people download programmes it held the rights to up to eight days after they had already aired. It is looking to do a more expansive trial later this year. The BBC already allows radio fans to hear programmes they missed online up to a week after broadcast. About six million people in the UK now have a fast, always-on net connection via cable or phone lines. Xbox power cable \'fire fear\' Microsoft has said it will replace more than 14 million power cables for its Xbox consoles due to safety concerns. The company said the move was a "preventative step" after reports of fire hazard problems with the cables. It affects Xboxes made before 23 October 2003 for all regions but mainland Europe - and consoles in that region made before 13 January 2004. Microsoft said it had received 30 reports of minor injury or property damage due to faulty cables. The firm said fewer than one in 10,000 consoles had experienced component failures. The recall affects almost three quarters of all Xboxes sold around the world since its launch in 2001. In a statement, it added: "In almost all instances, any damage caused by these failures was contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord at the back of the console." But in seven cases, customers reported sustaining a minor burn to their hand. In 23 cases, customers reported smoke damage, or minor damage to a carpet or entertainment centre. "This is a preventative step we\'re choosing to take despite the rarity of these incidents," said Robbie Bach, senior vice president, Microsoft home and entertainment division. "We regret the inconvenience, but believe offering consumers a free replacement cord is the responsible thing to do." Consumers can order a new cable from the Xbox website or by telephoning 0800 028 9276 in the UK. Microsoft said customers would get replacement cords within two to four weeks from the time of order. It advised users to turn off their Xboxes when not in use. A follow-up to Xbox is expected to released at the end of this year or the beginning of 2006. Finding new homes for old phones Re-using old mobile phones is not just good for the environment, it has social benefits too. Research has found that in some developing nations old mobile phones can help close the digital divide. The Forum for the Future research found that the low cost of these recycled handsets means they can have a very useful second life in poorer nations. But the Forum found that more needed to be done to collect old phones rather than let them rot in landfill sites. The report reveals that approximately 15 million mobile phones go out of use every year in the UK. Of the 15 million that are swapped for newer models each year, only 25% get returned to mobile phone firms for recycling or re-use. The slowly growing mass of unrecycled, discarded phones has now reached 90 million handsets, the equivalent of 9,000 tonnes of waste, estimates James Goodman, report author and a senior adviser at the Forum for the Future. "It\'s quite common for people to have two or three phones just lying around," said Mr Goodman. Many of these older phones could end up in landfill sites leaking the potentially toxic materials they are made of into the wider world, said Mr Goodman. Far better, he said, to hand the phone back to an operator who can send it overseas where it can enjoy a second lease of life. "We\'ve heard the environmental argument for handing a phone back," said Mr Goodman, "but there\'s a strong social argument too." Older mobile phones are proving particularly useful in poorer nations where people want to use a mobile and keep in touch with friends and family but do not have the income to buy the most up to date model. The Forum for the Future report took an in-depth look at Romania where reconditioned mobile phones were proving very popular. "It\'s an interesting country because it has a really crap fixed line network," said Mr Goodman, "and there\'s a real desire for people to get mobile phones." But the relatively low wages in Romania, which is one of the poorest countries in Europe, mean few people can afford a shiny new phone. "The affordability of the handsets is a real barrier to getting one," he said. Reconditioned handsets have boosted take-up of mobiles as the report revealed that almost one-third of Romanian pre-pay mobile phone users were using reconditioned handsets. The re-used handsets tend to be about one-third of the price of a new handset. Georgeta Minciu, a Romanian part-time cleaner, said: "Normally a mobile phone would not be possible on my wages. I am a single parent - keeping in touch with my daughter is important to me." "This is the only way I can afford to have a phone," she said. Mr Goodman said phone operators and consumers needed to do more to ensure that more of Britain\'s mobile mountain made it overseas. But, he added, those keen to use a mobile will not accept any old handset. "If its more than a few years old people are not going to want it," he said. Open source leaders slam patents The war of words between Microsoft and the open source movement heated up this week as Linux founder Linus Torvalds led an attack on software patents. In a panel discussion at a Linux summit in California Mr Torvalds said software patents were a problem for the open source movement. Mitchell Kapor, chairman of the Mozilla foundation, warned that Microsoft could use patent lawsuits in the future. Linux is a freely-available alternative to Microsoft\'s Windows. It relies on a community of programmers for its development and is based on open source principles, which allow others to use and modify it without having to pay licence fees. The attack on software patents comes at a time when IBM has made 500 of its patents freely available. Other companies are expected to follow suit. There are between 150,000 and 300,000 registered software patents in the US and open source developers argue that many should never have been granted. This is a view corroborated by the UK Patent Office. "Some of the patents have dubious validity and are being wielded by some big companies to force smaller companies to buy licenses in the knowledge that they can\'t afford to take them to court," said Dr Jeremy Philpott of the UK Patent Office. Some panel members are worried that Microsoft would issue a series of patent lawsuits in the future. "If totally pushed to the wall - because their business model no longer holds up in an era in which open source is an economically superior way to produce software...of course they\'re going to unleash the WMDs," Mr Kapor is reported as saying. Microsoft did not want to comment directly, referring the issue instead to trade body Intellect, of which it is a member. "As far as Intellect is concerned, open source and patents have co-existed for many years without problems," said spokeswoman Jill Sutherland. "The industry respects the open source movement and in fact many of the members we represent use the open source system to develop software," "We think the important point to make is that companies should be able to choose between patents, copyrights and open source as to the treatment of their intellectual discoveries, and not be forced into using one or the other," she added. Mobile networks seek turbo boost Third-generation mobile (3G) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services. That was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. Fast 3G networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. At 3GSM, Siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. The German company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3G networks. The system is not available commercially yet, but Motorola, the US mobile handset and infrastructure maker, held a clinic for mobile operators on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a high-speed, high bandwidth technology available now. Early HSDPA systems typically offer around two megabits per second (Mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) on standard 3G networks. "High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) - sometimes called Super 3G - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips," according to a report published by UK-based research consultancy Analysys. A number of companies are developing the technology. Nokia and Canada-based wireless communication products company Sierra Wireless recently agreed to work together on High Speed Downlink Packet Access. The two companies aim to jointly market the HSDPA solution to global network operator customers. "While HSDPA theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14Mbps, practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks," said Dr Alastair Brydon, author of the Analysys report: Pushing Beyond the Limits of 3G with HSDPA and Other Enhancements. "The typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which, even at this lower rate, will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic WCDMA [3G]," he added. Motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9Mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3G cell using a single HSDPA device. But some mobile operators are opting for a technology called Evolution, Data Optimised (EV-DO). US operator Sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3G network at the end of last year. We are "expanding our network and deploying EV-DO technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds," said Oliver Valente, Sprint\'s vice president for technology development, when the contract was announced. As part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year, Sprint will spend around $1bn on EV-DO technology from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and Motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second, and peak download rates of 2.4Mbps. MMO2, the UK-based operator with services in the UK, Ireland and Germany, has opted for technology based on the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) standard. Using technology from Lucent, it will offer data speeds of 3.6Mbps from next summer on its Isle of Man 3G network, and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. US operator Cingular Wireless is also adopting HSDPA, using technology from Lucent alongside equipment from Siemens and Ericsson. Siemens\' plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today, but Christoph Caselitz, president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that: "By the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015, the need for transmission capacities for voice, data, image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10." Siemens - in collaboration with the Fraunhofer German-Sino Lab for Mobile Communications and the Institute for Applied Radio System Technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae, instead of the usual one. This enables a data transmission, such as sending a big file or video, to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. The speeds offered by3G mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3G licences. But today, instead of connecting to the internet by slow, dial-up phone connection, many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - must faster than 3G. This means users are likely to find 3G disappointing unless the networks are souped up. If they aren\'t, those lucrative "power users", such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks, reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. But one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. Siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory, it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. A commercial system could be as far away as 2012, though Siemens did not rule out an earlier date. UK gets official virus alert site A rapid alerting service that tells home computer users about serious internet security problems is being launched by the UK government. The service, IT Safe, will issue warnings about damaging viruses, software vulnerabilities and weaknesses on devices such as mobile phones. Alerts tell people how the threats affect them and what they can do to avoid trouble and protect themselves. The service will be free and those who sign up can get e-mail or text alerts. The scheme is aimed at home users and small businesses. The government estimates it will issue security alerts about six to 10 times a year, based on previous experience of virus outbreaks. "There is a clear need for easy-to-understand and simple independent advice for non-technically minded people who use computers either at home or at work," said Home Office Minister Hazel Blears. "The purpose of this new government service is to ensure computer users are aware of the risks involved and how to deal with them easily and effectively without causing alarm." Those signing up will only be told about the most serious security threats that have the potential to affect millions of people. Full-time staff are being employed to comb through the many hundreds of alerts issued each year by computer security firms to spot which ones have the potential to catch out a large number of people Between alerts the service will occasionally send messages giving people advice about safe ways to use their computers and phones. "IT Safe will take our technical expertise and use it to help home users understand the risks and keep their computer systems, mobile phones and a range of related consumer electronic items, safe," said Roger Cumming, director of the National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre (NISCC). The NISCC, which is running the service, also stressed that those signing up would still need to use anti-virus software, firewalls, and software updates to stay secure. Warnings about security problems will tell people what the problem is, how it affects them and what they can do to avoid trouble. Alerts will not be issued unless users can do something to protect themselves against the threat. This might include downloading an update from an anti-virus vendor or updating software to close loopholes and fix vulnerabilities. However no software patches or programs will actually be dispensed through the site. The alerts will tell people how to go about getting hold of patches from security firms. The NISCC spokesman said the site and alerting service would stay in existence for as long as there were security bugs on home computers and other gadgets. Government statistics show that more than half of all UK households own a home computer. It was estimated that almost 13 million of these were able to access the internet in 2004. The launch comes as the number of viruses and other malicious programs in existence is reaching unprecedented numbers. In September 2004, the number of malicious programs circulating topped the 100,000 mark. Some fear that this figure could hit 150,000 by September 2005. The creation of the national alert service follows similar efforts in the Netherlands and US. The National Alerting Service for the Netherlands (aka De Waarschuwingsdienst) and the US National Cyber Alerting Service also tell citizens of serious security threats. US woman sues over cartridges A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world\'s biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK\'s Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers. T-Mobile bets on \'pocket office\' T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access. Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company\'s existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola\'s MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile\'s chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already. In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000. It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK\'s London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move. "We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February. Cheaper chip for mobiles A mobile phone chip which combines a modem and a computer processor on one bit of silicon instead of two could make phones cheaper and more powerful. The specially-designed chip, developed by Texas Instruments, could drive down the cost of making mobiles capable of 3D gaming and 30-frame-a-second video. Currently, rich multimedia features tend to be on more expensive handsets. The technology, OMAP-Vox, is being tested by firms in Europe and Asia and could appear by the end of the year. Texas, which makes computer chips for more than half the world\'s mobile phones, said it was keen to make multimedia functions like video and gaming more affordable. "We\'re going to drive them down into meat-and-potatoes phones that have the largest market share," said Doug Rasor, a marketing vice president at Texas. The chip also uses much less power than conventional chips, said Texas, which means less strain on mobile battery life. More than 50 million people own a mobile in the UK, but mobile operators are keen to encourage people to move onto more sophisticated handsets that can do more. Texas is keen to cash in on the third generation (3G) of mobile technology, which offers high-speed networks for video streaming and other multimedia functions. But it faces stiff competition from the likes of Intel which is also looking to provide better chips for high-end mobiles. Competition to get people using 3G mobiles will grow in the next year as almost all of the UK\'s operators have now launched third generation networks. A recent survey by Sony Ericsson predicted that the number of 3G handsets sold in 2005 would double from 2004 to account for 10% of all phones sold. Many consumers are still to be convinced though. A further recent survey said that only 4% of mobile owners were thinking of upgrading to 3G phones. Many said they were confused about the different ways to pay for phones and the vast array of features most have onboard. But there will be continued demand for better chips as the industry continues to develop new standards and future networks. Earlier in January, NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone joined forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks, known as "super 3G", intended to be 10 times faster than 3G services. The first stage of development is to be completed by 2007, but no date has been set for a commercial launch The newly-designed OMAP-Vox chip set was announced ahead of the start of a major mobile industry conference, 3GSM, which takes place in Cannes, France this week. BT boosts its broadband packages British Telecom has said it will double the broadband speeds of most of its home and business customers. The increased speeds will come at no extra charge and follows a similar move by internet service provider AOL. Many BT customers will now have download speeds of 2Mbps, although there are usage allowances of between one gigabyte and 30 gigabytes a month. The new speeds start to come into effect on 17 February for home customers and 1 April for businesses. "Britain is now broadband Britain," said Duncan Ingram, BT\'s managing director, broadband and internet services. He added: "Ninety percent of our customers will see real increases in speed. "These speed increases will give people the opportunity to do a lot more with their broadband connections," he said. Upload speeds - the speed at which information is sent from a PC via broadband - will remain at the same speed, said Mr Ingram. Despite the increases, BT will continue to have usage allowances for home customers. "The allowances are extremely generous," said Mr Ingram "For what we are seeing in the market place - they are really not an issue." BT will begin enforcing the allowances in the summer. Customers who exceed the amounts will either be able to pay for a bigger allowance or see their download speeds reduced. BT now has a 36% share of the broadband market - down from 39% - which is becoming increasingly competitive. In the last few months, many rival ISPs have begun to offer 2Mbps services, including AOL, Plusnet and UK Online. But Britain continues to lag behind some countries - especially Japan and South Korea - which offer broadband speeds of up to 40Mbps. But Mr Ingram said it was important to "separate hype from reality". He said that a limited number of people with those connections consistently received speeds of 40Mbps. Customers will not see their connections double immediately on 17 February. Mr Ingram said there would be a roll out across the network in order to prevent any problems. Concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Games firms \'face tough future\' UK video game firms face a testing time as they prepare for the next round of games consoles, the industry warns. Fred Hasson, head of Tiga, which represents independent developers, said that more UK firms would go under due to greater risks in making new titles. Three leading UK video game companies also predicted that more firms would close as they struggled to adapt. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are expected to release new consoles in the next 18 months. Microsoft has said repeatedly that it wants to be first to the market and some analysts predict that Xbox 2 will be released in the US before the end of 2005. The new machines will all have much greater processing and graphical power which will have a huge impact on development of next generation games. Mr Hasson said: "In the last four years we have probably lost a third of independent developers." He said there were about 150 independent developers left in the industry and more were likely to close. "Once the cull has finished its likely to present those still standing with great opportunities," he said. Mr Hasson said the industry was predicting that developments costs and teams were likely to need to double in order to cope with the demands of the new machines. That figure was endorsed by three independent companies contacted by the BBC News website - Codemasters, Climax and Rebellion. "As consoles get more powerful, the content gets more detailed and that means more cost," said Gary Dunn, development director at Codemasters, which develops games in house and also publishes titles. Jason Kingsley, chief executive of Rebellion, said the transition from the current generation of consoles to the new machines was difficult because "the production quality expected by consumers will be that much bigger". He added: "We have been through five technology transitions and survived so far. "Each one has involved the death of some people. All companies said they were investing in new tools - called middleware - in order to try and avoid staff numbers spiralling out of control. Simon Gardner, president of Climax\'s Action studio, said: "We are investing in superior tools and editors. We are investing upfront to generate this content without the need for huge teams. "It\'s vital we avoid huge teams." He said Climax was already directing about 20% of its resources to preparation for next generation titles. Mr Dunn warned that companies could face a short supply of programming, development and artistic talent. "If companies are hiring bigger and bigger teams, at some point the talent is going to run out." Mr Hasson said games developers were beginning to realise that they had to be more "business-like". "There are still some developers who were involved in games from the bedroom coding days. "Some of them are still making games for peer group approval - that has to stop." Nintendo handheld given Euro date Nintendo\'s new handheld console, the DS, will launch in Europe on 11 March, the company has announced. The portable games machine, which features touch-screen control, will retail for £99 in the UK (149 euros). Nintendo said 15 games would be available in the UK at launch, with prices ranging from £19 to £29. More than 2.8 million DS consoles have been sold since it first appeared in the US and Japan at the end of 2004. Rival Sony has said it will launch its first handheld console, the PSP, in the US and Europe before the end of March. The PSP is expected to compete for a large part of the same handheld market, despite Sony\'s assertion that the machines are aimed at different consumers. The 15 games available on the European launch date will include Nintendo\'s Super Mario 64 DS, as well as titles from third-party developers such as Ubisoft\'s Rayman DS. More than 120 games are in development for the new console, Nintendo has said. The DS is backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance, allowing the earlier machine\'s back catalogue of 700 games to be played. Additionally, a short-range wireless link for multiplayer gaming is built in to the DS, with a "download play" option which allows a group to play against each other, even if just one person owns a copy. Other features include a short-range messaging application called Pictochat, and a built-in microphone which is used in Sega\'s launch title Project Rub. Nintendo has also announced a media adapter, which will allow the console to play music and video on the move. The launch price of £99 (149 euros) compares favourably with the US price of $149, according to John Houlihan, editor of the Computerandvideogames.com magazine. "It\'s a very, very competitive price point. There are some innovative features, and Nintendo has created quite a buzz," he says. "However, the line-up of games could have been stronger. Everyone wanted to see the eight-player Mario Kart DS, for example." Mr Houlihan believes that there is likely to be an audience for both the Nintendo DS and Sony\'s new PSP, with the former aimed largely at a younger audience and the latter expected to be marketed as a multimedia device. "The PSP is a sexy bit of kit, but Sony\'s attitude to the PSP has been very understated in Europe, so far," Mr Houlihan said. The worldwide handheld software market had an estimated worth of $2.6bn at the end of 2004, according to industry analysts Screen Digest. In the past, games consoles and handhelds have generally launched much later in Europe than in other parts of the world. However Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the company was "pleased to have offered such a short period of time between the US and European launch". "Europe is an extremely important market for Nintendo," Mr Iwata added. Nintendo raised its sales targets for the DS console last December after selling a million in the US and Japan in just a few weeks. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Nuclear body seeks new tech The computer systems used to monitor the world\'s nuclear power installations are so outdated that they are hampering the work of inspectors. A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its current technology could allow key information to be overlooked as it was more than 20 years old. Such systems are the only method of tracking nuclear material worldwide. The agency has appealed for more funds to update its hardware and software. "A major overhaul of the system is needed to allow inspectors immediate, secure online access to information," said project manager Livio Costantini. IAEA inspectors make around 3,000 visits a year to more than 900 nuclear facilities worldwide. They are there to verify official reports of activities in the plants, to carry out environmental checks, and also to look for any signs that nuclear material is being smuggled in or out of the facility. The computer system inspectors currently use for comparing data from earlier visits, for instance, was built in the 1970s and largely paper based. An IAEA spokesman said this was extremely inefficient and makes searching for anomalies like searching for a needle in a haystack. The organisation is aiming to start a system upgrade in November, aiming to provide inspectors in the field with secure online access to previous inspection data, design blueprints of nuclear facilities, even satellite images of the plant. Where possible, it hopes to link the system with national records of the import and export of nuclear materials. Further analysis of these could help spot potential smuggling activities or illicit technology transfers between countries, according to a spokesman. Computer specialist at the IAEA, Peter Smith, would like to be able to incorporate state of the art visualisation techniques, more familiar to video games players, into the inspector\'s toolkit. "The commercials you now see have people are moving around in a virtual world," he said. "If we could have that on our laptops, we could be walking through the plant seeing, on the laptop, how the plant should look. "And if there\'s a door in the wall that is not on our laptop, then we have a problem." The IAEA estimates the total cost of the four-year project to upgrade its technology will be $40m. So far it has only received $11m from the US and the UK. "Failure to replace the hardware and software, and to integrate fully all the information system components will carry large risks," said an agency statement. Home phones face unclear future The fixed line phone in your home could soon be an endangered species. Research by handset maker Nokia shows that more and more people are using their mobile phone for every call they make or take. According to the study, more than 45 million people in the UK, Germany, US and South Korea now only use a mobile. It showed that people keep their fixed line phone because call charges are lower, but most of those questioned said the future was definitely mobile. The Nokia-sponsored research showed that mobiles and fixed phones were used for different purposes. Home phones were used for longer calls but conversations on mobiles tended to be shorter, between mobiles and to friends. In the UK 69% of those questioned said they turned to their fixed phone because it was still cheaper to use than a mobile. However, when pressed few could say with accuracy how tariffs on fixed and mobile phones compared. In the US and Germany many of those interviewed said they used the fixed phone because it was more reliable than a mobile handset and let them get access to the net at relatively high speeds. In all the countries where interviews were carried out, older people were more likely to use a fixed line phone more than a mobile. Women aged 50 or above almost never use a mobile phone, the research found. The move to mobile was most pronounced in South Korea where 65% of those questioned said they already make most of their calls from a mobile. 18% said they would not get a landline if they moved house. Many of those questioned said they had an emotional connection to their fixed phone that drew on its position in the home and the "cosiness" of making a call there. Nokia said these findings had implications for mobile operators who must work hard to ensure that mobiles are seen as cheap, reliable and providing good call quality. The survey also showed that it is not just voice calls that are going wireless. Some of those questioned said they were looking to use a mobile or wireless service to get net access within the next couple of years. Polling firm Mori interviewed more than 6,000 people in the UK, US, Germany and South Korea for the survey. Portable PlayStation ready to go Sony\'s PlayStation Portable (PSP) will go on sale in Japan on 12 December. The long-awaited handheld game playing gadget will cost about 19,800 yen (145 euros) when it hits the shelves. At launch 21 games will be available for the PSP, including Need for Speed, Ridge Racer, Metal Gear Acid and Vampire Chronicle. Sony has not yet announced when the PSP will be available in Europe and the US, but analysts expect it to debut in those territories in early 2005. Fifa 2005 is back at the top of the UK games charts, a week after losing it to rival Pro Evolution Soccer 4. Konami\'s Pro Evo dropped only one place to two, while the only new entry in the top 10 was another football title, LMA Manager 2005, in at number seven. Tony Hawk\'s Underground 2 held its own at three, while Star Wars Battlefront inched up to four places to four. There was good news for Disney, with the spin-off from the Shark\'s Tale film moving up the charts into number eight. Fans of the Gran Turismo series in Europe are going to have to wait until next year for the latest version. Sony has said that the PAL version of GT4 will not be ready for Christmas. "The product is localised into 13 different languages across the PAL territories, therefore the process takes considerably longer than it does in Japan," it said. Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 is still expected to be released in Japan and the USA this year. Halo 2 has broken video game records, with pre-orders of more than 1.5 million in the US alone. Some 6,500 US stores plan to open just after midnight on Tuesday 9 November for the game\'s release. "Halo 2 is projected to bring in more revenue than any day one box office blockbuster movie in the United States," said Xbox\'s Peter Moore. "We\'ve even heard rumours of fan anticipation of the \'Halo 2 flu\' on 9 November." Pompeii gets digital make-over The old-fashioned audio tour of historical places could soon be replaced with computer-generated images that bring the site to life. A European Union-funded project is looking at providing tourists with computer-augmented versions of archaeological attractions. It would allow visitors a glimpse of life as it was originally lived in places such as Pompeii. It could pave the way for a new form of cultural tourism. The technology would allow digital people and other computer-generated elements to be combined with the actual view seen by tourists as they walk around an historical site. The Lifeplus project is part of the EU\'s Information Society Technologies initiative aimed at promoting user-friendly technology and enhancing European cultural heritage. Engineers and researchers working in the Europe-wide consortium have come up with a prototype augmented-reality system. It would require the visitor to wear a head-mounted display with a miniature camera and a backpack computer. The camera captures the view and feeds it to software on the computer where the visitor\'s viewpoint is combined with animated virtual elements. At Pompeii for example, the visitor would not just see the frescos, taverns and villas that have been excavated, but also people going about their daily life. Augmented reality has been used to create special effects in films such as Troy and Lord of the Rings and in computer gaming. "This technology can now be used for much more than just computer games," said Professor Nadia Magnenat-Thalman of the Swiss research group MiraLab. "We are, for the first time, able to run this combination of software processes to create walking, talking people with believable clothing, skin and hair in real-time," she said. Unlike virtual reality, which delivers an entirely computer-generated scene to the viewer, the Lifeplus project is about combining digital and real views. Crucial to the technique is the software that interprets the visitor\'s view and provides an accurate match between the real and virtual elements. The software capable of doing this has been developed by a UK company, 2d3. Andrew Stoddart, chief scientist at 2d3, said that the EU project has been driven by a new desire to bring the past to life. "The popularity of television documentaries and dramatisations using computer-generated imagery to recreate scenes from ancient history demonstrates the widespread appeal of bringing ancient cultures to life," he said. Concerns over Windows ATMs Cash machine networks could soon be more susceptible to computer viruses, a security firm has warned. The warning is being issued because many banks are starting to use the Windows operating system in machines. Already there have been four incidents in which Windows viruses have disrupted networks of cash machines running the Microsoft operating system. But banking experts say the danger is being overplayed and that the risks of infection and disruption are small. For many years the venerable IBM operating system, known as OS/2, has been the staple software used to power many of the 1.4m cash machines in operation around the world. But IBM will end support for OS/2 in 2006 which is forcing banks to look for alternatives. There are also other pressures making banks turn to Windows said Dominic Hirsch, managing director of financial analysis firm Retail Banking Research. He said many cash machines will also have to be upgraded to make full use of the new Europay, Mastercard and Visa credit cards that use computer chips instead of magnetic stripes to store data. US laws that demand disabled people get equal access to information will also force banks to make their cash machines more versatile and able to present information in different ways. Todd Thiemann, spokesman for anti-virus firm Trend Micro, said the move to Windows in cash machines was not without risks. Mr Thiemann said research by the TowerGroup showed that 70% of new cash machines being installed were Windows based. Already, he said, there have been four incidents in which cash machines have been unavailable for hours due to viruses affecting the network of the bank that owns them. In January 2003 the Slammer worm knocked out 13,000 cash machines of the Bank of America and many of those operated by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. In August of the same year, cash machines of two un-named banks were put out of action for hours following an infection by the Welchia worm. Incidents like this happen, said Mr Thiemann, because when banks start using Windows cash machines they also change the networking technology used to link the devices to their back office computers. This often means that all the cash machines and computers in a bank share the same data network. "This could mean that cash machines get caught up in the viruses that are going around because they have a common transmission system," he said. "Banks need to consider protection as part of the investment to maintain the security of that network," Mr Thiemann told BBC News Online. But Mr Hirsch from Retail Banking Research said the number of cash machines actually at risk was low because so few were upgraded every year. Currently, he said, a cash machine has a lifetime of up to 10 years which means that only about 10% of all ATMs get swapped for a newer model every year. "Windows cash machines have been around for several years," he said. "Most banks simply upgrade as part of their usual replacement cycle." "In theory there is a bigger threat with Windows than OS/2," he said, "but I do not think that the banks are hugely concerned at the moment." "It\'s pretty unusual to hear about virus problems with ATMs," he said. The many different security systems built-in to cash machines meant there was no chance that a virus could cause them to start spitting out cash spontaneously, he said. Banks were more likely to be worried about internal networks being overwhelmed by worms and viruses and customers not being able to get cash out at all, he added. A spokesman for the Association of Payment and Clearing Services (Apacs) which represents the UK\'s payments industry said the risk from viruses was minimal. "There\'s no concern that there\'s going to be any type of virus hitting the UK networks," he said. Risks of infection were small because the data networks that connect UK cash machines together and the operators of the ATMs themselves were a much smaller and tightly-knit community than in the US where viruses have struck. Broadband in the UK growing fast High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. The 600,000 connections take the total number of people in the UK signing up for broadband from BT to almost 3.3 million. Nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. Britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of Europe. According to figures gathered by industry watchdog, Ofcom, the growth means that the UK has now surpassed Germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. The UK total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people, compared to 6.7 in Germany and 15.8 in the Netherlands. The numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. "This breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas," said Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. BT Retail, which sells net services under its own name, also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. This was a slight increase on the previous three months. Despite the good news about growth in broadband, figures from telecommunications regulator Ofcom show that BT faces increasing competition, and dwindling influence, in other sectors. Local Loop Unbundling, (LLU), in which BT rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer\'s home or office, is growing steadily. Cable & Wireless and NTL have announced that they are investing millions to start offering LLU services. By the end of September more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called Carrier Pre-Section (CPS) services, such as TalkTalk and One.Tel, which route phone calls across non-BT networks from a local exchange. There are now more than 300 different firms offering CPS services and the percentage of people using BT lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%. Halo fans\' hope for sequel Xbox video game Halo 2 has been released in the US on 9 November, with a UK release two days later. Why is the game among the most anticipated of all time? Halo is considered by many video game pundits to be one of the finest examples of interactive entertainment ever produced and more than 1.5 million people worldwide have pre-ordered the sequel. A science fiction epic, Halo centred the action on a human cyborg, controlled by the player, who had to save his crew from an alien horde after a crash landing on a strange and exotic world contained on the interior surface of a giant ring in space. Remembrance of Things Past it was not - but as a slice of schlock science fiction inspired by works such as Larry Niven\'s Ringworld and the film Starship Troopers, it fit the bill perfectly. Halo stood out from a crowd of similar titles - it was graphically impressive, had tremendous audio, using Dolby Digital, a decent storyline, instant playability and impressive physics. But what marked Halo as a classic were the thousands of details which brought a feeling of polish and the enormously-high production values not usually associated with video gaming. Produced by Bungie software, renowned for their innovation in gaming, it caused a stir among the gaming fraternity when the developer was bought by Microsoft and became an Xbox exclusive. Claude Errera, editor of fansite Halo.Bungie.Org, said: "Bungie got everything right. They were really careful to make sure everything worked the way it was supposed to. "Nothing distracts you when you were playing. There was nothing in Halo that had not been done before but everything in there was as good as it could be." He added: "Graphically it was superior to everything else out there. "It also had a depth to it that made it stand out." Halo was unusually immersive, sucking the player into the action and blurring the interface between screen and controller. It also capitalised on the growing popularity of LAN gaming in the PC world - for the first time it became easy to link multiple game consoles together, allowing up to 16 players to battle against each other at the same time. The game instantly cultivated an online following, which continues today with a score of Halo fan websites following every aspect of the sequel, Halo 2. Errera spends three to fours hours a day of his own time maintaining the hugely popular website, which attracts 600,000 page views a day from Halo fans eager for the latest news. When the Xbox launched on November 15 2001 in the US, Halo was one of the launch titles and had an immediate impact on critics and consumers. "Halo is the most important launch game for any console ever," wrote the influential Edge magazine in its review, giving it a rare 10 out of 10 mark. The game had its critics and while it is not a one-off original as a game, it brought many original touches and flourishes to the genre which have defined all other first person shooters since. "The first time I played it I just stood there watching the spent shells fall out of my gun," said Errera, remarking on the level of detail in the game. The game also inspired thousands of people to write their own fiction based on the storyline and produce downloadable video clips of the many weird and wonderful things that can be done in the game. "It blew me away the first time someone managed to climb to the top of Halo," said Errera, referring to a fan who had created a video of Master Chief scaling the landscape of the graphical world. Video clips of the more outrageous stunts that are possible thanks to the game\'s amazing physics engine are incredibly popular and some have attained a cult following. Speculation about the sequel has seen every titbit analysed and poured over with all the intent of a forensic scientist examining a body. When early screenshots of the game were released some people wrote essay-length articles highlighting everything from the texture of graphics to clues about the story line. Errera said expectations of the sequel among fans were sky high. "It does not feel like a game release any more. Somebody told me this was the biggest single release of any product in Microsoft\'s history. "We\'re all just hoping that Bungie has got it right again." Halo 2 is out on 9 November in the US and 11 November in the UK Players sought for $1m prize UK gamers are getting a chance to take part in a $1m tournament thanks to one of the country\'s top teams. The Four-Kings clan is staging a Pop Idol type competition to find new members who can take on the world\'s best in the lucrative tournament. Four-Kings hopes the open qualifiers will turn up gamers good enough to beat all comers at the Painkiller game. Top players also get a contract with the Four-Kings team which will pay travelling expenses for the contest. UK gamers have until 12 November to register their interest in taking part and can sign up via the Four-Kings, Jolt.co.uk and Painkiller tournament websites. Philip Wride, who co-manages the Four-Kings team, said online qualifiers will be held from 16-28 November to find the best eight players of the Painkiller game. He said the clan was running the contest because Four-Kings does not currently have any players that excel at Painkiller. These eight players will be brought together in London on 3-5 December for the Bloodline Tournament that will find the best two players. The event will be filmed and the final cut made available online for others to watch. The movie is being put together by Simon Bysshe who has shot many other films about pro-gaming that have been widely shared online. Said Mr Bysshe: "Painkiller is a new game and the opportunity is there for a new player to step up." Painkiller has been described as a game that adds a few modern touches, such as improved graphics, to the old-fashioned first-person shooter. These two players will be put forward as the UK\'s entrants to the Cyberathlete Professional League $1m Painkiller contest that will take place throughout 2005. The event is being billed as the CPL World Tour and will be arranged around ten separate tournaments at different locations around the world. Travel expenses to all the stops on the tour will be paid by Four-Kings for the two UK players who make the grade. The top prize at each stop on the world tour will be $15,000. A further $150,000 will be given to the winner of the Grand Final due to be held in December 2005. Mr Wride said any gamer that wins a few tour stop tournaments and the grand final will have a very good year. The first stop on the world tour will be Istanbul, Turkey from 10-13 February. A total of $50,000 in cash prizes is on offer. The CPL has said that it picked a one-on-one game such as Painkiller to make it easier for spectators to follow the action. Counter-Strike, by far the most popular online game, pits teams against each other and can be confusing to follow if those watching are not familiar with the layout of the maps on which it is played. The decision to pick Painkiller was greeted with surprise by many gamers, as it was widely expected that Doom 3 would be chosen as the one-one-one title. Broadband takes on TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Broadband challenges TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark. The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research. It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year. The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year. The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans. "Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst. "As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones." The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany. The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time. A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits. In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV. The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report. It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009. "Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe\'s population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian. Halo 2 sells five million copies Microsoft is celebrating bumper sales of its Xbox sci-fi shooter, Halo 2. The game has sold more than five million copies worldwide since it went on sale in mid-November, the company said. Halo 2 has proved popular online, with gamers notching up a record 28 million hours playing the game on Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, nine out of 10 Xbox Live members have played the game for an average of 91 minutes per session. The sequel to the best-selling Need for Speed: Underground has inched ahead of the competition to take the top slot in the official UK games charts. The racing game moved up one spot to first place, nudging GTA: San Andreas down to second place. Halo 2 dropped one place to five, while Half-Life 2 fell to number nine. Last week\'s new releases, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Killzone, both failed to make it into the top 10, debuting at number 11 and 12 respectively. Record numbers of Warcraft fans are settling in the games online world. On the opening day of the World of Warcraft massive multi-player online game more than 200,000 players signed up to play. On the evening of the first day more than 100,000 players were in the world, forcing Blizzard to add another 34 servers to cope with the influx. The online game turns the stand alone Warcraft games into a persistent world that players can inhabit not just visit Europe\'s gamers could be waiting until January to hear when they can get their mitts on Nintendo\'s handheld device, Nintendo DS, says gamesindustry.biz. David Yarnton, Nintendo UK general manager, told a press conference to look out for details in the New Year. Its US launch was on Sunday and it goes on sale in Japan on 2 December. Nintendo has a 95% share of the handheld gaming market and said it expected to sell around five million of the DS by March 2005. Gadgets galore on show at fair The 2005 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a geek\'s paradise with more than 50,000 new gadgets and technologies launched during the four-day event. Top gadgets at the show are highlighted in the Innovations Showcase, which recognises some of the hottest developments in consumer electronics. The BBC News website took an early pre-show look at some of those technologies that will be making their debut in 2005. One of the key issues for keen gadget users is how to store all their digital images, audio and video files. The 2.5GB and 5GB circular pocket hard drive from Seagate might help. The external USB drive won a CES best innovations design and engineering award and is small enough to slip into a pocket. "It is the kind of storage that appeals to people who want their PCs to look cool," said Seagate. "It is all about style but it also has lots of functionality." "It is the first time you can say a hard drive is sexy," it said. In the centre of the device is a blue light that flashes while data is being written to ensure users do not unplug it when it is busy saving those precious pictures. Universal Electronics\' NevoSL is a universal controller that lets people use one device to get at their multimedia content, such as photos, no matter where it is in their house. It can also act as a remote for home theatre and stereo systems. Working with home broadband networks and PCs, the gadget has built-in wireless and a colourful, simple interface. Paul Arling, UEI chief, said consumers face real problems when trying to get at all the files they own that are typically spread across several different devices. He said the Nevo gave people a simple, single way to regain some control over digital media in the home. The Nevo won two awards at CES, one as a Girl\'s Best Friend award and another for innovation, design and engineering. The gadget is expected to go on sale before the summer and will cost about $799 (£425). Hotseat is targeting keen gamers with money to spend with its Solo Chassis gaming chair. The specially-designed chair lets gamers play in surround-sound while stretching out in their own "space". It is compatible with all the major games consoles, DVD players and PCs. "We found that kids love playing in surround sound," said Jay LeBoff from Hotseat. "We are looking at offering different types of seats, depending on the market success of this one." The chair also lets people experience surround sound while watching videos, with wireless control for six surround sound speakers. And a drinks holder. The chair, which looks like a car seat on a skeletal frame, should go on sale in April and is expected to cost $399 (£211). Satellite radio is big business in the US. In the UK, the digital radio technology is known as DAB and works on slightly different technology. Eton Corporation\'s Porsche designed P7131 digital radio set will be launched both as a DAB radio in the UK as well as a satellite radio set in the US. DAB sets have been slow to take-off in the UK, but this one concentrates on sleek looks as much as technology. "It is for the risqué consumer," said an Eton spokesperson. "We are proud of it because it has the sound quality for the audiophile and the looks for the design-conscious consumer." The Porsche radio is set to go on sale at the end of January in the US and in the first quarter of 2005 in the UK. In the US is it expected to cost $250 (£133). The average person has a library of 600 digital images estimates the Consumer Electronics Association, the organisation behind CES. This is expected to grow to a massive 3,420 images - or 7.2GB - in five years\' time. One gadget that might help swell that collection is Sanyo\'s tiny handheld VPC-C4 camcorder which is another innovation in design and engineering award winner. It combines high quality video and stills in a very small device. It takes MPEG4 video quality at 30 frames a second and has a four megapixel still camera. Images and video are stored on SD cards, which have come down in price in recent months. A 512MB card will store about 30 minutes of video and 420 stills. The device is so tiny it can be controlled with one thumb. Because images and video are stored on SD memory, it is portable to other devices and means other data like audio can be stored on the card too. Wearable technology has always promised much but failed to deliver because of lack of storage capability and poor design. MPIO\'s tiny digital USB music players come in an array of fashionable colours, taking a leaf out of the Apple iPod mini book of design and reflecting the desire for gadgets that look good. Slung on a cord, the player would not look too geeky dangling discreetly from the neck. Although the pendant design was launched three months ago, the device emphasises large storage as well as good looks for fashion-conscious gadget fiends. An even dinkier model, the FY500, comes out in May and will store about 256MB of music. The range of players recently won an International Forum design award 2005. Broadband in the UK growing fast High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. The 600,000 connections take the total number of people in the UK signing up for broadband from BT to almost 3.3 million. Nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. Britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of Europe. According to figures gathered by industry watchdog, Ofcom, the growth means that the UK has now surpassed Germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. The UK total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people, compared to 6.7 in Germany and 15.8 in the Netherlands. The numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from BT or via the many companies that re-sell BT lines under their own name. Part of the surge in people signing up was due to BT stretching the reach of ADSL - the UK\'s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. The standard speed is 512kbps, though faster connections are available. "This breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas," said Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. BT Retail, which sells net services under its own name, also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. This was a slight increase on the previous three months. Despite the good news about growth in broadband, figures from telecommunications regulator Ofcom show that BT faces increasing competition, and dwindling influence, in other sectors. Local Loop Unbundling, (LLU), in which BT rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer\'s home or office, is growing steadily. Cable & Wireless and NTL have announced that they are investing millions to start offering LLU services. By the end of September more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called Carrier Pre-Section (CPS) services, such as TalkTalk and One.Tel, which route phone calls across non-BT networks from a local exchange. There are now more than 300 different firms offering CPS services and the percentage of people using BT lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%. Learning to love broadband We are reaching the point where broadband is a central part of daily life, at least for some, argues technology analyst Bill Thompson. One of the nice things about being a writer is that I rarely have to go to an office to work. I can sit in a café or a library, with or without a wi-fi connection, and research and write articles. If I am passing through Kings Cross station on my way to a meeting then I can log on from the platform. And I can spend the day working with my girlfriend Anne, a children\'s writer, at her house in Cambridge, sharing her wireless network. But just over a week ago I arrived at her house to find that there was no network connection. We checked the cable modem and noticed that it had no power, and when she changed the power lead it sparked at her in a way which made it abundantly clear that it was never going to talk to the internet again. She called her service provider, and they told her it would be five days before an engineer would show up with a new cable modem. This did not seem too bad, but in fact she really suffered until her connection was restored on Wednesday. With no modem installed in her computer, she had to borrow internet access from friends or use the dial-up connection on her daughter\'s laptop, so she had to choose between copying her files onto her USB memory card or accepting a slower and flakier net connection. As a result she did not submit the pictures she wanted to use for a book on earthquakes because they were too big to send over dial-up. She could not research other material because she is used to having easy access to a fast link that lets her search quickly and effectively. But the impact spread into her personal life too. She did not take her children to the cinema during half-term because she could not find out which films were showing at the local cinemas. She planned a trip to Norfolk but did not check the weather because the only place she knows to look for weather information is the BBC website. And she did not know where to go fossil-hunting on the trip because she could not type "fossils Norfolk" into Google. Of course, she readily admits, she could have answered these questions if she had looked in the local paper, listened to the radio or found a book on fossils. But she did not, because having fast, always on, and easy access to the net has become part of the routine of her daily life, and when it was taken away it was too much effort to go back to the old ways of doing things. She may be unusual, but I do not think Anne is alone. According to Ofcom there were almost four million broadband users in the UK in April 2004, and numbers are climbing fast. There will certainly be five million by the end of the year. Dial-up users are switching to broadband. My dad finally made the change earlier this month and new net users are selecting broadband from the start. More and more of these broadband users are beginning to mould their daily lives around the availability of broadband internet connections, and they too will find it difficult to cope if they cannot get online for any reason. It is part of the process of adaptation, and it is a vital step in the growth of broadband in the UK and elsewhere. People who have integrated net access into their daily lives tell their friends about it, and show off the cool stuff they can do. They encourage other people to get broadband so that they can share digital photos and do all of the other things that need fast and reliable connectivity. Of course, broadband in the UK is laughably slow compared to other parts of the world. In South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong normal connection speeds are measured in megabits, or millions of bits, a second rather than the thousands that we are supposed to be happy with. But speed is only a small part of the attraction of broadband, and when it comes to checking websites for film times, looking at weather forecasts, or all of the other small things that make a real difference to the routines and habits of our daily lives, even UK speeds are sufficient. It may not be the brave new world of streaming full-screen video and superfast file downloads, but it will do for now. And it is certainly better than slow access or no access. Just ask Anne. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. Swap offer for pirated Windows XP Computer giant Microsoft has launched a pilot scheme to replace counterfeit versions of Windows XP with legal ones. The first-time initiative is restricted to the UK and to users with pre-installed copies of the operating system in PCs bought before November. Until December Microsoft said software can be sent to it for analysis if there are doubts about its legitimacy. The company aims to detect illegal traders and turn users of fake versions of Windows into legitimate ones. The Windows XP Counterfeit Project will mean that software that is found to be counterfeit will be replaced for free, subject to certain conditions, until the end of the year. It is the first time Microsoft has launched a counterfeit product replacement scheme in the world, the company told the BBC News website. In June, the software giant said that the major security update to Windows XP, Service Pack 2, would not work with the most widely pirated versions of its operating system. The upgrade closed security loopholes in XP and added features that made it easier to keep machines safe from viruses and other types of malicious computer code. The US company invited anyone who had suspicions about their version of Windows XP to submit it for testing as soon as possible. The procedure consists of a series of computer checks, collating documents, and filling out a witness statement. "This is a great opportunity for users to confirm the authenticity of Windows XP software whilst helping gather vital information about illegal traders", said Alex Hilton, licence compliance manager at Microsoft. The scheme has also been welcomed by the technology and commerce industry. "It is important that users ensure that they are legally licensed to avoid the risks of purchasing and using counterfeit products", said David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce. The plan would enable Microsoft to gather intelligence about illegal traders in a prompt way, which would allow it to take action against software pirates. Microsoft said it would evaluate the results of the UK programme before setting up similar schemes in other countries. UK broadband gets speed injection Broadband\'s rapid rise continues apace as speeds gear up a notch. An eight megabit service has been launched by internet service provider UK Online. It is 16 times faster than the average broadband package on the market and will pave the way for services such as video-on-demand and broadband TV. The service is possible due to a new regime which allows other operators to use BT\'s exchanges and will initially only be available in towns. It represents a "big leap forward" for broadband, said Chris Stening, UK Online general manager. The service comes with a hefty £39.99 monthly price tag but will mean users can download MP3s in seconds and offers TV-quality video streaming. The service includes WiFi as standard, meaning users can connect multiple PCs, laptops and game consoles from any room in the house. Not everybody will be able to take advantage of the service, as it will be restricted to metropolitan areas. The service will initially be available to users within 2km radius of 230 telephone exchanges in areas such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cambridge. That represents about 4.4 million households. The service is possible due to a decision to loosen BT\'s strangle-hold on telephone exchanges. The process, known as local loop unbundling, was put in motion by the now defunct telecoms watchdog Oftel but has only proved popular in recent months due to falling costs. UK Online is looking at the possibility of bundling services such as cheap net telephone calls, video-on-demand and TV by 2005 if the service proves popular. "The service is twice as fast as any other service on offer in the UK and 16 times faster than most broadband services," said Mr Stening. "It takes a big leap for broadband and we are very excited about it," he said. Countries such as South Korea and France have found the advantage of upping the speeds of broadband. In South Korea, video-on-demand over the net is cheaper than renting a DVD and online gaming is huge. Mr Stening believes the service will appeal to people in multi-occupancy buildings as well as easing family arguments. "A typical family with two adults and two children is currently sharing a 512 kilobit service. This will basically give them 2 megabits each," he said. Mobile picture power in your pocket How many times have you wanted to have a camera to hand to catch an unexpected event that would make headlines? With a modern mobile phone that has a camera built in, you no longer need to curse, you can capture the action as it happens. Already on-the-spot snappers are helping newspapers add immediacy to their breaking news stories headlines, where professional photographers only arrive in time for the aftermath. Celebrities might not welcome such a change because they may never be free of a new breed of mobile phone paparazzi making their lives a bit more difficult. Already one tabloid newspaper in LA is issuing photographers with camera phones to help them catch celebrities at play. It could be the start of a trend that only increases as higher resolution phone cameras become more widespread; as video phones catch on and millions of people start carrying the gadgets around. Only last week, the world media highlighted the killing of the Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, notorious after making a controversial film about Islamic culture. One day later De Telegraaf, a daily Amsterdam newspaper, became news on its own when it published a picture taken with a mobile phone of Mr van Gogh\'s body moments after he was killed. "This picture was the story", said De Telegraaf\'s image editor, Peter Schoonen. Other accounts of such picture phone users witnessing news events, include: - A flight from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic which turned around after someone took a picture of a piece of metal falling from the plane as it took off from Zurich (reported by the Swiss daily Le Matin). - Two crooks who robbed a bank in Denmark were snapped before they carried out the crime waiting for the doors of the building to be opened (reported by the Danish regional paper Aarhus Stiftstidende). But this is not just about traditional media lending immediacy to their stories with content from ordinary people, it is also about first-hand journalism in the form of online diaries or weblogs. It has been called "open source news" or even "moblog journalism" and it has flourished in the recent US election campaign. "Not many people walk around with their cameras, but they always have their mobile phones with them. If something happens, suddenly all these mobiles sort of appear from nowhere, and start taking pictures," said digital artist Henry Reichhold. He himself uses mobile phone pictures to create huge panoramic images of events and places. "You see it in bars, you see it everywhere. It\'s a massive thing," Mr Reichhold told the BBC News website. With some picture agencies already paying for exclusive phone pictures, especially of celebrities, there are also fears about the possible downside of this phenomenon. It could become a nuisance for public figures as higher resolution picture phones hit the market, with five megapixel models already being launched in Asia. Already on US photojournal site, Buzznet, there is a public album full of snaps of celebrities, many of which were taken with camera phones. Tabloid newspapers in the UK and many monthly magazines invite readers to send in images of famous people they have seen and snapped. But there are other positive uses of picture mobile phones that may balance these uses. For instance, in Alabama, in the US, camera phones will be used to take snaps at crime scenes involving children, and help the authorities to arrest and prosecute paedophiles. And in China\'s capital Beijing, courts have adopted mobile phone photos as formal evidence. For Henry Reichhold, this is progress: "That\'s the whole thing about the immediacy of the thing. I can see that happening a lot more." Lifestyle \'governs mobile choice\' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by handset maker Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson\'s consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People\'s habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it\'s a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters\' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson\'s research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life. TV future in the hands of viewers With home theatre systems, plasma high-definition TVs, and digital video recorders moving into the living room, the way people watch TV will be radically different in five years\' time. That is according to an expert panel which gathered at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to discuss how these new technologies will impact one of our favourite pastimes. With the US leading the trend, programmes and other content will be delivered to viewers via home networks, through cable, satellite, telecoms companies, and broadband service providers to front rooms and portable devices. One of the most talked-about technologies of CES has been digital and personal video recorders (DVR and PVR). These set-top boxes, like the US\'s TiVo and the UK\'s Sky+ system, allow people to record, store, play, pause and forward wind TV programmes when they want. Essentially, the technology allows for much more personalised TV. They are also being built-in to high-definition TV sets, which are big business in Japan and the US, but slower to take off in Europe because of the lack of high-definition programming. Not only can people forward wind through adverts, they can also forget about abiding by network and channel schedules, putting together their own a-la-carte entertainment. But some US networks and cable and satellite companies are worried about what it means for them in terms of advertising revenues as well as "brand identity" and viewer loyalty to channels. Although the US leads in this technology at the moment, it is also a concern that is being raised in Europe, particularly with the growing uptake of services like Sky+. "What happens here today, we will see in nine months to a years\' time in the UK," Adam Hume, the BBC Broadcast\'s futurologist told the BBC News website. For the likes of the BBC, there are no issues of lost advertising revenue yet. It is a more pressing issue at the moment for commercial UK broadcasters, but brand loyalty is important for everyone. "We will be talking more about content brands rather than network brands," said Tim Hanlon, from brand communications firm Starcom MediaVest. "The reality is that with broadband connections, anybody can be the producer of content." He added: "The challenge now is that it is hard to promote a programme with so much choice." What this means, said Stacey Jolna, senior vice president of TV Guide TV group, is that the way people find the content they want to watch has to be simplified for TV viewers. It means that networks, in US terms, or channels could take a leaf out of Google\'s book and be the search engine of the future, instead of the scheduler to help people find what they want to watch. This kind of channel model might work for the younger iPod generation which is used to taking control of their gadgets and what they play on them. But it might not suit everyone, the panel recognised. Older generations are more comfortable with familiar schedules and channel brands because they know what they are getting. They perhaps do not want so much of the choice put into their hands, Mr Hanlon suggested. "On the other end, you have the kids just out of diapers who are pushing buttons already - everything is possible and available to them," said Mr Hanlon. "Ultimately, the consumer will tell the market they want." Of the 50,000 new gadgets and technologies being showcased at CES, many of them are about enhancing the TV-watching experience. High-definition TV sets are everywhere and many new models of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs have been launched with DVR capability built into them, instead of being external boxes. One such example launched at the show is Humax\'s 26-inch LCD TV with an 80-hour TiVo DVR and DVD recorder. One of the US\'s biggest satellite TV companies, DirectTV, has even launched its own branded DVR at the show with 100-hours of recording capability, instant replay, and a search function. The set can pause and rewind TV for up to 90 hours. And Microsoft chief Bill Gates announced in his pre-show keynote speech a partnership with TiVo, called TiVoToGo, which means people can play recorded programmes on Windows PCs and mobile devices. All these reflect the increasing trend of freeing up multimedia so that people can watch what they want, when they want. Lifestyle \'governs mobile choice\' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by telecommunications company Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson\'s consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People\'s habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it\'s a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters\' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson\'s research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life. Mobile multimedia slow to catch on There is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular. Consumers swapping old phones for slinkier, dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004, according to analysts Gartner More than 167 million handsets were sold between July and September 2004, a period that, according to Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi is "seldom strong". But although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps, sounds and video clips few, so far, are taking the chance to do so. In fact, the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures, audio and video is growing. Figures gathered by Continental Research shows that 36% of British camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (MMS), up from 7% in 2003. This is despite the fact that, during the same period, the numbers of camera phones in the UK more than doubled to 7.5 million. Getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. The problem they face, said Shailendra Jain, head of MMS firm Adamind, is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets. "Also," he said, "they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it." Research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. According to Continental Research, 29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. Only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. The fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people\'s reluctance to start sending them, said Mr Jain. "They ask themselves: \'If I\'m streaming video from one handset to another will it work?\'" he said. "There\'s a lot of user apprehension about that." There are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. Andrew Bud, executive chairman of messaging firm Mblox, said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system. "The rate we can send MMS into the mobile network is fairly constant," he said. The reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users. No-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of MMS messages is capped, said Mr Bud. This has led to operators finding other technologies, particularly one known as Wap-push, to get multimedia to their customers. But when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers, the results can be dramatic. Israeli technology firm Celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. One of the first firms to use the Celltick service is Hutch India, the largest mobile firm in the country. The broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. While not multimedia messaging, such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. As a result 40% of the subscribers to the Hutch Alive, which uses Celltick\'s broadcast technology, regularly click for more pictures, sounds and images from the operator. "Operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers," said Yaron Toren, spokesman for Celltick. Until then, multimedia will be a message that is not getting through. Internet boom for gift shopping Cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for Christmas shoppers. Forecasts predict that British people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season, an increase of 64% on 2003. Surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising, as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online. Savvy shoppers are also using the net to find the hot presents that are all but sold out in High Street stores. Almost half of the UK population now shop online according to figures collected by the Interactive Media in Retail Group which represents web retailers. About 85% of this group, 18m people, expect to do a lot of their Christmas gift buying online this year, reports the industry group. On average each shopper will spend £220 and Britons lead Europe in their affection for online shopping. Almost a third of all the money spent online this Christmas will come out of British wallets and purses compared to 29% from German shoppers and only 4% from Italian gift buyers. James Roper, director of the IMRG, said shoppers were now much happier to buy so-called big ticket items such as LCD television sets and digital cameras. Mr Roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for Christmas. He advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular. A survey by Hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents, such as lingerie, for wives and girlfriends. Much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time, according to research carried out by security firm Saint Bernard Software. The research reveals that up to two working days will be lost by staff who do their shopping via their work computer. Worst offenders will be those in the 18-35 age bracket, suggests the research, who will spend up to five hours per week in December browsing and buying at online shops. Iggy Fanlo, chief revenue officer at Shopping.com, said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping. "When you consider narrowband and broadband the conversion to sale is two times higher," he said. Higher speeds meant that everything happened much faster, he said, which let people spend time browsing and finding out about products before they buy. The behaviour of online shoppers was also changing, he said. "The single biggest reason people went online before this year was price," he said. "The number one reason now is convenience." "Very few consumers click on the lowest price," he said. "They are looking for good prices and merchant reliability." Consumer comments and reviews were also proving popular with shoppers keen to find out who had the most reliable customer service. Data collected by eBay suggests that some smart shoppers are getting round the shortages of hot presents by buying them direct through the auction site. According to eBay UK there are now more than 150 Robosapiens remote control robots for sale via the site. The Robosapiens toy is almost impossible to find in online and offline stores. Similarly many shoppers are turning to eBay to help them get hold of the hard-to-find slimline PlayStation 2, which many retailers are only selling as part of an expensive bundle. The high demand for the PlayStation 2 has meant that prices for it are being driven up. In shops the PS2 is supposed to sell for £104.99. In some eBay UK auctions the price has risen to more than double this figure. Many people are also using eBay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. The portable version of the PlayStation has only just gone on sale in Japan yet some enterprising eBay users are selling the device to UK gadget fans. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Hollywood to sue net film pirates The US movie industry has launched legal action to sue people who facilitate illegal film downloading. The Motion Picture Association of America wants to stop people using the program BitTorrent to swap movies. The industry is targeting people who run websites which provide information and internet links to movies which have been copied or filmed in cinemas. More than 100 server operators have been targeted in the actions launched in the US and UK, the MPAA added. The suits were filed against users of the file-sharing programs BitTorrent, eDonkey and DirectConnect in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Finland and the Netherlands, the MPAA said. BitTorrent users can download movies by following a link to files which are found on websites called trackers. Unlike most peer-to-peer programs BitTorrent works by sharing a file, which could be anything from a legitimate digital photo to a copied movie, among multiple users at the same time. The movie industry hopes that suing the people who run the trackers will cut BitTorrent users off from illegal movies at source. Last month major film studios started legal action against 200 individuals who were swapping films online. The growth in broadband has made it quicker for people to download movies and the industry fears that if it does not take action now, it could suffer the same downturn as the music industry. The gaming world in 2005 If you have finished Doom 3, Half Life 2 and Halo 2, don\'t worry. There\'s a host of gaming gems set for release in 2005. WORLD OF WARCRAFT The US reception to this game from developers Blizzard has been hugely enthusiastic, with the title topping its competitors in the area of life-eating, high-fantasy, massively multiplayer role-player gaming. Solid, diverse, accessible and visually striking, it may well open up the genre like never before. If nothing else, it will develop a vast and loyal community. Released 25 February on PC. ICO 2 (WORKING TITLE) Ico remains a benchmark for PS2 gaming, a title that took players into a uniquely atmospheric and artistic world of adventure. The (spiritual) sequel has visuals that echo those of the original, but promises to expand the Ico world, with hero Wanda taking on a series of giants. The other known working title is Wanda And Colossus. Release date to be confirmed on PS2. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA The charismatic cel imagery has been scrapped in favour of a dark, detailed aesthetic (realism isn\'t quite the right word) that connects more with Ocarina Of Time. Link resumes his more teenage incarnation too, though enemies, elements and moves look familiar from the impressive trailer that has been released. Horseback adventuring across a vast land is promised. Release date to be confirmed on GameCube. ADVANCE WARS DS The UK Nintendo DS launch line-up is still to be confirmed at time of writing, but titles that exploit its two-screen and touch capacity, like WarioWare Touched! and Sega\'s Feel The Magic, are making a strong impression in other territories. Personally, I can\'t wait for the latest Advance Wars, the franchise that has been the icing on the cake of Nintendo handheld gaming during the past few years. Release date to be confirmed on DS. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Following in the high-spec footsteps of Far Cry and Half-Life 2, this looks like the key upcoming PC first-person shooter (with role-playing elements). The fact that it is inspired in part by Andrei Tarkovsky\'s enigmatic 1979 masterpiece Stalker and set in 2012 in the disaster zone, a world of decay and mutation, makes it all the more intriguing. Released 1 March on PC. METAL GEAR SOLID: SNAKE EATER More Hideo Kojima serious stealth, featuring action in the Soviet-controlled jungle in 1964. The game see Snake having to survive on his wits in the jungle, including eating wildlife. Once again, expect cinematic cut scenes and polished production values. Released March on PS2. DEAD OR ALIVE ULTIMATE Tecmo\'s Team Ninja are back with retooled and revamped versions of Dead Or Alive 1 and 2. Here\'s the big, big deal though - they\'re playable over Xbox Live. Released 11 March on Xbox. KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC II Looks set to build on the acclaimed original Star Wars role playing game with new characters, new Force powers and a new set of moral decisions, despite a different developer. Released 11 February on Xbox and PC. Video phone help for deaf people Deaf people who prefer to communicate using British Sign Language (BSL) could soon be having their phone conversations relayed using webcams or videophones and an interpreter. The Video Relay Service is being piloted by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), but the organisation says unless the service is provided at the same rate as voice calls it will be beyond most people\'s pockets. The RNID is urging telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to reduce the cost of the service from the current £7.00 per minute and make it the same as ordinary phone calls. The service works by putting a deaf person in visual contact with a BSL interpreter via a webcam or video phone, and the interpreter then relays the deaf person\'s conversation using a telephone and translates the other person\'s response into sign language. For many deaf people, especially those born deaf, BSL is a first and preferred means of communication. Until now, the only alternative has been to use textphones which means having to type a message and have it relayed via an operator. "In the past, I\'ve used textphones but they have problems," said Robert Currington who is taking part in the pilot. "I communicate in BSL; my written English is not very good and it takes me longer to think in English and type my message." "I sometimes find it difficult to understand the reply." The RNID says the UK is lagging behind other countries which are already making relay services available at the cost of an ordinary phone call. "There are no technical or economic reasons for not providing equivalent access to services for deaf people," said RNID technology director, Guido Gybels. "In the US and Australia, sign language relay services have already been made universally available at the same cost as a voice call. "By failing to provide and fund the video relay service for sign language users, the telecommunications sector is effectively discriminating against an already disenfranchised group." Ofcom says it has plans to review the services that telecoms companies are obliged to provide early next year. And new technology, including the Video Relay Service, will be discussed with interested parties in the near future. But a spokesman said its powers were limited by legislation. "Any proposals to extend existing arrangements to cover new services would be for government to consider," he said. Mr Currington, like many of the UK\'s 70,000 BSL users, will be hoping that a way can be found to make a cost-effective service available. "The relay service makes phone conversations a pleasure," he said. "I can show my emotions more easily in BSL in the same way hearing people express emotions through voice calls." Broadband steams ahead in the US More and more Americans are joining the internet\'s fast lane, according to official figures. The number of people and business connected to broadband jumped by 38% in a year, said the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a report, it said there were more than 32 million broadband connections by the end of June 2004. But the US is still behind compared to other nations, ranked 13th in the world by a UN telecoms body. During his 2004 re-election campaign, President George W Bush pledge to ensure that affordable high-speed net access would be available to all Americans by 2007. According to the report by the FCC, broadband is becoming increasingly popular, with people using it for research and shopping, as well as downloading music and watching video. The total number of people and businesses on broadband rose by to 32.5 million in the year ending June 2004, compared to 23.5 million in June 2003. Whereas in the UK, most people hook up to broadband via Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology which lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. But in the US, cable leads the way, accounting for 18.6 million lines. Broadband over the phone line makes up 11.4 million connections, according to the FCC figures. Napster offers rented music to go Music downloading, for those that have rejected the free peer to peer services, can be a costly business. The cost of paying even as little as 70p per track can add up, particularly for those people who own one of the new generation of players that can store thousands of songs. Paying per track for music is becoming as outmoded as paying per minute for internet access and alternative monthly or yearly subscription models are springing up as a more convenient, and ultimately cheaper way of owning music. "Music fans are moving away from buying the traditional bundled package of a dozen or more songs that we used to call an album to newer ways that fit their lifestyle; either single tracks or subscriptions services," said Paul Myers, chief executive of Wippit, a UK-based music download service. While iTunes is doing good business with its sales of individual tracks to iPod owners, others are questioning whether the concept of owning music is even valid in the digital age. Napster is due to launch a new rental subscription service - dubbed Napster to Go in the UK in the next few months. The service can be used on players that support Microsoft Windows latest Digital Rights Management technology known as Janus. This includes players made by Samsung, Rio and Creative. Currently on offer in beta-version in the US, the service costs $15 per month for unlimited downloads. The technology ensures that music downloaded to the player only remains playable while the user subscribes to the service. Users need to update their license on a monthly basis or the tunes will no longer play. This has outraged some digital music lovers, especially as Napster already offers a cheaper service for downloading music to the PC. Napster claims the higher price is a result of record labels charging more for the to-go service and says it also offers "greater value" for customers. Mr Myers is not convinced a rental model will work for consumers. "We\'ve been offering our unlimited music subscription service for more than three years now and our customers know what they want. Format interoperability, excellent value and the reassurance that music purchased from Wippit is theirs to keep and enjoy on whatever device they choose," he said. "Who wants to download a track that won\'t play next month if you decide to unsubscribe to the service or change portable player for an iPod or the latest mobile phone?" Wippit offers a download subscription service for £4.99 per month or £50 per year. It has a catalogue of around 60,000 songs. Broadband soars in 2004 If broadband were a jumbo jet, then 2003 would have seen it taxiing down the runway, firing up its engines and preparing for take-off. But this year has seen it soar. In the spring it literally took to the skies as Lufthansa and British Airways trialled it on flights. This perhaps said more about how indispensable people were beginning to perceive the technology, rather than how useful sky-high broadband would actually be. It was flying high and by the autumn, five million Britons had signed up for high-speed net access at home. Such enthusiasm is unlikely to dampen any time soon and experts predict that by the end of next year the numbers will have risen to more than eight million, or more than 30% of homes. The two key factors in whetting people\'s appetite were falling prices and a huge marketing push. When operators such as BT and Telewest offered standard 512K broadband for less than £20 at the beginning of the year, it was as if an invisible barrier had been breached - broadband had truly gone mass market. A feeding frenzy followed as firms vied for eyeballs in a price war reminiscent of that following the mass market take-up of dial-up. Broadband for less than £10 was even touted by some firms, although such a low price raised eyebrows among more established companies questioning how they are able to sustain such business models. For those who became broadbanders in 2004 there was no turning back and the days of waiting for the modem to kick in began to seem as outdated an idea as a jungle without celebrities. The rest of the world was also falling in love with the benefits of fast internet access, to the tune of 100 million connections worldwide by April, prompting research firm Point Topic to declare it one of the fastest growing technologies ever. By September, the number of broadband connections in the UK finally overtook dial-up and in December BT announced that it was making a new broadband connection every 10 seconds. Broadband was being mentioned on the 10 O\'clock News and in the tabloids; the Sun even carried a cartoon joke about it. But two of the most significant pieces of news for broadband were items that did not make the headlines. In May, BT quietly announced that it was shaving 70% off the cost of allowing other operators access to its telephone exchanges, so-called local loop unbundling. The vital local loop is the crucial link between telephone exchanges and homes. At the moment BT has a stranglehold on more than 80% of these lines making it the key voice in deciding what ADSL products get into homes. With cheaper local loop unbundling, rivals to BT can offer faster services that will leave the broadband of today looking positively tortoise-like. It will mean the UK will finally catch up with countries such as France and the Netherlands, where homes are routinely enjoying speeds of up to 15Mb (megabits per second). And the major price fall means that, rather than just talk about it, companies are actually starting to get their own equipment into BT\'s exchanges. It may not seem that exciting but it is a remarkable transition given that just a few years ago the arguments over local loop unbundling bore more than a passing resemblance to the Northern Ireland peace talks - fraught, bitter and with no end in sight. Another big piece of news for broadband users in 2004 was the extension of BT\'s reach, meaning more than 95% of the population could get broadband, regardless of how far away from the exchange they lived. There was a slight caveat for those wanting to upgrade to 1Mbps broadband, they still have to live within six kilometres of a broadband-enabled exchange. For thousands frustrated by their inability to get the technology, the news meant they could finally join in. Broadband is not just about fast access over the telephone and cable operators NTL and Telewest also had a bumper year. The biggest news for them was increased speeds, introducing 2Mb and 3Mb services for users and offering a free upgrade to those on 512K. The cable operators are limited in their reach and it is perhaps testament to how big a deal local loop unbundling could become that even they are considering extending their range via this route. Broadband can seem confusing for consumers, with the huge amount of operators offering so many different products, some with capped bandwidth and different length contracts and set-up fees. It is unlikely to get any less easy to understand in 2005 but remains a plane worth catching. As it gets faster and offers extras such as cheap telephone calls online, the only real thing to remember for the coming year is to enjoy the ride. EA to take on film and TV giants Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says it wants to become the biggest entertainment firm in the world. The US firm says it wants to compete with companies such as Disney and will only achieve this by making games appeal to mainstream audiences. EA publishes blockbuster titles such as Fifa and John Madden, as well as video game versions of movies such as Harry Potter and the James Bond films. Its revenues were $3bn (£1.65bn) in 2004, which EA hoped to double by 2009. EA is the biggest games publisher in the world and in 2004 had 27 titles which sold in excess of one million copies each. Nine of the 20 biggest-selling games in the UK last year were published by EA. Gerhard Florin, EA\'s managing director for European publishing, said: "Doubling our industry in five years is not rocket science." He said it would take many years before EA could challenge Disney - which in 2004 reported revenues of $30bn (£16bn) - but it remained a goal for the company. "We will be able to bring more people into gaming because games will be more emotional." Mr Florin predicted that the next round of games console would give developers enough power to create real emotion. "It\'s the subtleties, the eyes, the mouth - 5,000 polygons doesn\'t really sell the emotion. "With PS3 and Xbox 2, we can go on the main character with 30,000 to 50,000 polygons," he said. "With that increased firepower, the Finding Nemo video game looks just like the movie, but it will be interactive." Mr Florin said that more than 50% of all EA\'s games were sold to adults and played by adults, but the perception remained that the video game industry was for children. "Our goal is to bring games to the masses which bring out emotions." EA said the video game industry was now bigger than the music industry. "Nobody queues for music anymore." "You can\'t ignore an industry when people queue to buy a game at midnight because they are so desperate to play it," he said, referring to demand for titles for such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2. Jan Bolz, EA\'s vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, said the firm was working to give video games a more central role in popular culture. He said the company was in advanced stages of discussions over a reality TV show in which viewers could control the actions of the characters as in its popular game The Sims. "One idea could be that you\'re controlling a family, telling them when to go to the kitchen and when to go to the bedroom, and with this mechanism you have gamers all over the world \'playing the show\'," said Mr Bolz. He also said EA was planning an international awards show "similar to the Oscars and the Grammys" which would combine video games, music and movies. Mr Bolz said video games firm had to work more closely with celebrities. "People will want to play video games if their heroes like Robbie Williams or Christina Aguilera are in them." Mr Florin said the challenge was to keep people playing in their 30s, 40s and 50s. "There\'s an indication that a 30 year old comes home from work and still wants to play games. "If that\'s true, that\'s a big challenge for TV broadcasters - because watching TV is the biggest pastime at present." Napster offers rented music to go Music downloading, for those that have rejected the free peer to peer services, can be a costly business. The cost of paying even as little as 70p per track can add up, particularly for those people who own one of the new generation of players that can store thousands of songs. Paying per track for music is becoming as outmoded as paying per minute for internet access and alternative monthly or yearly subscription models are springing up as a more convenient, and ultimately cheaper way of owning music. "Music fans are moving away from buying the traditional bundled package of a dozen or more songs that we used to call an album to newer ways that fit their lifestyle; either single tracks or subscriptions services," said Paul Myers, chief executive of Wippit, a UK-based music download service. While iTunes is doing good business with its sales of individual tracks to iPod owners, others are questioning whether the concept of owning music is even valid in the digital age. Napster is due to launch a new rental subscription service - dubbed Napster to Go in the UK in the next few months. The service can be used on players that support Microsoft Windows latest Digital Rights Management technology known as Janus. This includes players made by Samsung, Rio and Creative. Currently on offer in beta-version in the US, the service costs $15 per month for unlimited downloads. The technology ensures that music downloaded to the player only remains playable while the user subscribes to the service. Users need to update their license on a monthly basis or the tunes will no longer play. This has outraged some digital music lovers, especially as Napster already offers a cheaper service for downloading music to the PC. Napster claims the higher price is a result of record labels charging more for the to-go service and says it also offers "greater value" for customers. Mr Myers is not convinced a rental model will work for consumers. "We\'ve been offering our unlimited music subscription service for more than three years now and our customers know what they want. Format interoperability, excellent value and the reassurance that music purchased from Wippit is theirs to keep and enjoy on whatever device they choose," he said. "Who wants to download a track that won\'t play next month if you decide to unsubscribe to the service or change portable player for an iPod or the latest mobile phone?" Wippit offers a download subscription service for £4.99 per month or £50 per year. It has a catalogue of around 60,000 songs. Apple Mac mini gets warm welcome The Mac mini has been welcomed by Apple fans, industry experts and PC users. The release of the tiny, low-cost machine is seen as a good move for Apple which currently has a small share of the desktop computer market. Mac watchers and some analysts say the Mac mini will go a long way to help Apple appeal to the mass of consumers. They speculate that the Mac mini will be bought by iPod owners and those wanting an easy-to-use and administer second home computer. "It\'s the bravest move they have made yet," said Jonny Evans, news editor at Macworld magazine. Mr Evans said the combination of low cost, small size and huge numbers of iPod users could make it a big success. He thought that the machine would appeal to those that like Apple technology but who before now have balked at paying high prices for its hardware. "It\'s deeply affordable," he said. "Plus you know that you do not get viruses or all of the associated problems." Already, he said, PC owning friends had declared that they would be buying one. Interest in the new products launched at Macworld expo was so strong that websites for Apple\'s store and the show struggled to cope with demand. According to response statistics gathered by Netcraft many visiting the Apple store in the wake of Mr Jobs\' speech suffered lengthy response times. The Macworld Expo site was completely overwhelmed and went offline. "I think fundamentally it\'s a good idea because it\'s cheap even for a PC," said Nick Ross, deputy labs editor at PC Pro. Apple\'s work on making things easy to use would also help the Mac mini win fans, he said. "I think people expect it just to work now and really it should," hesaid. The Mac mini could find a role in homes that need a second computer that is easy to install and administer, he said. "For browsing the web, e-mail and all kinds of basic duties it\'s going to be absolutely adequate," said Mr Ross. Ian Fogg, broadband and personal technology analyst at Jupiter Research, agreed that the Mac mini could be very popular. "Apple has been hoping that sales of the iPod will have a halo effect on the sales of the Mac," he said. Before now, he said, Apple has been seen as a premium brand. But, he said, the Mac mini changed that perception. "It\'s a particularly good price when you see that it\'s Apple that is doing it," he said. Apple expects the Mac mini to sell for £339 in the UK and $499 in the US. Adding extras such as a larger hard drive, more memory and networking options will increase the basic price. It will go on sale from 22 January. "For consumers interested in style, design and small size - which is what the majority of iPod customers are interested in - it\'s a natural next step," said Mr Fogg. Apple has traditionally done well in the market that the Mac mini is aimed at, said Mr Fogg, who also expected many PC makers to release copycat devices in reaction. His only misgivings were over how easy other consumers, other than iPod owners, would find using the machine. He said anyone wanting to use the Mac mini with the peripherals from an old computer may find it odd to have something so small and sleek next to a hulking monitor. "They\'d be much more likely to pair a Mac mini with a LCD or flat panel monitor which increases the upgrade cost," he said. Those with flat screens and LCD monitors are likely to have bought them recently and not be in the market for a new machine. There are also questions over whether the Mac mini will work with very old peripherals, such as display, keyboard and mouse. The Mac mini also fell short of being a media server that can be a video recorder as well as a store for all the digital music, movies and images people accumulate, said Mr Fogg. "The Mac mini is not quite ready for that yet," he said. "It does not have the right connectors that fit a TV screen or enough storage." Said Mr Fogg: "It\'s very much a computer." One dissenting opinion came from Brian Gammage, vice-president of research at analysts Gartner. He said: "I don\'t think it changes the world." Although the Mac mini was very cheap for an Apple computer, it was still expensive compared to many PCs. Also, he said, it appealed in categories that few consumers care about when buying a home computer. "The PC world is a pile-em-high, sell-em-cheap market," he said, "and all of them are pretty interchangeable." "Since the days when Apple ruled the personal computing world its market share has been on a long, slow decline," he said. "Every few years it does something to give its market share a kick then it starts to go back down again," said Mr Gammage. The release of the Mac mini fit perfectly with this trend, he said. Gamers could drive high-definition TV, films, and games have been gearing up for some time now for the next revolution to transform the quality of what is on our screens. It is called high-definition - HD for short - and it is already hugely popular in Japan and the US. It is set, according to analysts, to do for images what CDs did for sound. Different equipment able to receive HD signals is needed though and is expensive. But Europe\'s gamers may be the early adopters to drive demand. Europeans will have to wait until at least 2006 until they see mainstream HDTV. To view it, it needs to be transmitted in HD format, and people need special receivers and displays that can handle the high-quality resolution. The next generation of consoles, however, are expected to start appearing at the end of 2005, start of 2006. And most new computer displays and plasma sets are already capable of handling such high-resolution pictures. "In the next generation [of consoles] HD support is mandatory," Dr Mark Tuffy games systems director at digital content firm THX told the BBC News website. "Every game is going to be playable in HD. "So consumers who have gone out and spent all this money on HDTVs, and who have no content to watch, are going to be blown away by these really high-detail pictures. "It\'s going to change really the way they look at gaming." At the end of last year, Chris Deering, Sony\'s European president, made a prediction that 20 million European households would have HDTV sets by 2008. A previous prediction from analysts Datamonitor put the figure at 4.6 million by 2008, an increase from an estimated 50,000 sets at the end of 2003. But those in Europe may see little point in buying what is quite an expensive bit of technology - about £2,000 - if there are few programmes or films to watch on them. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006 and the BBC intends to produce all of its content in HD by 2010. Until broadcast rights, format standards - and the practicalities of updating equipment - are agreed, TV content will be limited. All TV images are made up of pixels which go across the screen, and scan lines which go down the screen. Most standard UK TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. HD offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. This means the picture is up to six times as sharp as standard TV. "Probably, in the UK [gaming] is going to be the only thing you are going to really be able to show off, as in \'look what this TV can do\', until HD is really adopted by broadcasters," explains Dr Tuffy. But gamers are also the ideal target audience for HD because they always crave better quality graphics, and more immersive gaming experiences. They are used to spending money on hardware to match a game\'s requirements. Demographics have changed too and the "sweet spot" for the games industry is the gamer in his or her late 20s. This means they are likely to have higher disposable incomes and can afford the price of big-screen, high-definition display technologies and HD projectors, earlier than others. Higher capacity storage discs, such as HD-DVD and blue-ray , are set to be standard in the next round of games consoles - allowing developers more room for detailed graphics. For console developers though, HD offers some production changes. It could make games production slightly more expensive, thinks Dr Tuffy. "But we may see the cross-platform development of games becoming more common because they will more easily be able to take a PC game and apply it to a console," he says. "You are literally going to get to the point, with a Lord of the Rings game for example, is going to be closer and closer to the actual film, especially the CGI stuff from the DVD. "And the transition when they move from a cut scene to the game, just now they have almost got it seamless." With HD, he says, the transition will be completely seamless and the same quality as the big-screen cinema release. This could herald an increasing convergence between the film and gaming industry. But it may not be until the generation after the next games consoles where the two industries really collide. At that point, says Dr Tuffy, games could become more or less interactive movies. More women turn to net security Older people and women are increasingly taking charge of protecting home computers against malicious net attacks, according to a two-year study. The number of women buying programs to protect PCs from virus, spam and spyware attacks rose by 11.2% each year between 2002 and 2004. The study, for net security firm Preventon, shows that security messages are reaching a diversity of surfers. It is thought that 40% of those buying home net security programs are retired. For the last three years, that has gone up by an average of 13.2%. But more retired women (53%) were buying security software than retired men. The research reflects the changing stereotype and demographics of web users, as well as growing awareness of the greater risks that high-speed broadband net connections can pose to surfers. The study predicts that 40% of all home PC net security buyers will be women in 2005. They could even overtake men as the main buyers by 2007, if current rates persist, according to the research. "I think older people have become more vigilant about protecting their PCs as we tend to be more cautious and want an insurance policy in case something does go wrong", said one over-60 woman who took part in the research. "You started off with young male stereotype computer users for last 10 years," Paul Goosens, head of Preventon told the BBC News website. "Now we are seeing real people - both sexes and very often it is women who have more access at home." But net service providers still need to take more responsibility in making sure people are educated about net threats before they go online, particuarly if they are new to broadband, he said. Programs also need to be tailored so that they can be installed by dial-up users with a slower connection too, said Mr Goosens. Security software should be easy to use, with simple interfaces and instructions written in non-technical language, he added. The nature of the security threats are also becoming more than just about e-mail viruses. High-profile complaints about rogue diallers, and spyware or other programs that surreptitiously install themselves on computers, have also raised awareness about the need to have a combination of anti-virus, firewall and spyware-removal programs too. Without protection, these kinds of programs can be picked up just through surfing the web normally. More than 30,000 PCs a day globally are being recruited into networks that spread spam and viruses, a study from security from Symantec showed last year. Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are also getting rarer, according to net security experts. Programs are being unleashed to directly profit criminal gangs, many based in Eastern Europe, over those which are designed to show off technical skills or cause nuisance. The research shows that more people are taking these criminal net threats more seriously because, said Mr Goosens, they are reported in the press much more. "You are seeing older users being educated by the media and are seeing them picking up on this threat. They are asking the right questions," he explained. "It is more likely the younger users who naively assume that because they are using a reputable service provider, that they are safe to connect to the net." An unprotected computer on a broadband connection can be breached and infected with viruses or spyware within minutes. By the end of the year it is thought that more than 30% of UK homes will have broadband net access. In July last year, the number of UK households accessing the net via broadband surpassed those using dial-up for the first time, according to the Office of National Statistics. Consumer concern over RFID tags Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. Some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. The survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in Europe was low. The survey of consumers in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands was carried out by consultancy group Capgemini. The firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of RFID technology. The tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that RFID tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. Fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that RFID tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. Ard Jan Vetham, Capgemini\'s principal consultant on RFID, said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about RFID before it would become accepted technology. "Acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns. "With the right RFID approach and ongoing communication with consumers, the industry can reach this point." He said that the survey also showed people would accept RFID if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. The tags are currently being used at one Tesco distribution centre in the UK - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. They are also in use as a passcard for the M6 Toll in the Midlands, in the UK. Mr Vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that RFID tags could be read from a distance. He said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. At least once consumer group - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (Caspian) - has claimed that RFID chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. All kinds of personal belongings, including clothes, could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners, it warned. Mobile audio enters new dimension As mobile phones move closer to being a ubiquitous, all-in-one media player, audio is becoming ever more important. But how good can that sound be from such a small device? The sound of a buzzing bee jumps from left to right before disappearing around the back of my head. The surround sound demo is unremarkable when heard on a multi-speaker home cinema system but startling when emerging from a small mobile phone. British firm Sonaptic is one of a number of companies to have developed 3D audio technology that emerges from stereo speakers. Firms AM3D and SRS both offer stereo-widening technology for mobile phones. But Sonaptic\'s managing director David Monteith says his firm is the only company to offer positional 3D audio on a mobile. "There are quite a few basic technologies out there, making the sound seem a bit bigger, headphones a bit nicer. "No-one has really tried before to make proper 3D positional audio - where an individual channel can be moved around." Sonaptic has been working with Japanese mobile network NTT DoCoMo to set standards for 3D audio on mobile phones. In the last few months handsets from NEC, Fujitsu and Mitsubishi have been released on to the Japanese marker which have chips produced by Yamaha and Rohm with Sonaptic\'s technology. "The technology has been around on PCs and games consoles for some time but what we are doing is making it more efficient so it can go on a small consumer device like a mobile phone," said Mr Monteith. The technology works through applying the science of psychoacoustics and grew out of medical research done by the company\'s research director Dr Alastair Sibbald. "We are basically trying to fool your ears into thinking sound is coming from areas it actually isn\'t. "Your brain uses certain bits of information which we are effectively synthesising on a mobile phone handset." The structure of the ear works as a 3D encoder for sound - helping the brain understand from where sound is emanating. Sonaptic\'s audio processing algorithms mimic that 3D encoding, giving the impression that sound is coming from the left, right, and behind a listener when in fact it is coming from a single source. Mr Montieth says: "If the sound is off to one side it will get to one ear before the other - if it is on the right it has to bend around your head to get to your left ear. "The shape of your ear causes differences in sound from one ear to the other. We are synthesising those differences." Sonaptic hopes the technology will have a big impact in the growing market of mobile gaming and music downloading. "Handhelds often have limitations - screens will be small by definition. "If you want to get impact from media you are running - either a movie, a game or watching TV - if you want it to be more immersive then our technology can help." A fishing game is the first title to use the technology, creating a 3D sound field while the gamer plays. Driving games and shoot \'em ups using the technology are in development. The technology can also be used for music - giving songs a much more expansive and immersive feel. Sonaptic offers its technology on a chip or in software and is about to release a new version which significantly improves the efficiency of the audio processing. "It\'s important we only use 10 or 15% of the processor otherwise you won\'t be able to play a game on the handset," explained Mr Montieth. The company is now looking to the US and European markets, where it has been working with network Vodafone. "We have focused first on Japan because it has a very advanced mobile phone market. "We knew Japan would be the first place to have the handsets that could use our technology. "There should be handsets out in the UK in the next six months." US woman sues over ink cartridges A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world\'s biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK\'s Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers. Mobile networks seek turbo boost Third-generation mobile (3G) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services. That was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. Fast 3G networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. At 3GSM, Siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. The German company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3G networks. The system is not available commercially yet, but Motorola, the US mobile handset and infrastructure maker, held a clinic for mobile operators on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a high-speed, high bandwidth technology available now. Early HSDPA systems typically offer around two megabits per second (Mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) on standard 3G networks. "High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) - sometimes called Super 3G - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips," according to a report published by UK-based research consultancy Analysys. A number of companies are developing the technology. Nokia and Canada-based wireless communication products company Sierra Wireless recently agreed to work together on High Speed Downlink Packet Access. The two companies aim to jointly market the HSDPA solution to global network operator customers. "While HSDPA theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14Mbps, practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks," said Dr Alastair Brydon, author of the Analysys report: Pushing Beyond the Limits of 3G with HSDPA and Other Enhancements. "The typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which, even at this lower rate, will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic WCDMA [3G]," he added. Motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9Mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3G cell using a single HSDPA device. But some mobile operators are opting for a technology called Evolution, Data Optimised (EV-DO). US operator Sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3G network at the end of last year. We are "expanding our network and deploying EV-DO technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds," said Oliver Valente, Sprint\'s vice president for technology development, when the contract was announced. As part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year, Sprint will spend around $1bn on EV-DO technology from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and Motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second, and peak download rates of 2.4Mbps. MMO2, the UK-based operator with services in the UK, Ireland and Germany, has opted for technology based on HSDPA. Using technology from Lucent, it will offer data speeds of 3.6Mbps from next summer on its Isle of Man 3G network, and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. US operator Cingular Wireless is also adopting HSDPA, using technology from Lucent alongside equipment from Siemens and Ericsson. Siemens\' plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today, but Christoph Caselitz, president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that: "By the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015, the need for transmission capacities for voice, data, image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10." Siemens - in collaboration with the Fraunhofer German-Sino Lab for Mobile Communications and the Institute for Applied Radio System Technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae, instead of the usual one. This enables a data transmission, such as sending a big file or video, to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. The speeds offered by 3G mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3G licences. But today, instead of connecting to the internet by slow, dial-up phone connection, many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - much faster than 3G. This means users are likely to find 3G disappointing unless the networks are souped up. If they aren\'t, those lucrative "power users", such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks, reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. But one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. Siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory, it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. A commercial system could be as far away as 2012, though Siemens did not rule out an earlier date. Cebit opens to mobile music tune Cebit, the world\'s largest hi-tech fair, has opened its doors in Hanover for a look at the latest technologies for homes and businesses. There are more than 6,000 exhibitors registered and about 500,000 visitors are expected to pass through the doors. Third generation mobiles, the digital home and broadband are key themes at the show. Camera phones will get better resolutions as vendors set out to prove that bigger is definitely better. Samsung is set to steal some initial limelight with the launch of a 7-megapixel phone on the opening day. The SCH-V770 has some of the features of high-end digital single lens reflex cameras such as manual focus and the ability to attach a telephoto or wide-angle lens. Camera phones are likely to prove an interesting battle ground at the show, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm Gartner. "It is firmly established that cameras are an integral part of phones and now the technology arms race is on in terms of megapixels. There will be a certain amount of \'look how big mine is\'," he said. There will also be increasing focus on music-enabled mobiles. "At 3GSM in Cannes everyone went music mad and music is going to be a big theme for all the vendors at Cebit," said Mr Wood. Sony Ericsson will use the fair to show off the W800 - its recently unveiled Walkman branded phone - and there is speculation that Motorola may unveil its ROKR handset, widely tipped as the first to carry Apple\'s iTunes music software. Apple and Motorola announced they were getting together at the end of last year as a result of a long-standing friendship between Motorola\'s chief executive Ed Zander and Steve Jobs. Some analysts think Motorola may save the launch for CTIA, a wireless show in America the following week, which could be a telling sign about how operators are coming to view the German tech fair. "One of the interesting things is that CeBIT is clearly a show in decline," said Mr Wood. "A lot of the big players, such as Nokia, are pulling back saying it is hard to justify a big presence at all of the shows. It could be the last big year for Cebit," he said. Other themes include TV-enabled mobiles which are bound to create a buzz in the halls as Vodafone unveils a prototype handset that can show live digital television. There has been a glut of recent headlines about mobile TV - French operators are teaming up, O2 is trialling a system in Oxford, UK, and Nokia begins trialling a system in Finland with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE TV and commercial TV channels. Cebit could become the battleground for the two competing methods for getting TV on to mobiles, and is also likely to provide a stage for a technology slated to compete with 3G. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) has been described as "3G on steroids" and could offer consumers much faster download times. For instance, a song which currently takes one and a half minutes to download to a phone could be done in 10 seconds. Korean giants LG Electronics and Samsung will show off HSDPA handsets at the show and the technology is set to be rolled out in the US, Europe and Korea next year. Broadband will continue to be a key theme at the show with internet telephony proving this year\'s killer application. Germany\'s largest online service provider, T-Online, is tipped to reveal software for low-cost net telephony which would see it competing with its parent company Deutsche Telekom. Cebit is used by many to unveil cutting edge products and in the mobile sphere this is likely to mean a lot of bright, colourful handsets as fashion continues to compete with technology when it comes to the device everyone has in their pockets. Rainbow-coloured phones, influenced by handsets from Japan, are just one example of how Asian companies will stamp their mark on this year\'s show, at which they will have their biggest ever presence. Cebit organisers have created a digital home in Hall 25 of the 27 hangar-like buildings that will house the show. "The digital home will be a hyped theme at the show. The house will be totally wired and full of things that can be used for home entertainment," said Cebit organiser Gabriele Dorries. Broadband set to revolutionise TV BT is starting its push into television with plans to offer TV over broadband. As a telecoms company, BT is moving to a content distribution strategy, Andrew Burke, chief of BT\'s new Entertainment unit told the IPTV World Forum. "We want to be an entertainment facilitator," he said on the opening day of the London conference. The BBC is also trialling a service to play programmes over the net and has not ruled out offering it to non-licence fee payers overseas. The corporation\'s Interactive Media Player (iMP) is its first foray into broadband TV - known as IPTV (Internet Protocol TV). "We see several opportunities for delivering the type of content that normally broadcasters find it difficult to get to viewers," said BT\'s Andrew Burke. With more people on broadband, and connection speeds increasing, telcos around the world are looking for new ways to make money from it. Increased competition between net service providers, encouraged by Ofcom, has eroded BT\'s position in the market. It is looking for a good return on its investment in the technology which has made broadband over ADSL a reality. It also sees delivering TV over broadband as a way of getting high-definition (HD) content to people sooner than they will be able to get it through conventional, regular broadcasts. The BBC\'s iMP has just finished successful technical trials and is set for much larger consumer trials later in 2005. Before it officially launches, the BBC must show the government how it offers value for money. Delivering programmes over broadband offers clear public value, says the BBC, because it gives people more control, and more choice. IPTV is a similar idea to VoIP services, like Skype. Both use broadband net connections to carry information, like video and voice, in packets of data instead of conventional means. Since it uses internet technology, IPTV could mean more choice of programmes, more, more interactivity, tailored programming, and more localised content outside of conventional satellite, digital cable, and terrestrial broadcasts. It is all part of the larger changing TV technology landscape and, like personal digital video recorders (PVRs), gives people much more control over TV. Broadcasters see IPTV and PVRs as both as a threat and an opportunity. The BBC recognises that TV over broadband is a reality and aims to innovate with it, said Rahul Chakkara, controller of BBCi\'s 24/7 interactive TV services. The iMP is based on peer-to-peer technology, and lets people download programmes the BBC owns the rights to for up to seven days after broadcast. "IPTV enables us to take back that programme to our audience at different times," said Mr Chakkara. "So we can tell our audience that that programme they paid for [via the licence fee], they can access it any time they want." It helps, said Mr Burke, that people are more au fait with terms like "digital", "interactive", now that digital TV reaches more than 56% of UK homes. According to Benoit Joly from broadband telecoms firm Thales, 30% of Europe cannot get satellite TV or digital TV. They could get IPTV though. Analysts say that IPTV will account for 10% of the digital TV market in Europe alone by the end of the decade. What needs to happen now, agree analysts, is for connection speeds to be bumped up to handle the service; 20Mbps connections would be ideal. BT does not see itself as a broadcaster of IPTV services, rather as an "enabler", said Mr Burke. Its strategy is a "hybrid" approach, he explained, where over-the-air conventional broadcasts are supplemented with content over broadband. Initially appealing to niche markets, like sports fans, it will widen out. But IPTV could be used for home-monitoring, "pet cams", localised news services, and local authority TV, too says BT. It even suggests that it could target those households in the UK that do not own a computer, 40% of the country. Broadband to them would not be about data and the net - that could come later for them - but about cheap phone calls and more choice of TV programmes. Home Choice already offers 10,000 hours of shows and channels, delivered over broadband to homes in London. With a broadband net subscription, you can also get your TV and phone service. Through content deals and partnerships, it offers satellite as well as terrestrial channels, and bespoke channels based on what viewers pick and choose from its catalogues. It aims to expand nationally, but is seeing a lot of success with what it offers its 15,000 subscribers now, and aims to double uptake as well as reach by the summer. Although still at a very early stage, IPTV is another application for broadband that underlines its growing prominence as a backbone network - another utility like electricity. Chip maker backs net phone calls Rich Templeton, the head of giant chip maker Texas Instruments, has given his backing to the growing sector of Voice over Internet Telephony (Voip) Voip allows PC users, and in some cases those with just a broadband connection, to make telephone calls via the net. Mr Templeton said Voip would be the next major application to drive broadband connections into homes. Internet service provider Wanadoo has announced it is launching its own broadband telephony service in the UK. Subscribers to Wanadoo\'s broadband service will be able to use the service to make free evening and weekend calls to any UK landline, and free calls at any time to other Wanadoo users. The service will cost an extra £4 a month and will come with a free Livebox, the broadband hub which Wanadoo plans will be used in future to provide video-on-demand and home security services. The secondary phone line will mean customers can have an extra home phone number and will also provide wireless internet access around the home. Eventually the service will replace existing landline services as Wanadoo goes head to head with BT. "Voice-over broadband is a key trend across Europe and is set to have a dramatic impact on the telecommunications industry, " Eric Abensur, Wanadoo\'s chief executive told the BBC News website. Mr Templeton said he agreed. "Voice-over-packet is going to be the second killer application after broadband internet access," he said. The world\'s largest maker of chips for mobile phones believes the technology will grow rapidly from the relatively small user base it has currently. Almost 83 million people have downloaded the software that powers the Skype Voip service, according to the net telephony firm\'s website. Skype lets people make free calls to other Skype users and also make low-cost calls to ordinary phone numbers. US firm Vonage also offers a Voip service, but one which lets people plug an ordinary phone into a broadband router to make calls. Bill Simmelink, general manager of TI\'s Voip business, said the technology would only take off when people were making net calls with the ease of making a normal call. "It\'s not about the pipe, if you will, or the silicon per se, it\'s about the application," he said. "We want to communicate freely, effortlessly and economically wherever we are." In a sign that Voip is seeping into the mainstream, giant ISP AOL announced on Tuesday that it had plans to launch a net-based phone service for some of its members within the month. Customers will continue to use their traditional phones, but they will plug them into adapters connected to their broadband source rather than the jack provided by the telephone company. Calls are received and placed just like on the old telephone network. "We can help mass-market adoption of Voip," said AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller. "We can utilise our national footprint. We can help the entire industry become well known." Nintendo DS makes its Euro debut Nintendo\'s DS handheld game console has officially gone on sale in Europe. Many stores around the UK opened at midnight to let keen gamers get their hands on the device. The two-screen clamshell gadget costs £99 (149 euros) and 15 games are available for it at launch, some featuring well-known characters such as Super Mario and Rayman. The DS spearheads Nintendo\'s attempt to continue its dominance of the handheld gaming market. Since going on sale in Japan and the US at the end of 2004, Nintendo has sold almost 4m DS consoles. Part of this popularity may be due to the fact that the DS can run any of the catalogue of 700 games produced for Nintendo\'s GameBoy Advance handheld. Games for the DS are expected to cost between £19 and £29. About 130 games for the DS are in development. As well as having two screens, one of which is controlled by touch, the DS also lets players take on up to 16 other people via wireless. A "download play" option means DS owners can take each other on even if only one of them owns a copy of a particular game. Other DS owners can also be sent text messages and drawings. Nintendo is also planning to release a media adapter for the handheld so it can play music and video. Five Virgin megastores and 150 Game shops were expected to open early on Friday morning to let people buy a DS. "We know that customers want it as soon as it\'s released - and that means the minute, not the day," said Robert Quinn, Game\'s UK sales director. But Nintendo will only have sole control of Europe\'s handheld gaming market for a few weeks because soon Sony is expected to release its PSP console. Although Nintendo is aiming for younger players and the PSP is more for older gamers, it is likely that the two firms will be competing for many of the same customers. Sony\'s PSP represents a real threat to Nintendo because of the huge number of PlayStation owners around the world and the greater flexibility of the sleek black gadget. The PSP uses small discs for games, can play music and movies without the need for add-ons and also supports short-range wireless play. When it goes on sale the PSP is likely to cost between £130 and £200. Hitachi unveils \'fastest robot\' Japanese electronics firm Hitachi has unveiled its first humanoid robot, called Emiew, to challenge Honda\'s Asimo and Sony\'s Qrio robots. Hitachi said the 1.3m (4.2ft) Emiew was the world\'s quickest-moving robot yet. Two wheel-based Emiews, Pal and Chum, introduced themselves to reporters at a press conference in Japan. The robots will be guests at the World Expo later this month. Sony and Honda have both built sophisticated robots to show off developments in electronics. Explaining why Hitachi\'s Emiew used wheels instead of feet, Toshihiko Horiuchi, from Hitachi\'s Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, said: "We aimed to create a robot that could live and co-exist with people." "We want to make the robots useful for people ... If the robots moved slower than people, users would be frustrated." Emiew - Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate - can move at 3.7m/h. Its "wheel feet" resemble the bottom half of a Segway scooter. With sensors on the head, waist, and near the wheels, Pal and Chum demonstrated how they could react to commands. "I want to be able to walk about in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya [shopping districts] in the future without bumping into people and cars," Pal told reporters. Hitachi said Pal and Chum, which have a vocabulary of about 100 words, could be "trained" for practical office and factory use in as little as five to six years. Robotics researchers have long been challenged by developing robots that walk in the gait of a human. At the recent AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting in Washington DC, researchers showed off bipedal designs. The three designs, each built by a different research group, use the same principle to achieve a human-like gait. Sony and Honda have both used humanoid robots, which are not commercially available, as a way of showing off computing power and engineering expertise. Honda\'s Asimo was "born" five years ago. Since then, Honda and Sony\'s Qrio have tried to trump each other with what the robots can do at various technology events. Asimo, has visited the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and Ireland as part of a world tour. Sony\'s Qrio has been singing, jogging and dancing in formation around the world too and was, until last year, the fastest robot on two legs. But its record was beaten by Asimo. It is capable of 3km/h, which its makers claim is almost four times as fast as Qrio. Last year, car maker Toyota also stepped into the ring and unveiled its trumpet-playing humanoid robot. By 2007, it is predicted that there will be almost 2.5 million "entertainment and leisure" robots in homes, compared to about 137,000 currently, according to the United Nations (UN). By the end of that year, 4.1 million robots will be doing jobs in homes, said the report by the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics. Hitachi is one of the companies with home cleaning robot machines on the market. Gizmondo gadget hits the shelves The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on Saturday. Priced at £229, the handheld device is debuting in the UK and goes on sale in the US and mainland Europe in the next few weeks. A catalogue of about 20 games is being prepared for the gadget including The Great Escape and Conflict Vietnam. The British-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by Nintendo and Sony. The Gizmondo device packs a lot of functions inside its black cover and is aimed at gamers and those that want more from their game-playing gadgets. It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies. It can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text, multimedia and e-mail messages. The phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay Vodafone accounts bundled in with the device. It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services. The GPRS and Bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming. The gadget will be available from the Gizmondo store on London\'s Regent Street and from several other retail partners. Although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions, it will face serious competition from three established names in mobile gaming: Nintendo, Nokia and Sony. The main competition is likely to come from Nintendo and Sony. Nintendo\'s DS handheld went on sale on 11 March and priced at £99 costs far less than the Gizmondo. It also has a ready pool of fans of earlier Nintendo handhelds to draw on. In the first two days it was on sale in Europe the 87,000 DS handhelds were sold - a better debut than the GameCube enjoyed. Sony\'s PSP was due to make its European debut in March but now this is likely to be delayed by a few months. The PSP is due to go on sale in the US later this month and a bundle including the player, accessories and a copy of Spiderman 2 is expected to cost about $250 (£129). The PSP can also play music and movies and supports wireless multiplayer gaming. Nokia\'s N-Gage could also be a competitor on the telecommunications side. This too crams a fully functional phone into a gadget that also plays games. Confusion over high-definition TV Now that a critical mass of people have embraced digital TV, DVDs, and digital video recorders, the next revolution for TV is being prepared for our sets. In most corners of TV and technology industries, high-definition (HDTV) is being heralded as the biggest thing to happen to the television since colour. HD essentially makes TV picture quality at least four times better than now. But there is real concern that people are not getting the right information about HD on the High Street. Thousands of flat panel screens - LCDs (liquid crystal displays), plasma screens, and DLP rear-projection TV sets - have already been sold as "HD", but are in fact not able to display HD. "The UK is the largest display market in Europe," according to John Binks, director of GfK, which monitors global consumer markets. But, he added: "Of all the flat panel screens sold, just 1.3% in the UK are capable of getting high-definition." There are 74 different devices that are being sold as HD but are not HD-ready, according to Alexander Oudendijk, senior vice president of marketing for satellite giant Astra. They may be fantastic quality TVs, but many do not have adaptors in them - called DVI or HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors - which let the set handle the higher resolution digital images. Part of this is down to lack of understanding and training on the High Street, say industry experts, who gathered at Bafta in London for the 2nd European HDTV Summit last week. "We have to be careful about consumer confusion. There is a massive education process to go through," said Mr Binks. The industry already recognised that it would be a challenge to get the right information about it across to those of us who will be watching it. Eventually, that will be everyone. The BBC is currently developing plans to produce all its TV output to meet HDTV standards by 2010. Preparations for the analogue switch-off are already underway in some areas, and programmes are being filmed with HD cameras. BSkyB plans to ship its first generation set-top boxes, to receive HDTV broadcasts, in time for Christmas. Like its Sky+ boxes, they will also be personal video recorders (PVRs). The company will start broadcasts of HDTV programmes, offering them as "premium channel packages", concentrating, to start with, on sports, big events, and films, in early 2006. But the set-top box which receives HDTV broadcasts has to plug into a display - TV set - that can show the images at the much higher resolution that HD demands, if HDTV is to be "real". By 2010, 20% of homes in the UK will have some sort of TV set or display that can show HD in its full glory. But it is all getting rather confusing for people who have only just taken to "being digital". As a result, all the key players, those who make flat panel displays, as well as the satellite companies and broadcasters, formed a HD forum in 2004 to make sure they were all talking to each other. Part of the forum has been concerned with issues like industry standards and content protection. But it has also been preoccupied with how to help the paying public know exactly what they are paying for. From next month, all devices that have the right connectors and resolution required will carry a "HD-Ready" sticker. This also means they are equipped to cope with both analogue and HDTV signals, and so comply with the minimum specification set out by the industry. "The logo is absolutely the way forward," said David Mercer, analysts with Strategy Analytics. "But it is still not appearing on many retail products." The industry is upbeat that the sticker will help, but it is only a start. "We can only do so much with the position we are in today with manufacturers," said Mr Oudendijk. "There may well be a number of dissatisfied customers in the next few months." The European Broadcast Union (EBU) is testing different flavours of HD formats to prepare for even better HDTV further down the line. It is similarly concerned that people get the right information on HDTV formats, as well as which devices will support the formats. "We believe consumers buying expensive displays need to ensure their investment is worthwhile," said Phil Laven, technical director for the EBU. The TV display manufacturers want us to watch HD on screens that are at least 42in (106cm), to get the "true impact" of HD, they say, although smaller displays suffice. What may convince people to spend money on HD-ready devices is the falling prices, which continue to tumble across Europe. The prices are dropping an average of 20% every year, according to analysts. LCD prices dropped by 43% in Europe as a whole last year, according to Mr Oudendijk. Digital UK driven by net and TV The UK\'s adoption of digital TV and broadband has helped make it the fourth most digitally-savvy nation in Europe, according a report by Jupiter Research. But the UK still lags in terms of broadband speeds compared to others. The most digitally sophisticated Europeans, in terms of use of digital goods such as mobiles, TV, net and cameras, are the Scandinavians. About 14 million households in the UK, 60%, have digital TV, according to the communications regulator Ofcom. The least digital of the European nations was Greece, in 17th position, according to the Digital Life Index. Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark and Norway came out top in the report, but there were some differences in technology trends. "The European Digital Life Index demonstrates that digital lifestyles are common today, but across Europe there is no single digital lifestyle," said Nate Elliott, Jupiter analyst. "Consumers adopt different digital products and services in different countries." Although there are differences between different European nations, the gap between them is closing, the report concluded. The trend for gadgets and technologies, such as digital video recorders (DVR), broadband, and video-on-demand will continue across Europe, he added. More than six million UK households now have broadband net. By the middle of 2005, it is estimated that 50% of all UK net users will be on broadband. Cable company NTL is trialling faster ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband technology using ADSL2+ which can give speeds of 18Mbps compared to current speeds which are usually around 1Mbps or 2Mbps. BT is set to trial the technology later in the year. Super-fast broadband will be necessary to the delivery of services such as high-definition TV (HDTV) and video-on-demand, already very popular in France and other European countries. A separate survey by GMIPoll last week found that, globally, people\'s appetite for technology and gadgets continues unabated. The poll of 20,000 people in 20 countries found that 59% wanted more technology. The computer was the "must-have" gadget for most people (75%). The TV took second place (67%), while the mobile was ranked in third position with 54%. Digital cameras were the most popular choice of gadget for 2005, said the survey, with nearly 40% choosing this over wireless, home printing and DVR technologies. However, only 25% of Britons said a digital camera would be their top gadget purchase of the year. Almost a quarter, 22%, said they would be buying some sort of wireless device. Forty-four percent said they would be buying something "other". This might include digital music players, or gaming devices. The Nintendo DS, Sony\'s PSP and Gizmondo all hit the shops in 2005, and the first of the next generation of games consoles, Xbox 2, is set to launch later this year. Jupiter Research\'s index is calculated using 40 different variables across net users, digital TV adoption, wireless and mobile, online activity, and digital devices. Sony PSP handheld console hits US The latest handheld gaming gadget, Sony\'s PlayStation Portable, goes on sale in the US on Thursday. The entertainment device, which also stores images, music and video, is intended to compete with Nintendo\'s DS, released earlier this month in the UK. Gamers have been queuing outside shops across the US to get their hands on the gadget, which costs $250 (about £132). The first million sold will come with the Spider-Man 2 film on UMD, Sony\'s own disc format for the device. The PSP can be linked up with others for multiplayer gaming, via a wireless connection. Sony has touted the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan since its launch there last year. But it faces stiff competition from the Nintendo DS, which sold more than the GameCube in its first few days on release in Europe. It too allows for multiplayer gaming over the air. Nintendo dominates the handheld market, with more than a 90% share of the market in the US alone. The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget also went on sale in the UK last week. It hopes to take a share of the handheld gaming market too. "The story of the PSP is it\'s not a gaming device as much as it is a portable entertainment device," said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He told the Reuters news agency that he expected Sony to sell about 10 million PSPs in enough time to rival Apple\'s iPod. There is no date for the PSP\'s release in Europe yet. Sony has promised to have a million units ready for its US launch, but there are fears demand may not be met. It also said it expected to ship three million PSPs worldwide by the end of its fiscal year ending 31 March. The machine\'s European launch was put back "a few months" last week in order to make sure enough of the devices were ready for its US launch, as well as satisfying the Japanese market. The PSP has almost as much processing power in it as the PlayStation 2 console. Hundreds of gamers gathered at US shops, some waiting for more than 36 hours, to be the first to get their hands on the gadget. A spokesman for one US shop said it expected the device to sell out on its first day. The 24 games for the mini console include Ape Academy, Formula One, Wipeout Pure and Fired Up. Movie studios, including Lions Gate Entertainment and Disney, have also announced forthcoming film titles that will be made available on the UMD format. France starts digital terrestrial France has become the last big European country to launch a digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service. Initially, more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. Despite the long wait for a French DTT roll-out, the new platform\'s backers hope to emulate the success of its UK free-to-air counterpart, Freeview. Recent figures from the UK\'s regulator Ofcom showed Freeview was more popular than the Sky digital satellite service. In the three months to September 2004, almost five times as many people signed up to the UK\'s free-to-air DTT service compared with Sky. Almost 60% of UK households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable, satellite or Freeview. The French DTT platform is known as TNT, which stands for TV numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. But it is being branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or "digital television for all". TNT is a joint venture between public broadcaster France Televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. Digital terrestrial TV will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with, adding pay-TV channels later. Thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated. "A couple of years ago, DTT had a bad image," said Olivier Gerolami, chief operating officer of TNT. "But everyone\'s impressed with DTT in the UK, Italy and Germany, and they realise it is a very good idea. "France is the poorest market in Europe in terms of free-to-air national channels, so it has the potential to be one of the biggest DTT markets," Mr Gerolami added in remarks quoted by the US entertainment industry paper Variety. TNT aims to reach 35% of France\'s population at launch, from 17 transmission sites. The transmission area will initially include Paris, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse. Eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. Digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). A recent survey by Mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of DTT, and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. Consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sagem, Sony and Thomson are gearing up for production. The Conseil Superieur de l\'Audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator, said: "Following the recent success of Freeview in the UK, some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects". Media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. The CSA said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable, but the future of the remaining TV viewers required action by the public sector. For the most part, they are people living in mountainous or border areas, which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial TV for years. Up to 15 pay-TV channels will launch on DTT between September 2005 and March 2006. Leading pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. Free-to-air services will be broadcast in MPEG-2 format. But pay-TV operators will be allowed to broadcast in MPEG-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (HD) subscription services in the future. TNT expects between 700,000 and one million DTT set-top boxes to be sold in 2005. "It is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off," said Mr Gerolami, "but we\'re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in France." Other analysts were less optimistic, predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-TV subscriptions. "We think free DTT could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-TV in France," said Henri de Bodinat, vice-president of the Arthur D. Little consultancy. T-Mobile bets on \'pocket office\' T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access. Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company\'s existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola\'s MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile\'s chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already. In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000. It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK\'s London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move. "We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Mobile multimedia slow to catch on There is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular. Consumers swapping old phones for slinkier, dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004, according to analysts Gartner More than 167 million handsets were sold globally between July and September 2004, a period that, according to Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi is "seldom strong". But although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps, sounds and video clips few, so far, are taking the chance to do so. In fact, the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures, audio and video is growing. Figures gathered by Continental Research shows that 36% of British camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (MMS), up from 7% in 2003. This is despite the fact that, during the same period, the numbers of camera phones in the UK more than doubled to 7.5 million. Getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. The problem they face, said Shailendra Jain, head of MMS firm Adamind, is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets. "Also," he said, "they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it." Research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. According to Continental Research, 29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. Only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. The fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people\'s reluctance to start sending them, said Mr Jain. "They ask themselves: \'If I\'m streaming video from one handset to another will it work?\'" he said. "There\'s a lot of user apprehension about that." There are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. Andrew Bud, executive chairman of messaging firm Mblox, said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system. "The rate we can send MMS into the mobile network is fairly constant," he said. The reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users. No-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of MMS messages is capped, said Mr Bud. This has led to operators finding other technologies, particularly one known as Wap-push, to get multimedia to their customers. But when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers, the results can be dramatic. Israeli technology firm Celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. One of the first firms to use the Celltick service is Hutch India, the largest mobile firm in the country. The broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. While not multimedia messaging, such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. As a result 40% of the subscribers to the Hutch Alive, which uses Celltick\'s broadcast technology, regularly click for more pictures, sounds and images from the operator. "Operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers," said Yaron Toren, spokesman for Celltick. Until then, multimedia will be a message that is not getting through. TV\'s future down the phone line Internet TV has been talked about since the start of the web as we know it now. But any early attempts to do it - the UK\'s Home Choice started in 1992 - were thwarted by the lack of a fast network. Now that broadband networks are bedding down, and it is becoming essential for millions, the big telcos are keen to start shooting video down the line. In the face of competition from cable companies offering net voice calls, they are keen to be the top IPTV dogs. Software giant Microsoft thinks IPTV - Internet Protocol TV - is the future of television, and it sits neatly with its vision of the "connected entertainment experience". "Telcos have been wanting to do video for a long time," Ed Graczyk, director of marketing for Microsoft IPTV, told the BBC News website. "The challenge has been the broadband network, and the state of technology up until not so long ago did not add up to a feasible solution. "Compression technology was not efficient enough, the net was not good enough. A lot of stars have aligned in the last 18 months to make it a reality." Last year, he said, was all about deal making and partnering up; shaping the "IPTV ecosystem". This year, those deals will start to play out and more services will come online. "2006 is where it starts ramping up and expanding to other geographies - over time as broadband becomes more prevalent in South America, and other parts of Asia, it will expand," he added. What telcos really want to do is to send the "triple-play" of video, voice, and data down one single line, be it cable or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Some are talking about "quadruple play", too, with mobile services added into the mix. It is an emerging new breed of competition for satellite and cable broadcasters and operators. According to technology analysts, TDG Research, there will be 20 million subscribers to IPTV services in under six years. Key to the appeal of sending TV programmes down the same line as the web data, whenever a viewer wants it, is that it uses the same technology as the internet. It means there is not just a one-way relationship between the viewer and the "broadcaster". This allows for more DVD-like interactivity, limitless storage and broadcast space, bespoke channel "playlists", and thousands of hours of programmes or films at a viewer\'s fingertips. It potentially lets operators target programmes to smaller, niche or localised audiences, sending films to Bollywood fans for instance, as well as individual devices. Operators could also send high-definition programmes straight to the viewer, bypassing the need for a special broadcast receiver. Perhaps most compelling - yet some might say insignificant - is instantaneous channel flicking. Currently, there is a delay when you try to do this on satellite, cable or Freeview. With IPTV, the speed is 15 milliseconds. "That gets rounds of applause," according to Mr Graczyk. Microsoft is one of the companies that started thinking about IPTV some time ago. "We believe this will be the way all TV is delivered in the future - but that is several years away," said Mr Graczyk. "As with music, TV has moved to digital formats. "The things software can do to integrate media into devices means a whole new generation of connected entertainment experiences that cross devices from the TV, to the mobile, to the gaming console and so on." The company intends its Microsoft\'s IPTV Edition software, an end-to-end management and delivery platform, to let telcos to do exactly that, seamlessly. It has netted seven major telcos as customers, representing a potential audience of 25 million existing broadband subscribers. Its deal with US telco SBC was the largest TV software deal to date, said Mr Graczyk. IPTV is about more than telcos, though. There are several web-based offerings that aim to put control in the hands of the consumer by exploiting the net\'s power. Jeremy Allaire, chief of Brightcove, told the BBC News website that it would be a flavour of IPTV that was about harnessing the web as a "channel". "It is not just niches, but about exploiting content not usually viewed," he said. "We are focussed on the owners of video content who have rights to digitally distribute content, and who often see unencumbered distribution. "For them to do it through cable and so on is price-prohibitive," he said. This type of IPTV service might also be a distribution channel for more established publishers who have unique types of content that they cannot offer through cable and satellite operators - history channel archives, for instance. What is a clear sign that IPTV has a future is that Microsoft is not the only player in the field. There are a lot of other "middleware" players providing similar management services as Microsoft, like Myrio and C-Cor. But it will up to the viewer to decide if it really is to be successful. Be careful how you code A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson. If it gets its way, the Dutch government will conclude its presidency of the European Union by pushing through a controversial measure that has been rejected by the European Parliament, lacks majority support from national governments and will leave millions of European citizens in legal limbo and facing the possibility of court cases against them. If the new law was about border controls, defence or even the new constitution, then our TV screens would be full of experts agonising over the impact on our daily lives. Sadly for those who will be directly affected, the controversy concerns the patenting of computer programs, a topic that may excite the bloggers, campaigning groups and technical press but does not obsess Middle Britain. After all, how much fuss can you generate about the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions, and the way it amends Article 52 of the 1973 European Patent Convention? Yet if the new directive is nodded through at the next meeting of one of the EU\'s ministerial councils, as seems likely, it will allow programs to be patented in Europe just as they are in the US. Many observers of the computing scene, including myself, think the results will be disastrous for small companies, innovative programmers and the free and open source software movement. It will let large companies patent all sorts of ideas and give legal force to those who want to limit their competitors\' use of really obvious ideas. In the US you cannot build a system that stores customer credit card details so that they can pay without having to re-enter them unless Amazon lets you, because they hold the patent on "one-click" online purchase. It is a small invention, but Amazon made it to the patent office first and now owns it. We are relatively free from this sort of thing over here, but perhaps not for long. The new proposals go back to 2002, although argument about patentability of software and computer-implemented inventions has been going on since at least the mid-1980s. They have come to a head now after a year in which proposals were made, endorsed by the Council of Ministers, radically modified by the European Parliament and then re-presented in their original form. Some national governments seem to be aware of the problems. Poland has rejected the proposal and Germany\'s main political parties have opposed it, but there is not enough opposition to guarantee their rejection. Early in December the British government held a consultation meeting with those who had commented on the proposals. Science Minister Lord Sainsbury went along to listen and outline the UK position, but according to those present, it was embarrassing to see how little the minister and his officials actually understood the issues concerned. The draft Directive is being put through the council as what is called an "A" item and can only be approved or rejected. No discussion or amendment is allowed. So why should we be worried? First, there is the abuse of the democratic process involved in disregarding the views of the parliament and abandoning all of their carefully argued amendments. This goes to the heart of the European project, and even those who do not care about software or patents should be worried. If coders are treated like this today, who is to say that it will not be you tomorrow? More directly, once software patents are granted then any programmer will have to worry that the code they are writing is infringing someone else\'s patent. This is not about stealing software, as code is already protected by copyright. Patents are not copyright, but something much stronger. A patent gives the owner the right to stop anyone else using their invention, even if the other person invented it separately. I have never, to my shame, managed to read Lord Byron\'s Childe Harold\'s Pilgrimage. If it was pointed out that one of my articles contained a substantial chunk of the poem then I could defend myself in court by claiming that I had simply made it up and it was coincidence. The same does not hold for a patent. If I sit down this afternoon and write a brilliant graphics compression routine and it happens to be the same as the LZW algorithm used in GIF files, then I am in trouble under patent law, at least in the US. Coincidence is no defence. The proposed directive is supported by many of the major software companies, but this is hardly surprising since most of them are US-based and they have already had to cope with a legal environment that allows patents. They have legal departments and, more crucially, patents of their own which they can trade or cross-license with other patent holders. Even this system breaks down, of course, as Microsoft found out last year when they initially lost a case brought by Eolas which claimed that Internet Explorer (and other browsers) infringed an Eolas patent. That one was eventually thrown out, but only after months of uncertainty and millions of dollars. But small companies, and the free and open software movement do not have any patents to trade. Much of the really useful software we use every day, programs like the Apache web server, the GNU/Linux operating system and the fearsomely popular Firefox browser, is developed outside company structures by people who do not have legal departments to check for patent infringements. The damage to software will not happen overnight, of course. If the directive goes through it has to be written into national laws and then there will be a steady stream of legal actions against small companies and open source products. Eventually someone will decide to attack Linux directly, probably with some secret funding from one or two large players. The new directive will limit innovation by forcing programmers to spend time checking for patent infringements or simply avoiding working in potentially competitive areas. And it will damage Europe\'s computer industry. We can only hope that the Council of Ministers has the integrity and strength to reject this bad law. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. ',
'US': 'Ink helps drive democracy in Asia The Kyrgyz Republic, a small, mountainous state of the former Soviet republic, is using invisible ink and ultraviolet readers in the country\'s elections as part of a drive to prevent multiple voting. This new technology is causing both worries and guarded optimism among different sectors of the population. In an effort to live up to its reputation in the 1990s as "an island of democracy", the Kyrgyz President, Askar Akaev, pushed through the law requiring the use of ink during the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections. The US government agreed to fund all expenses associated with this decision. The Kyrgyz Republic is seen by many experts as backsliding from the high point it reached in the mid-1990s with a hastily pushed through referendum in 2003, reducing the legislative branch to one chamber with 75 deputies. The use of ink is only one part of a general effort to show commitment towards more open elections - the German Embassy, the Soros Foundation and the Kyrgyz government have all contributed to purchase transparent ballot boxes. The actual technology behind the ink is not that complicated. The ink is sprayed on a person\'s left thumb. It dries and is not visible under normal light. However, the presence of ultraviolet light (of the kind used to verify money) causes the ink to glow with a neon yellow light. At the entrance to each polling station, one election official will scan voter\'s fingers with UV lamp before allowing them to enter, and every voter will have his/her left thumb sprayed with ink before receiving the ballot. If the ink shows under the UV light the voter will not be allowed to enter the polling station. Likewise, any voter who refuses to be inked will not receive the ballot. These elections are assuming even greater significance because of two large factors - the upcoming parliamentary elections are a prelude to a potentially regime changing presidential election in the Autumn as well as the echo of recent elections in other former Soviet Republics, notably Ukraine and Georgia. The use of ink has been controversial - especially among groups perceived to be pro-government. Widely circulated articles compared the use of ink to the rural practice of marking sheep - a still common metaphor in this primarily agricultural society. The author of one such article began a petition drive against the use of the ink. The greatest part of the opposition to ink has often been sheer ignorance. Local newspapers have carried stories that the ink is harmful, radioactive or even that the ultraviolet readers may cause health problems. Others, such as the aggressively middle of the road, Coalition of Non-governmental Organizations, have lauded the move as an important step forward. This type of ink has been used in many elections in the world, in countries as varied as Serbia, South Africa, Indonesia and Turkey. The other common type of ink in elections is indelible visible ink - but as the elections in Afghanistan showed, improper use of this type of ink can cause additional problems. The use of "invisible" ink is not without its own problems. In most elections, numerous rumors have spread about it. In Serbia, for example, both Christian and Islamic leaders assured their populations that its use was not contrary to religion. Other rumours are associated with how to remove the ink - various soft drinks, solvents and cleaning products are put forward. However, in reality, the ink is very effective at getting under the cuticle of the thumb and difficult to wash off. The ink stays on the finger for at least 72 hours and for up to a week. The use of ink and readers by itself is not a panacea for election ills. The passage of the inking law is, nevertheless, a clear step forward towards free and fair elections." The country\'s widely watched parliamentary elections are scheduled for 27 February. David Mikosz works for the IFES, an international, non-profit organisation that supports the building of democratic societies. Digital guru floats sub-$100 PC Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT\'s Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53). He told the BBC World Service programme Go Digital he hoped it would become an education tool in developing countries. He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood". He said the child could use the laptop like a text book. He described the device as a stripped down laptop, which would run a Linux-based operating system, "We have to get the display down to below $20, to do this we need to rear project the image rather than using an ordinary flat panel. "The second trick is to get rid of the fat , if you can skinny it down you can gain speed and the ability to use smaller processors and slower memory." The device will probably be exported as a kit of parts to be assembled locally to keep costs down. Mr Negroponte said this was a not for profit venture, though he recognised that the manufacturers of the components would be making money. In 1995 Mr Negroponte published the bestselling Being Digital, now widely seen as predicting the digital age. The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on. While the idea was popular amongst the children, it initially received some resistance from the teachers and there were problems with laptops getting broken. However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops. "We put in 25 laptops three years ago , only one has been broken, the kids cherish these things, it\'s also a TV a telephone and a games machine, not just a textbook." Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious. "Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we\'re going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we\'re not talking about doing it in three or five years, we\'re talking about months." He plans to be distributing them by the end of 2006 and is already in discussion with the Chinese education ministry who are expected to make a large order. "In China they spend $17 per child per year on textbooks. That\'s for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that\'s cheaper and the marketing overheads go away." UK net users leading TV downloads British TV viewers lead the trend of illegally downloading US shows from the net, according to research. New episodes of 24, Desperate Housewives and Six Feet Under, appear on the web hours after they are shown in the US, said a report. Web tracking company Envisional said 18% of downloaders were from within the UK and that downloads of TV programmes had increased by 150% in the last year. About 70% were using file-sharing program BitTorrent, the firm said. "It\'s now as easy to download a pirate TV show as it is to programme a VCR," said Ben Coppin from Envisional. A typical episode of 24 was downloaded by about 100,000 people globally, said the report, and an estimated 20,000 of those were from within the UK. Fans of many popular US TV programmes, like 24, usually have to wait weeks or months until the latest series is shown in the UK. But in some cases, said the report, people were able to watch the new episodes in Britain before US audiences on the west coast of the country. "Missing a television show presents little problem to anyone with a basic knowledge of the internet," explained Mr Coppin. "Two clicks and your favourite programme is downloading. In effect, the internet is now a global video recorder." Exact figures are difficult to pin down, but it is thought that about 80,000 to 100,000 people in the UK download TV programmes. Some may just want the odd episode, others are downloading regularly. Many broadcast analysts agree that the net is radically altering the way people get content, like TV programmes. This presents a challenge to broadcasters who are concerned that channel schedules may become less important to people. It is also of concern to them because advertisements are usually cut out of the downloaded programmes. The industry has coined the term "time-shifting" to describe this trend of being able to watch what you want, when you want. The increased popularity of personal digital video recorders, TiVo-type boxes which automatically record programmes like Sky+, have also contributed to the trend. There are also numerous programs available on the net which automatically search and store TV programmes for viewers, effectively creating a personal video recorder on a computer. Within half an hour, recorded episodes can be uploaded - or posted - onto file-sharing networks or other download sites. Because they tend to be shorter then full-length films, they can be processed - digitised - quickly. More people with high-speed broadband connections in the UK also means that episodes can be downloaded quickly. According to Jupiter Research 40% of homes with broadband say it helps them pick and choose the programmes they want to see or that friends have recommended. The Envisional reports said that the TV industry should consider offering a legal way to download shows. The BBC ran a trial of what it calls the Interactive Media Player (iMP) last year, which was based on a peer-to-peer distribution model. It let people download programmes it held the rights to up to eight days after they had already aired. It is looking to do a more expansive trial later this year. The BBC already allows radio fans to hear programmes they missed online up to a week after broadcast. About six million people in the UK now have a fast, always-on net connection via cable or phone lines. Sony PSP console hits US in March US gamers will be able to buy Sony\'s PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for $250 (£132) and the first million sold will come with Spider-Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it\'s not a gaming device. It\'s an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. Open source leaders slam patents The war of words between Microsoft and the open source movement heated up this week as Linux founder Linus Torvalds led an attack on software patents. In a panel discussion at a Linux summit in California Mr Torvalds said software patents were a problem for the open source movement. Mitchell Kapor, chairman of the Mozilla foundation, warned that Microsoft could use patent lawsuits in the future. Linux is a freely-available alternative to Microsoft\'s Windows. It relies on a community of programmers for its development and is based on open source principles, which allow others to use and modify it without having to pay licence fees. The attack on software patents comes at a time when IBM has made 500 of its patents freely available. Other companies are expected to follow suit. There are between 150,000 and 300,000 registered software patents in the US and open source developers argue that many should never have been granted. This is a view corroborated by the UK Patent Office. "Some of the patents have dubious validity and are being wielded by some big companies to force smaller companies to buy licenses in the knowledge that they can\'t afford to take them to court," said Dr Jeremy Philpott of the UK Patent Office. Some panel members are worried that Microsoft would issue a series of patent lawsuits in the future. "If totally pushed to the wall - because their business model no longer holds up in an era in which open source is an economically superior way to produce software...of course they\'re going to unleash the WMDs," Mr Kapor is reported as saying. Microsoft did not want to comment directly, referring the issue instead to trade body Intellect, of which it is a member. "As far as Intellect is concerned, open source and patents have co-existed for many years without problems," said spokeswoman Jill Sutherland. "The industry respects the open source movement and in fact many of the members we represent use the open source system to develop software," "We think the important point to make is that companies should be able to choose between patents, copyrights and open source as to the treatment of their intellectual discoveries, and not be forced into using one or the other," she added. Reboot ordered for EU patent law A European Parliament committee has ordered a rewrite of the proposals for controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) said the Commission should re-submit the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive after MEPs failed to back it. It has had vocal critics who say it could favour large over small firms and impact open-source software innovation. Supporters say it would let firms protect their inventions. The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". The draft law suffered setbacks when Poland, one of the largest EU member states, rejected its adoption twice in two months. Intense lobbying on the issue has started to gain momentum in some national parliaments putting them under immense pressure. Only two MEPs backed the draft law at the JURI meeting, with one voting to abstain. Opponents of the draft directive welcomed the decision and said a new first reading of the proposals would give the EU a chance to have fuller debates about its implications in all member states. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. Mobile networks seek turbo boost Third-generation mobile (3G) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services. That was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. Fast 3G networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. At 3GSM, Siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. The German company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3G networks. The system is not available commercially yet, but Motorola, the US mobile handset and infrastructure maker, held a clinic for mobile operators on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a high-speed, high bandwidth technology available now. Early HSDPA systems typically offer around two megabits per second (Mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) on standard 3G networks. "High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) - sometimes called Super 3G - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips," according to a report published by UK-based research consultancy Analysys. A number of companies are developing the technology. Nokia and Canada-based wireless communication products company Sierra Wireless recently agreed to work together on High Speed Downlink Packet Access. The two companies aim to jointly market the HSDPA solution to global network operator customers. "While HSDPA theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14Mbps, practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks," said Dr Alastair Brydon, author of the Analysys report: Pushing Beyond the Limits of 3G with HSDPA and Other Enhancements. "The typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which, even at this lower rate, will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic WCDMA [3G]," he added. Motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9Mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3G cell using a single HSDPA device. But some mobile operators are opting for a technology called Evolution, Data Optimised (EV-DO). US operator Sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3G network at the end of last year. We are "expanding our network and deploying EV-DO technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds," said Oliver Valente, Sprint\'s vice president for technology development, when the contract was announced. As part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year, Sprint will spend around $1bn on EV-DO technology from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and Motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second, and peak download rates of 2.4Mbps. MMO2, the UK-based operator with services in the UK, Ireland and Germany, has opted for technology based on the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) standard. Using technology from Lucent, it will offer data speeds of 3.6Mbps from next summer on its Isle of Man 3G network, and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. US operator Cingular Wireless is also adopting HSDPA, using technology from Lucent alongside equipment from Siemens and Ericsson. Siemens\' plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today, but Christoph Caselitz, president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that: "By the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015, the need for transmission capacities for voice, data, image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10." Siemens - in collaboration with the Fraunhofer German-Sino Lab for Mobile Communications and the Institute for Applied Radio System Technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae, instead of the usual one. This enables a data transmission, such as sending a big file or video, to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. The speeds offered by3G mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3G licences. But today, instead of connecting to the internet by slow, dial-up phone connection, many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - must faster than 3G. This means users are likely to find 3G disappointing unless the networks are souped up. If they aren\'t, those lucrative "power users", such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks, reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. But one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. Siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory, it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. A commercial system could be as far away as 2012, though Siemens did not rule out an earlier date. UK gets official virus alert site A rapid alerting service that tells home computer users about serious internet security problems is being launched by the UK government. The service, IT Safe, will issue warnings about damaging viruses, software vulnerabilities and weaknesses on devices such as mobile phones. Alerts tell people how the threats affect them and what they can do to avoid trouble and protect themselves. The service will be free and those who sign up can get e-mail or text alerts. The scheme is aimed at home users and small businesses. The government estimates it will issue security alerts about six to 10 times a year, based on previous experience of virus outbreaks. "There is a clear need for easy-to-understand and simple independent advice for non-technically minded people who use computers either at home or at work," said Home Office Minister Hazel Blears. "The purpose of this new government service is to ensure computer users are aware of the risks involved and how to deal with them easily and effectively without causing alarm." Those signing up will only be told about the most serious security threats that have the potential to affect millions of people. Full-time staff are being employed to comb through the many hundreds of alerts issued each year by computer security firms to spot which ones have the potential to catch out a large number of people Between alerts the service will occasionally send messages giving people advice about safe ways to use their computers and phones. "IT Safe will take our technical expertise and use it to help home users understand the risks and keep their computer systems, mobile phones and a range of related consumer electronic items, safe," said Roger Cumming, director of the National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre (NISCC). The NISCC, which is running the service, also stressed that those signing up would still need to use anti-virus software, firewalls, and software updates to stay secure. Warnings about security problems will tell people what the problem is, how it affects them and what they can do to avoid trouble. Alerts will not be issued unless users can do something to protect themselves against the threat. This might include downloading an update from an anti-virus vendor or updating software to close loopholes and fix vulnerabilities. However no software patches or programs will actually be dispensed through the site. The alerts will tell people how to go about getting hold of patches from security firms. The NISCC spokesman said the site and alerting service would stay in existence for as long as there were security bugs on home computers and other gadgets. Government statistics show that more than half of all UK households own a home computer. It was estimated that almost 13 million of these were able to access the internet in 2004. The launch comes as the number of viruses and other malicious programs in existence is reaching unprecedented numbers. In September 2004, the number of malicious programs circulating topped the 100,000 mark. Some fear that this figure could hit 150,000 by September 2005. The creation of the national alert service follows similar efforts in the Netherlands and US. The National Alerting Service for the Netherlands (aka De Waarschuwingsdienst) and the US National Cyber Alerting Service also tell citizens of serious security threats. US woman sues over cartridges A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world\'s biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK\'s Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers. Apple iPod family expands market Apple has expanded its iPod family with the release of its next generation of the digital music players. Its latest challenges to the growing digital music gadget market include an iPod mini model which can hold 6GB compared to a previous 4GB. The company, which hopes to keep its dominant place in the digital music market, also said the gold coloured version of the mini would be dropped. A 30GB version has also been added to the iPod Photo family. The latest models have a longer battery life and their prices have been cut by an average of £40. The original iPod took an early lead in the digital music player market thanks to its large storage capacity and simple design. During 2004 about 25 million portable players were sold, 10 million of which were Apple iPods. But analysts agree that the success is also down to its integration with the iTunes online store, which has given the company a 70% share of the legal download music market. Mike McGuire, a research director at analyst Gartner, told the BBC News website that Apple had done a good job in "sealing off the market from competition" so far. "They have created a very seamless package which I think is the idea of the product - the design, function and the software are very impressive," he said. He added that the threat from others was always present, however. "Creative, other Microsoft-partnered devices, Real, Sony and so on, are ratcheting up the marketing message and advertising," he said. Creative was very upbeat about how many of its Creative Zen players it had shipped by the end of last year, he said. Its second-generation models, like the Creative Zen Micro Photo, is due out in the summer. It will have 5GB of memory on board. Digital music players are now the gadget of choice among young Americans, according to recent research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. One in 10 US adults - 22 million people - now owns a digital music player of some sort. Sales of legally downloaded songs also rose more than tenfold in 2004, according to the record industry, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months. The IFPI industry body said that the popularity of portable music players was behind the growth. Analysts say that the ease of use and growth of music services available on the net will continue to drive the trend towards portable music players. People are also starting to use them in novel ways. Some are combining automatic syncing functions many of them have with other net functions to automatically distribute DIY radio shows, called podcasts. But 2005 will also see more competition from mobile phone operators who are keen to offer streaming services on much more powerful and sophisticated handsets. According to Mr McGuire, research suggests that people like the idea of building up huge libraries of music, which they can do with high-capacity storage devices, like iPods and Creative Zens. Mobiles do not yet have this capacity though, and there are issues about the ease of portability of mobile music. Mr McGuire said Apple was ensuring it kept a foot in the mobile music door with its recent deal with Motorola to produce a version of iTunes for Motorola phones. \'No re-draft\' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament\'s request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council\'s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. Mobiles \'not media players yet\' Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life. Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple\'s iTunes, Napster and other net music download services. With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy\'s TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report. Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe\'s Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009. Digital guru floats sub-$100 PC Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT\'s Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53). He told the BBC World Service programme Go Digital he hoped it would become an education tool in developing countries. He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood". He said the child could use the laptop like a text book. He described the device as a stripped down laptop, which would run a Linux-based operating system, "We have to get the display down to below $20, to do this we need to rear project the image rather than using an ordinary flat panel. "The second trick is to get rid of the fat , if you can skinny it down you can gain speed and the ability to use smaller processors and slower memory." The device will probably be exported as a kit of parts to be assembled locally to keep costs down. Mr Negroponte said this was a not for profit venture, though he recognised that the manufacturers of the components would be making money. In 1995 Mr Negroponte published the bestselling Being Digital, now widely seen as predicting the digital age. The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on. While the idea was popular amongst the children, it initially received some resistance from the teachers and there were problems with laptops getting broken. However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops. "We put in 25 laptops three years ago , only one has been broken, the kids cherish these things, it\'s also a TV a telephone and a games machine, not just a textbook." Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious. "Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we\'re going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we\'re not talking about doing it in three or five years, we\'re talking about months." He plans to be distributing them by the end of 2006 and is already in discussion with the Chinese education ministry who are expected to make a large order. "In China they spend $17 per child per year on textbooks. That\'s for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that\'s cheaper and the marketing overheads go away." Looks and music to drive mobiles Mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales, according to research from technology analysts Gartner. More than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally, said the report, the highest total sold to date. The figure was 30% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, Gartner said. Good design and the look of a mobile, as well as new services such as music downloads, could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005, said analysts. Although people were still looking for better replacement phones, there was evidence, according to Gartner, that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales. "All the markets grew apart from Japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western Europe," mobile analyst Carolina Milanesi told the BBC News website. "Japan is where north America and western European markets can be in a couple of years\' time. "They already have TV, music, ringtones, cameras, and all that we can think of on mobiles, so people have stopped buying replacement phones." But there could be a slight slowdown in sales in European and US markets too, according to Gartner, as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. This means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade, said Gartner. Third generation mobiles (3G) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer, like video, could drive people into upgrading their phones, but Ms Milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen. "At the end of the day, people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don\'t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical." Nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. The majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms. More likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics, as well as music services. The Motorola Razr V3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005, she added. This was not a "women\'s thing", she said, but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. It was not just about how the phone functioned, but about what it said about its owner. "Western Europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design," said Ms Milanesi. "People are after something that is nice-looking, and together with that, there is the entertainment side. "This year music will have a part to play in this." The market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004, but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£9.4 million) by 2009, according to Jupiter Research. Sony Ericsson just released its Walkman branded mobile phone, the W800, which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours\' battery life, and a two megapixel camera. In July last year, Motorola and Apple announced a version of iTunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with Motorola mobile phones. Apple said the new iTunes music player would become Motorola\'s standard music application for its music phones. But the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the iPod. Ms Milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. But they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity, which would not put too much strain on battery life. Gadget growth fuels eco concerns Technology firms and gadget lovers are being urged to think more about the environment when buying and disposing of the latest hi-tech products. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, several hi-tech firms were recognised for their strategies to help the environment. Ebay also announced the Rethink project bringing together Intel, Apple, and IBM among others to promote recycling. The US consumer electronics market is set to grow by over 11% in 2005. But more awareness is needed about how and where old gadgets can be recycled as well as how to be more energy efficient, said the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of particular growing concern is how much energy it takes to recharge portable devices, one of the fastest growing markets in technology. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has predicted that shipments of consumer technologies in 2005 will reach more than $125.73 billion (nearly £68 billion). Ebay\'s initiative pulls together major technology firms, environment groups, government agencies and eBay users to give information about what to do with old computers and where to send them. The online auction house thinks that its already-established community of loyal users could be influential. "We really became aware of the e-waste issue and we saw that our 125 million users can be a powerful force for good," eBay\'s David Stern told the BBC News website. "We saw the opportunity to meet the additional demand we have on the site for used computers and saw the opportunity too to good some good for the environment." But it is not just computers that cause a problem for the environment. Teenagers get a new mobile every 11 months, adults every 18 months and a 15 million handsets are replaced in total each year. Yet, only 15% are actually recycled. This year, a predicted two billion people worldwide will own a mobile, according to a Deloitte report. Schemes in the US, like RIPMobile, could help in targeting younger generations with recycling messages. The initiative, which was also launched at CES, rewards 10 to 28-year-olds for returning unused phones. "This system allows for the transformation of a drawer full of unused mobile phones into anything from music to clothes to electronics or games," said Seth Heine from RIPMobile. One group of students collected 1,000 mobiles for recycling in just three months. Mr Heine told the BBC News website that what was important was to raise awareness amongst the young so that recycling becomes "learned behaviour". Europe is undoubtedly more advanced than the US in terms of recycling awareness and robust "end of life" programmes, although there is a tide change happening in the rest of the world too. Intel showcased some its motherboards and chips at CES which are entirely lead free. "There is more and more awareness on the consumer side, but the whole industry is moving towards being lead free," Intel\'s Allen Wilson told the BBC News website. "There is still low-level awareness right now, but it is on the rise - the highest level of awareness is in Europe." A European Union (EU) directive, WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment), comes into effect in August. It puts the responsibility on electrical manufacturers to recycle items that are returned to them. But developments are also being made to design better technologies which are more energy efficient and which do not contain harmful substances. Elements like chromium, lead, and cadmium - common in consumer electronics goods - will be prohibited in all products in the EU by 2006. But it is not just about recycling either. The predicted huge growth in the gadget market means the amount of energy used to power them up is on the rise too. The biggest culprit, according to the EPA, is the innocuous power adaptor, nicknamed "energy vampires". They provide vital juice for billions of mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), digital cameras, camcorders, and digital music players. Although there is a focus on developing efficient and improved circuits in the devices themselves, the technologies inside rechargers are still outdated and so eat up more energy than is needed to power a gadget. On 1 January, new efficiency standards for external power supplies came into effect as part of the European Commission Code of Conduct. But at CES, the EPA also unveiled new guidelines for its latest Energy Star initiative which targets external power adapters. These map out the framework for developing better adaptors that can be labelled with an Energy Star logo, meaning they are about 35% more efficient. The initiative is a global effort and more manufacturers\' adaptors are being brought on board. Most are made in China. About two billion are shipped global every year, and about three billion are in use in the US alone. The EPA is already working with several companies which make more than 22% of power supplies on the market. "We are increasingly finding companies that not only want to provide neat, hi-tech devices, but also bundle with it a hi-tech, efficient power supply," the EPA\'s Andrew Fanara said. Initiatives like this are critical; if power adaptors continue to be made and used as they are now, consumer electronics and other small appliances will be responsible for more than 40% of electricity used in US homes, said the EPA. China \'to overtake US net use\' The Chinese net-using population looks set to exceed that of the US in less than three years, says a report. China\'s net users number 100m but this represents less than 8% of the country\'s 1.3 billion people. Market analysts Panlogic predicts that net users in China will exceed the 137 million US users of the net by 2008. The report says that the country\'s culture will mean that Chinese people will use the net for very different ends than in many other nations. Already net use in China has a very different character than in many Western nations, said William Makower, chief executive of Panlogic. In many Western nations desktop computers that can access the net are hard to escape at work. By contrast in China workplace machines are relatively rare. This, combined with the relatively high cost of PCs in China and the time it takes to get phone lines installed, helps to explains the huge number of net cafes in China. Only 36% of Chinese homes have telephones according to reports. "Net usage tends to happen in the evening," said Mr Makower, "they get access only when they go home and go off to the internet café." "Its fundamentally different usage to what we have here," he said. Net use in China was still very much an urban phenomenon with most users living on the country\'s eastern seaboard or in its three biggest cities. The net is key to helping Chinese people keep in touch with friends, said Mr Makower. Many people use it in preference to the phone or arrange to meet up with friends at net cafes. What people can do on the net is also limited by aspects of Chinese life. For instance, said Mr Makower, credit cards are rare in China partly because of fears people have about getting in to debt. "The most popular way to pay is Cash-On-Delivery," he said, "and that\'s quite a brake to the development of e-commerce." The arrival of foreign banks in China, due in 2006, could mean greater use of credit cards but for the moment they are rare, said Mr Makower. But if Chinese people are not spending cash online they are interested in the news they can get via the net and the view it gives them on Western ways of living. "A large part of the attraction of the internet is that it goes below the radar," he said. "Generally it\'s more difficult for the government to be able to control it." "Its real value is as an open window onto what\'s happening elsewhere in the world," he said. Government restrictions on how much advertising can appear on television means that the net is a source of many commercial messages Chinese people would not see anywhere else. Familiarity with the net also has a certain social cachet. "It\'s a sign of them having made it that they can use the internet and navigate around it," said Mr Makower. New delay hits EU software laws A fresh delay has hit controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as planned at a Brussels meeting on Monday during which it was supposed to have been discussed. The fresh delay came after Polish officials had raised concerns about the law for the second time in two months. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small ones and could impact open-source software innovation. "There was at one point the intention to put the item on today\'s agenda. But in the end we could not put it on," an EU spokesman told the Reuters agency. He added that no date had been chosen for more discussion of the law. In December, Poland requested more time to consider the issue because it was concerned that the law could lead to the patenting of pure computer software. Its ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes software patenting. Poland is a large EU member, so its backing for the legislation is vital. The EU says the law would bring Europe more in line with how such laws work in the US, but this has caused some angry debate amongst critics and supporters. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service. Critics say a similar model in Europe would hurt small software developers which do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies. But supporters say current law does not let big companies protect inventions which they have spent years developing. Games firms \'face tough future\' UK video game firms face a testing time as they prepare for the next round of games consoles, the industry warns. Fred Hasson, head of Tiga, which represents independent developers, said that more UK firms would go under due to greater risks in making new titles. Three leading UK video game companies also predicted that more firms would close as they struggled to adapt. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are expected to release new consoles in the next 18 months. Microsoft has said repeatedly that it wants to be first to the market and some analysts predict that Xbox 2 will be released in the US before the end of 2005. The new machines will all have much greater processing and graphical power which will have a huge impact on development of next generation games. Mr Hasson said: "In the last four years we have probably lost a third of independent developers." He said there were about 150 independent developers left in the industry and more were likely to close. "Once the cull has finished its likely to present those still standing with great opportunities," he said. Mr Hasson said the industry was predicting that developments costs and teams were likely to need to double in order to cope with the demands of the new machines. That figure was endorsed by three independent companies contacted by the BBC News website - Codemasters, Climax and Rebellion. "As consoles get more powerful, the content gets more detailed and that means more cost," said Gary Dunn, development director at Codemasters, which develops games in house and also publishes titles. Jason Kingsley, chief executive of Rebellion, said the transition from the current generation of consoles to the new machines was difficult because "the production quality expected by consumers will be that much bigger". He added: "We have been through five technology transitions and survived so far. "Each one has involved the death of some people. All companies said they were investing in new tools - called middleware - in order to try and avoid staff numbers spiralling out of control. Simon Gardner, president of Climax\'s Action studio, said: "We are investing in superior tools and editors. We are investing upfront to generate this content without the need for huge teams. "It\'s vital we avoid huge teams." He said Climax was already directing about 20% of its resources to preparation for next generation titles. Mr Dunn warned that companies could face a short supply of programming, development and artistic talent. "If companies are hiring bigger and bigger teams, at some point the talent is going to run out." Mr Hasson said games developers were beginning to realise that they had to be more "business-like". "There are still some developers who were involved in games from the bedroom coding days. "Some of them are still making games for peer group approval - that has to stop." Nintendo handheld given Euro date Nintendo\'s new handheld console, the DS, will launch in Europe on 11 March, the company has announced. The portable games machine, which features touch-screen control, will retail for £99 in the UK (149 euros). Nintendo said 15 games would be available in the UK at launch, with prices ranging from £19 to £29. More than 2.8 million DS consoles have been sold since it first appeared in the US and Japan at the end of 2004. Rival Sony has said it will launch its first handheld console, the PSP, in the US and Europe before the end of March. The PSP is expected to compete for a large part of the same handheld market, despite Sony\'s assertion that the machines are aimed at different consumers. The 15 games available on the European launch date will include Nintendo\'s Super Mario 64 DS, as well as titles from third-party developers such as Ubisoft\'s Rayman DS. More than 120 games are in development for the new console, Nintendo has said. The DS is backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance, allowing the earlier machine\'s back catalogue of 700 games to be played. Additionally, a short-range wireless link for multiplayer gaming is built in to the DS, with a "download play" option which allows a group to play against each other, even if just one person owns a copy. Other features include a short-range messaging application called Pictochat, and a built-in microphone which is used in Sega\'s launch title Project Rub. Nintendo has also announced a media adapter, which will allow the console to play music and video on the move. The launch price of £99 (149 euros) compares favourably with the US price of $149, according to John Houlihan, editor of the Computerandvideogames.com magazine. "It\'s a very, very competitive price point. There are some innovative features, and Nintendo has created quite a buzz," he says. "However, the line-up of games could have been stronger. Everyone wanted to see the eight-player Mario Kart DS, for example." Mr Houlihan believes that there is likely to be an audience for both the Nintendo DS and Sony\'s new PSP, with the former aimed largely at a younger audience and the latter expected to be marketed as a multimedia device. "The PSP is a sexy bit of kit, but Sony\'s attitude to the PSP has been very understated in Europe, so far," Mr Houlihan said. The worldwide handheld software market had an estimated worth of $2.6bn at the end of 2004, according to industry analysts Screen Digest. In the past, games consoles and handhelds have generally launched much later in Europe than in other parts of the world. However Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the company was "pleased to have offered such a short period of time between the US and European launch". "Europe is an extremely important market for Nintendo," Mr Iwata added. Nintendo raised its sales targets for the DS console last December after selling a million in the US and Japan in just a few weeks. Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Bush website blocked outside US Surfers outside the US have been unable to visit the official re-election site of President George W Bush. The blocking of browsers sited outside the US began in the early hours of Monday morning. Since then people outside the US trying to browse the site get a message saying they are not authorised to view it. The blocking does not appear to be due to an attack by vandals or malicious hackers, but as a result of a policy decision by the Bush camp. The international exclusion zone around georgewbush.com was spotted by net monitoring firm Netcraft which keeps an eye on traffic patterns across many different sites. Netcraft said that since the early hours of 25 October attempts to view the site through its monitoring stations in London, Amsterdam and Sydney failed. By contrast Netcraft\'s four monitoring stations in the US managed to view the site with no problems. The site can still be seen using anonymous proxy services that are based in the US. Some web users in Canada also report that they can browse the site. The pattern of traffic to the website suggests that the blocking was not due to an attack by vandals or politically motivated hackers. Geographic blocking works because the numerical addresses that the net uses to organise itself are handed out on a regional basis. On 21 October, the George W Bush website began using the services of a company called Akamai to ensure that the pages, videos and other content on its site reaches visitors. Mike Prettejohn, president of Netcraft, speculated that the blocking decision might have been taken to cut costs, and traffic, in the run-up to the election on 2 November. He said the site may see no reason to distribute content to people who will not be voting next week. Managing traffic could also be a good way to ensure that the site stays working in the closing days of the election campaign. However, simply blocking non-US visitors also means that Americans overseas are barred too. Akamai declined to comment, saying it could not talk about customer websites. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Nuclear body seeks new tech The computer systems used to monitor the world\'s nuclear power installations are so outdated that they are hampering the work of inspectors. A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its current technology could allow key information to be overlooked as it was more than 20 years old. Such systems are the only method of tracking nuclear material worldwide. The agency has appealed for more funds to update its hardware and software. "A major overhaul of the system is needed to allow inspectors immediate, secure online access to information," said project manager Livio Costantini. IAEA inspectors make around 3,000 visits a year to more than 900 nuclear facilities worldwide. They are there to verify official reports of activities in the plants, to carry out environmental checks, and also to look for any signs that nuclear material is being smuggled in or out of the facility. The computer system inspectors currently use for comparing data from earlier visits, for instance, was built in the 1970s and largely paper based. An IAEA spokesman said this was extremely inefficient and makes searching for anomalies like searching for a needle in a haystack. The organisation is aiming to start a system upgrade in November, aiming to provide inspectors in the field with secure online access to previous inspection data, design blueprints of nuclear facilities, even satellite images of the plant. Where possible, it hopes to link the system with national records of the import and export of nuclear materials. Further analysis of these could help spot potential smuggling activities or illicit technology transfers between countries, according to a spokesman. Computer specialist at the IAEA, Peter Smith, would like to be able to incorporate state of the art visualisation techniques, more familiar to video games players, into the inspector\'s toolkit. "The commercials you now see have people are moving around in a virtual world," he said. "If we could have that on our laptops, we could be walking through the plant seeing, on the laptop, how the plant should look. "And if there\'s a door in the wall that is not on our laptop, then we have a problem." The IAEA estimates the total cost of the four-year project to upgrade its technology will be $40m. So far it has only received $11m from the US and the UK. "Failure to replace the hardware and software, and to integrate fully all the information system components will carry large risks," said an agency statement. Pandas benefit from wireless net The world\'s dwindling panda population is getting a helping hand from a wireless internet network. The Wolong Nature Reserve in the Sichuan Province of southwest China is home to 20% of the remaining 1,500 giant pandas in the world. A broadband and wireless network installed on the reserve has allowed staff to chronicle the pandas\' daily activities. The data and images can be shared with colleagues around the world. The reserve conducts vital research on both panda breeding and bamboo ecology. Using the network, vets have been able to observe how infant pandas feed and suggest changes to improve the tiny cubs\' chances of survival. "Digital technology has transformed the way we communicate and share information inside Wolong and with the rest of the world," said Zhang Hemin, director of the Wolong Nature Reserve. "Our researchers now have state-of-the-art digital technology to help foster the panda population and manage our precious surroundings." The network has been developed by Intel, working closely with the staff at Wolong. It includes a 802.11b wireless network and a video monitoring system using five cameras to observe pandas around the clock. Before the new infrastructure arrived at the panda park, staff walked or drove to deliver floppy disks across the reserve. Infant panda health was recorded on paper notebooks and research teams in the field had little access to the data. To foster cultural links across the globe, a children\'s learning lab has been incorporated in the network, in collaboration with Globio (Federation for Global Biodiversity Education for Children), an international non-profit organisation. It will enable children at local primary schools to hook up with their peers in Portland, Oregon in the US. "Digital technology brings this story to life by enabling a global dialogue to help bridge cultures around the world," said Globio founder Gerry Ellis. Home phones face unclear future The fixed line phone in your home could soon be an endangered species. Research by handset maker Nokia shows that more and more people are using their mobile phone for every call they make or take. According to the study, more than 45 million people in the UK, Germany, US and South Korea now only use a mobile. It showed that people keep their fixed line phone because call charges are lower, but most of those questioned said the future was definitely mobile. The Nokia-sponsored research showed that mobiles and fixed phones were used for different purposes. Home phones were used for longer calls but conversations on mobiles tended to be shorter, between mobiles and to friends. In the UK 69% of those questioned said they turned to their fixed phone because it was still cheaper to use than a mobile. However, when pressed few could say with accuracy how tariffs on fixed and mobile phones compared. In the US and Germany many of those interviewed said they used the fixed phone because it was more reliable than a mobile handset and let them get access to the net at relatively high speeds. In all the countries where interviews were carried out, older people were more likely to use a fixed line phone more than a mobile. Women aged 50 or above almost never use a mobile phone, the research found. The move to mobile was most pronounced in South Korea where 65% of those questioned said they already make most of their calls from a mobile. 18% said they would not get a landline if they moved house. Many of those questioned said they had an emotional connection to their fixed phone that drew on its position in the home and the "cosiness" of making a call there. Nokia said these findings had implications for mobile operators who must work hard to ensure that mobiles are seen as cheap, reliable and providing good call quality. The survey also showed that it is not just voice calls that are going wireless. Some of those questioned said they were looking to use a mobile or wireless service to get net access within the next couple of years. Polling firm Mori interviewed more than 6,000 people in the UK, US, Germany and South Korea for the survey. Podcasts mark rise of DIY radio An Apple iPod or other digital music players can hold anything up to 10,000 songs, which is a lot of space to fill. But more and more iPod owners are filling that space with audio content created by an unpredictable assortment of producers. It is called "podcasting" and its strongest proponent is former MTV host and VJ (video jockey) Adam Curry. Podcasting takes its name from the Apple iPod, although you do not need an iPod to create one or to listen to a podcast. A podcast is basically an internet-based radio show which podcasters create, usually in the comfort of their own home. They need only a microphone, a PC, and some editing software. They then upload their shows to the internet and others can download and listen to them, all for free. Using technology based on XML computer code and RSS - Really Simple Syndication - listeners can subscribe to podcasts collected automatically in a bit of software, which Mr Curry has pioneered. The latest MP3 files of shows can then be picked up by a music playing device automatically. Mr Curry records, hosts, edits and produce a daily, 40 minute podcast called The Daily Source Code. He wants to make podcasting "the Next Big Thing" and says it is an extension of his childhood love of radio gadgetry. "I was always into technologies and wires," he explains. "My parents gave me the Radio Shack 101 project kit, which allows you to build an AM transmitter and subsequently an FM transmitter. "I had my mom drive me around the block, see how far it would reach on the car radio." Mr Curry is American, but he grew up in the Netherlands where he hosted illegal, pirate radio shows in the Dutch capital. He tried university in the US, and ended up back in Holland where he hosted a music video show. He spent the next seven years in New York where he worked at MTV hosting the Top 20 Video Countdown, but spent most of his hours tinkering with this new thing called the internet. "At a certain point in 1995, I was driving in on a Friday afternoon, beautiful blue sky, one of those beautiful days thinking, this is so stupid. "You know, I\'m going do the Top 20 Countdown, take the cheque, go home, and sit on the internet until three in the morning. "So, after I finished the show, I quit. I said, on air, it\'s been great, I\'ve been here for seven years at that point, there\'s something on the internet, I\'ve got to go find it, and I\'ll see you later." But Mr Curry\'s technology and broadcast interests started to gel a couple of years ago when computer storage was growing exponentially and high-speed internet connections were becoming more widely available. The MP3 format also meant that people could create and upload audio more cheaply and efficiently than ever before. Most importantly, Mr Curry says, people across the globe were bored with the radio they were hearing. "Listen to 99% of the radio that you hear today, it\'s radio voices, and it\'s fake, it\'s just fake." He wanted to make it easier for people to find "real voices" on the internet. He wanted software that would automatically download new audio content directly onto players like, iPods. Mr Curry is not a computer programmer, so he asked others to create one for him. No one did, so he tried to write one himself. He finished it a few months ago and says it "totally sucked." He put it up on the net as open source software and now dozens of coders and audio junkies are refining it; the result is a work in progress called "ipodder". Doug Kaye, a California-based podcaster, praises the former MTV VJ for what he has done. "Adam created a simple script that solved what we call the last mile problem. Ipodder takes audio from the web and brings it all the way down to the MP3 player," he explains. "People can wake up in the morning, pick up their iPods as they go to work or before they go exercise, and discover that there\'s all this new content automatically put onto their players." It is created an explosion in podcasting content and podcasters are springing up in Australia, Finland, Brazil, even Malaysia. One couple broadcasts theirs, The Dawn and Drew Show, from Wisconsin in the US, sometimes even from the comfort of their own bed. Topics range from the comfort of their bed, to the latest films or music and have thousands of listeners. Already, websites are springing up that point listeners in the right direction of good podcasts. Chris McIntyre runs Podcast Alley and says that there are good sites out there but that not everyone has the technological know-how to simply listen. "If I were to tell my mom, or my mother-in-law to copy an XML or RSS file to their podcast aggregator, they would think I was speaking a foreign language," Mr McIntyre says. Along with technical challenges, there may be legal challenges to podcasters who air their favourite, albeit copyrighted, music. Some in podcasting also worry that too much attention may turn what they see as the "anti-radio" into something that is more like conventional broadcasting. Already there is interest in podcasting from the corporate world. Heineken is doing its own podcast now, and so is Playboy. For his part, Adam Curry\'s pressing ahead with his own vision of what podcasting should be. He loves doing The Daily Source Code because it is about introducing good music and cool ideas to new audiences. He has even been called the Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson of podcasting which, he says, "is a badge I\'ll wear with great honour. "To be the Johnny Carson, or Ed Sullivan of anything is wonderful. And you know what? You don\'t need a hell of a lot of talent. "You just have to be nice, have your ears open, and let people shine. And that\'s good for me." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Portable PlayStation ready to go Sony\'s PlayStation Portable (PSP) will go on sale in Japan on 12 December. The long-awaited handheld game playing gadget will cost about 19,800 yen (145 euros) when it hits the shelves. At launch 21 games will be available for the PSP, including Need for Speed, Ridge Racer, Metal Gear Acid and Vampire Chronicle. Sony has not yet announced when the PSP will be available in Europe and the US, but analysts expect it to debut in those territories in early 2005. Fifa 2005 is back at the top of the UK games charts, a week after losing it to rival Pro Evolution Soccer 4. Konami\'s Pro Evo dropped only one place to two, while the only new entry in the top 10 was another football title, LMA Manager 2005, in at number seven. Tony Hawk\'s Underground 2 held its own at three, while Star Wars Battlefront inched up to four places to four. There was good news for Disney, with the spin-off from the Shark\'s Tale film moving up the charts into number eight. Fans of the Gran Turismo series in Europe are going to have to wait until next year for the latest version. Sony has said that the PAL version of GT4 will not be ready for Christmas. "The product is localised into 13 different languages across the PAL territories, therefore the process takes considerably longer than it does in Japan," it said. Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 is still expected to be released in Japan and the USA this year. Halo 2 has broken video game records, with pre-orders of more than 1.5 million in the US alone. Some 6,500 US stores plan to open just after midnight on Tuesday 9 November for the game\'s release. "Halo 2 is projected to bring in more revenue than any day one box office blockbuster movie in the United States," said Xbox\'s Peter Moore. "We\'ve even heard rumours of fan anticipation of the \'Halo 2 flu\' on 9 November." Dozens held over ID fraud site Twenty-eight people, including a Briton, have been arrested after a global operation against a website allegedly involved in identity fraud. Those arrested are accused of operating Shadowcrew.com, which investigators claim was a global clearing house for criminals involved in credit card fraud. A 19-year-old man from Camberley, Surrey, was arrested by the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit but has been bailed. Operation Firewall, led by the US Secret Service, involved seven nations. The British teenager was arrested on Wednesday but details only emerged on Friday. He has now been bailed to return to a Surrey police station in December. All 28 people detained globally are suspected of being involved in an internet-based network which stole people\'s identities and used computers and websites to defraud credit card companies. The authorities in the US, who have indicted 19 people in Newark, New Jersey, estimate the fraud caused losses of more than $4m. Assistant US Attorney Scott Christie said several people had been arrested in Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Poland and Sweden. Mr Christie said one of the ringleaders was believed to be a Russian, Anatoly Tyukanov. Investigators from 30 law enforcement agencies worldwide spent 15 months looking into the activities of three websites - Shadowcrew, Carderplanet and Darkprofits. The US Secret Service was first tipped off in July 2003. An NHTCU spokeswoman said the American investigators went undercover on the Shadowcrew website and discovered some of the site\'s 4,000 members were using it for organised crime purposes. She said criminals were using the websites to traffic counterfeit credit cards and false identification information and documents such as credit cards, driver\'s licences, passports and birth certificates. The websites shared tips on how to commit fraud and provided a forum by which people could buy the information and tools they needed to commit such crime, she said. The Shadowcrew site, which has now been taken over by the US Secret Service, listed several discussion groups, in English and Russian, including one on hacking, spam and online anonymity tools. The head of the NHTCU, Acting Detective Chief Superintendent, Mick Deats, said: "This investigation has resulted in the significant disruption of organised criminals using the internet for profit. "We believe that the suspects have trafficked at least 1.7 million stolen credit card numbers, leading to losses by financial institutions running into the millions." Chief Supt Deats went on to warn: "The internet offers huge legitimate benefits for modern society; however with it brings powerful opportunities for those seeking to abuse those benefits for criminal gain. "Your identity is one of the most precious commodities. Criminals who try to steal the personal and financial information of ordinary citizens as well as the confidential and proprietary information of companies engaged in e-commerce, will be targeted by law enforcement." Concerns over Windows ATMs Cash machine networks could soon be more susceptible to computer viruses, a security firm has warned. The warning is being issued because many banks are starting to use the Windows operating system in machines. Already there have been four incidents in which Windows viruses have disrupted networks of cash machines running the Microsoft operating system. But banking experts say the danger is being overplayed and that the risks of infection and disruption are small. For many years the venerable IBM operating system, known as OS/2, has been the staple software used to power many of the 1.4m cash machines in operation around the world. But IBM will end support for OS/2 in 2006 which is forcing banks to look for alternatives. There are also other pressures making banks turn to Windows said Dominic Hirsch, managing director of financial analysis firm Retail Banking Research. He said many cash machines will also have to be upgraded to make full use of the new Europay, Mastercard and Visa credit cards that use computer chips instead of magnetic stripes to store data. US laws that demand disabled people get equal access to information will also force banks to make their cash machines more versatile and able to present information in different ways. Todd Thiemann, spokesman for anti-virus firm Trend Micro, said the move to Windows in cash machines was not without risks. Mr Thiemann said research by the TowerGroup showed that 70% of new cash machines being installed were Windows based. Already, he said, there have been four incidents in which cash machines have been unavailable for hours due to viruses affecting the network of the bank that owns them. In January 2003 the Slammer worm knocked out 13,000 cash machines of the Bank of America and many of those operated by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. In August of the same year, cash machines of two un-named banks were put out of action for hours following an infection by the Welchia worm. Incidents like this happen, said Mr Thiemann, because when banks start using Windows cash machines they also change the networking technology used to link the devices to their back office computers. This often means that all the cash machines and computers in a bank share the same data network. "This could mean that cash machines get caught up in the viruses that are going around because they have a common transmission system," he said. "Banks need to consider protection as part of the investment to maintain the security of that network," Mr Thiemann told BBC News Online. But Mr Hirsch from Retail Banking Research said the number of cash machines actually at risk was low because so few were upgraded every year. Currently, he said, a cash machine has a lifetime of up to 10 years which means that only about 10% of all ATMs get swapped for a newer model every year. "Windows cash machines have been around for several years," he said. "Most banks simply upgrade as part of their usual replacement cycle." "In theory there is a bigger threat with Windows than OS/2," he said, "but I do not think that the banks are hugely concerned at the moment." "It\'s pretty unusual to hear about virus problems with ATMs," he said. The many different security systems built-in to cash machines meant there was no chance that a virus could cause them to start spitting out cash spontaneously, he said. Banks were more likely to be worried about internal networks being overwhelmed by worms and viruses and customers not being able to get cash out at all, he added. A spokesman for the Association of Payment and Clearing Services (Apacs) which represents the UK\'s payments industry said the risk from viruses was minimal. "There\'s no concern that there\'s going to be any type of virus hitting the UK networks," he said. Risks of infection were small because the data networks that connect UK cash machines together and the operators of the ATMs themselves were a much smaller and tightly-knit community than in the US where viruses have struck. Attack prompts Bush site block The official re-election site of President George W Bush is blocking visits from overseas users for "security reasons". The blocking began early on Monday so those outside the US and trying to view the site got a message saying they are not authorised to view it. But keen net users have shown that the policy is not being very effective. Many have found that the site can still be viewed by overseas browsers via several alternative net addresses. The policy of trying to stop overseas visitors viewing the site is thought to have been adopted in response to an attack on the georgewbush.com website. Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign said: "The measure was taken for security reasons." He declined to elaborate any further on the blocking policy. The barring of non-US visitors has led to the campaign being inundated with calls and forced it to make a statement about why the blocking was taking place. In early October a so-called "denial of service" attack was mounted on the site that bombarded it with data from thousands of PCs. The attack made the site unusable for about five hours. About the same time the web team of the Bush-Cheney campaign started using the services of a company called Akamai that helps websites deal with the ebbs and flows of visitor traffic. Akamai uses a web-based tool called EdgeScape that lets its customers work out where visitors are based. Typically this tool is used to ensure that webpages, video and images load quickly but it can also be used to block traffic. Geographic blocking works because the numerical addresses that the net uses to organise itself are handed out on a regional basis. Readers of the Boingboing weblog have found that viewers can still get at the site by using alternative forms of the George W Bush domain name. Ironically one of the working alternatives is for a supposedly more secure version of the site. There are now at least three working alternative domains for the Bush-Cheney campaign that let web users outside the US visit the site. The site can also be seen using anonymous proxy services that are based in the US. Some web users in Canada also report that they can browse the site. The international exclusion zone around georgewbush.com was spotted by net monitoring firm Netcraft which keeps an eye on traffic patterns across many different sites. Netcraft said that since the early hours of 25 October attempts to view the site through its monitoring stations in London, Amsterdam and Sydney have failed. By contrast Netcraft\'s four monitoring stations in the US managed to view the site with no problems. Data gathered by Netcraft on the pattern of traffic to the site shows that the blocking is not the result of another denial of service attack. Mike Prettejohn, Netcraft president, speculated that the blocking decision might have been taken to cut costs, and traffic, in the run-up to the election on 2 November. He said the site may see no reason to distribute content to people who will not be voting next week. Managing traffic could also be a good way to ensure that the site stays working in the closing days of the election campaign. However, simply blocking non-US visitors also means that Americans overseas are barred too. Most American soldiers stationed overseas will be able to see the site as they use the US military\'s own portion of the net. Akamai declined to comment, saying it could not talk about customer websites. Seamen sail into biometric future The luxury cruise liner Crystal Harmony, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology. As holidaymakers enjoy balmy breezes, their ship\'s crew is testing prototype versions of the world\'s first internationally issued biometric ID cards, the seafarer\'s equivalent of a passport. Along with the owner\'s picture, name and personal details, the new Seafarers\' Identity Document incorporates a barcode representing unique features of its holder\'s fingerprints. The cards are due to be issued in February next year, in line with the revised UN Convention on Seafarers\' Identity Documents of June 2003. Tests currently under way in the Caribbean are designed to ensure that new cards and their machine readers, produced by different companies in different countries, are working to interoperable standards. Results of the current tests, which involve seafarers from a wide range of occupations and nationalities, will be published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) by the end of November. Crystal Cruises, which operates the Crystal Harmony, is exploring the use of biometrics but has not yet committed to the technology. Authenti-corp, the US technology consultancy, has been working with the ILO on its technical specifications for the cards. "If you\'re issued a seafarer\'s ID in your country, you want to be sure that when the ship lands in a port in, say, my country you can validate yourself using whatever equipment we have installed," Authenti-corp\'s CEO, Cynthia Musselman, told the BBC\'s Go Digital programme. She said French, Jordanian and Nigerian nationals would be the first seafarers to get the new ID cards since their countries have already ratified the convention. It aims to combat international terrorism whilst guaranteeing the welfare the one million seafarers estimated to be at sea. The convention highlights the importance of access to shore facilities and shore leave as vital elements to a sailor\'s wellbeing and, therefore, it says, to safer shipping and cleaner oceans. "By increasing security on the seas as well as border control and protection, the cards will hopefully reduce the number of piracy problems around the world," said Ms Musselman. "It should be a safer environment for seafarers to work in, and will allow people protecting their borders to have confidence that the people getting off the ship are, in fact, seafarers." Halo fans\' hope for sequel Xbox video game Halo 2 has been released in the US on 9 November, with a UK release two days later. Why is the game among the most anticipated of all time? Halo is considered by many video game pundits to be one of the finest examples of interactive entertainment ever produced and more than 1.5 million people worldwide have pre-ordered the sequel. A science fiction epic, Halo centred the action on a human cyborg, controlled by the player, who had to save his crew from an alien horde after a crash landing on a strange and exotic world contained on the interior surface of a giant ring in space. Remembrance of Things Past it was not - but as a slice of schlock science fiction inspired by works such as Larry Niven\'s Ringworld and the film Starship Troopers, it fit the bill perfectly. Halo stood out from a crowd of similar titles - it was graphically impressive, had tremendous audio, using Dolby Digital, a decent storyline, instant playability and impressive physics. But what marked Halo as a classic were the thousands of details which brought a feeling of polish and the enormously-high production values not usually associated with video gaming. Produced by Bungie software, renowned for their innovation in gaming, it caused a stir among the gaming fraternity when the developer was bought by Microsoft and became an Xbox exclusive. Claude Errera, editor of fansite Halo.Bungie.Org, said: "Bungie got everything right. They were really careful to make sure everything worked the way it was supposed to. "Nothing distracts you when you were playing. There was nothing in Halo that had not been done before but everything in there was as good as it could be." He added: "Graphically it was superior to everything else out there. "It also had a depth to it that made it stand out." Halo was unusually immersive, sucking the player into the action and blurring the interface between screen and controller. It also capitalised on the growing popularity of LAN gaming in the PC world - for the first time it became easy to link multiple game consoles together, allowing up to 16 players to battle against each other at the same time. The game instantly cultivated an online following, which continues today with a score of Halo fan websites following every aspect of the sequel, Halo 2. Errera spends three to fours hours a day of his own time maintaining the hugely popular website, which attracts 600,000 page views a day from Halo fans eager for the latest news. When the Xbox launched on November 15 2001 in the US, Halo was one of the launch titles and had an immediate impact on critics and consumers. "Halo is the most important launch game for any console ever," wrote the influential Edge magazine in its review, giving it a rare 10 out of 10 mark. The game had its critics and while it is not a one-off original as a game, it brought many original touches and flourishes to the genre which have defined all other first person shooters since. "The first time I played it I just stood there watching the spent shells fall out of my gun," said Errera, remarking on the level of detail in the game. The game also inspired thousands of people to write their own fiction based on the storyline and produce downloadable video clips of the many weird and wonderful things that can be done in the game. "It blew me away the first time someone managed to climb to the top of Halo," said Errera, referring to a fan who had created a video of Master Chief scaling the landscape of the graphical world. Video clips of the more outrageous stunts that are possible thanks to the game\'s amazing physics engine are incredibly popular and some have attained a cult following. Speculation about the sequel has seen every titbit analysed and poured over with all the intent of a forensic scientist examining a body. When early screenshots of the game were released some people wrote essay-length articles highlighting everything from the texture of graphics to clues about the story line. Errera said expectations of the sequel among fans were sky high. "It does not feel like a game release any more. Somebody told me this was the biggest single release of any product in Microsoft\'s history. "We\'re all just hoping that Bungie has got it right again." Halo 2 is out on 9 November in the US and 11 November in the UK US top of supercomputing charts The US has pushed Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM\'s prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under the US Department of Energy. IBM test results show that Blue Gene/L has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. The previous top machine, Japan\'s NEC Earth Simulator, clocked up 35.86. The Top 500 list was announced on Monday and officially charts the fastest computers in the world. It is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called Linpack which measures calculations per second. Once completed in 2005, Blue Gene/L will be more powerful than its current prototype. "Next year with the final Blue Gene, four times what it is this year, it is going to be a real step up and will be hard to beat," said Erich Strohmaier, one of the co-founders of the Top500 list. It will help scientists work out the safety, security and reliability requirements for the US\'s nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for underground nuclear testing. It will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power, a big problem for supercomputers. In second place was Silicon Graphics\' Columbia supercomputer based at the US space agency\'s (Nasa) Ames Research Center in California. The Linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) in October. It will be used to model flight missions, climate research, and aerospace engineering. The defeated Japanese contender, the Earth Simulator, which was listed in third place, losing the top spot it had held since June 2002. It is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. Since the first supercomputer, the Cray-1, was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, US, in 1976, computational speed has leaped 500,000 times. The Cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). The Blue Gene/L machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. Started in 1993, the Top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. It is presented at the International Supercomputer Conference in Pittsburgh. DS aims to touch gamers The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. Market leader Nintendo, however, is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played. The first striking thing about the DS is how retro it looks. Far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld, it looks more like Nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. The lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens, and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. Both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. Nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen. The Japanese gaming giant hopes the DS will maintain the firm\'s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market. Nintendo first launched its GameBoy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. But its lead can no longer be taken for granted. Sony will enter the market later this year with its PlayStation Portable, while start-up companies Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac are also offering hybrid devices. "We believe the DS will appeal to all ages, both genders and gamers of any skill," said David Yarnton, Nintendo Europe\'s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. With its two screens, wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the GameBoy Advance, the DS certainly has a number of unique selling points. It went on sale in the US in mid-November priced $150 and Nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations, without giving detailed figures. Japan and Europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. With more than two million pre-orders for the device in Japan, Nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. But will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed? The game ships with a demo of Metroid Hunters - a 3D action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine\'s wireless capabilities. It certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people. The game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. The top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. It is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful re-creation of the Nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. The game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. One thing is for certain. Hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices, Ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. If they manage to create titles which use the Nintendo DS\'s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. The fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks. Halo 2 sells five million copies Microsoft is celebrating bumper sales of its Xbox sci-fi shooter, Halo 2. The game has sold more than five million copies worldwide since it went on sale in mid-November, the company said. Halo 2 has proved popular online, with gamers notching up a record 28 million hours playing the game on Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, nine out of 10 Xbox Live members have played the game for an average of 91 minutes per session. The sequel to the best-selling Need for Speed: Underground has inched ahead of the competition to take the top slot in the official UK games charts. The racing game moved up one spot to first place, nudging GTA: San Andreas down to second place. Halo 2 dropped one place to five, while Half-Life 2 fell to number nine. Last week\'s new releases, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Killzone, both failed to make it into the top 10, debuting at number 11 and 12 respectively. Record numbers of Warcraft fans are settling in the games online world. On the opening day of the World of Warcraft massive multi-player online game more than 200,000 players signed up to play. On the evening of the first day more than 100,000 players were in the world, forcing Blizzard to add another 34 servers to cope with the influx. The online game turns the stand alone Warcraft games into a persistent world that players can inhabit not just visit Europe\'s gamers could be waiting until January to hear when they can get their mitts on Nintendo\'s handheld device, Nintendo DS, says gamesindustry.biz. David Yarnton, Nintendo UK general manager, told a press conference to look out for details in the New Year. Its US launch was on Sunday and it goes on sale in Japan on 2 December. Nintendo has a 95% share of the handheld gaming market and said it expected to sell around five million of the DS by March 2005. \'Brainwave\' cap controls computer A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer. Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users, successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. Previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. The New York team reported their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions," said Jonathan Wolpaw and Dennis McFarlane. The research team, from New York State Department of Health and State University of New York in Albany, said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought. The four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which, meant no surgery or implantation was needed. Brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. Complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. Such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles, so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively. "The impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm, a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis," said the researchers. The four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. Although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall, the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. It is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. Some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. Earlier this year, a team at the MIT Media Labs Europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character. \'Brainwave\' cap controls computer A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer. Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users, successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. Previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. The New York team reported their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions," said Jonathan Wolpaw and Dennis McFarlane. The research team, from New York State Department of Health and State University of New York in Albany, said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought. The four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which, meant no surgery or implantation was needed. Brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. Complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. Such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles, so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively. "The impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm, a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis," said the researchers. The four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. Although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall, the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. It is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. Some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. Earlier this year, a team at the MIT Media Labs Europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character. Supercomputer breaks speed record The US is poised to push Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM\'s prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy (DOE) lab. DOE test results show that Blue Gene/L has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. The current top machine, Japan\'s NEC Earth Simulator, clocks up 35.86. Due next week, the Top 500 list officially charts the fastest computers in the world. It is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called Linpack which measures calculations per second. The speeds will most likely make it the fastest computer system on the planet, yet the chip technology powering the machine is the kind which can be found in familiar devices such as games consoles. The US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham confirmed that the machine had reached the breakneck speed, according to the Linpack benchmark. Until the official list is published, however, Blue Gene/L\'s position will not be confirmed, and there are expected to be some other new entries. But the test results raise the bar of supercomputing enormously and signal a remarkable achievement. Surpassing the 40 trillion calculations per second (teraflop) mark has been considered a landmark for some time. The IBM Blue Gene/L is only a prototype and is one 5th the speed of the full version, due to be completed for the Livermore labs in 2005. Its peak theoretical performance is expected to be 360 teraflops, and will fit into 64 full racks. It will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power, a big problem for supercomputers. The final machine will help scientists work out the safety, security and reliability requirements for the US\'s nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for underground nuclear testing. The Earth Simulator has held on to the top spot since June 2002. It is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. But in September, IBM said that another Blue Gene/L machine clocked up 36.01 teraflops, marginally surpassing the Earth Simulator\'s performance. This was achieved during internal testing at IBM\'s production facility in Rochester, Minnesota, though, so was not an official record. Another giant to enter the fray is Silicon Graphics\' Columbia supercomputer based at Nasa\'s Ames Research Center in California. It would be used to model flight missions, climate research, and aerospace engineering. The Linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 teraflops in October. Supercomputers are hugely important for working out very complex problems across science and society. Their massive simulation and processing power means they can improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, help design better cars, and improve disease diagnosis. IBM\'s senior vice president of technology and manufacturing, Nick Donofrio, believes that by 2006, Blue Gene will be capable of petaflop computing. This means it would be capable of doing 1,000 trillion operations a second. "When you get a computer as large as a petaflop, you can start to think of simulations that might complement the physical world," Mr Donofrio recently told the BBC News website. "You can start to be more proactive, more interactive and more innovative." One area where Mr Donofrio sees supercomputing - and Blue Gene machines in particular - as crucial is health. He believes the machines can help scientists understand one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century: protein folding. "Health is one of the most important problems, not just mapping the human genome, but also protein structures. "We are a great believer in simulation. It gives you another tool," he said. Once the structures of proteins are understood fully, then drugs can be tailor-made to fight diseases more effectively. Compared with the current fastest supercomputers, Blue Gene is designed to consume one 15th the power and be 10 times more compact. Since the first supercomputer, the Cray-1, was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976, computational speed has leaped 500,000 times. The Cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). The Blue Gene/L machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. Started in 1993, the Top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. It is presented at the International Supercomputer Conference in Pittsburgh. Gadgets galore on show at fair The 2005 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a geek\'s paradise with more than 50,000 new gadgets and technologies launched during the four-day event. Top gadgets at the show are highlighted in the Innovations Showcase, which recognises some of the hottest developments in consumer electronics. The BBC News website took an early pre-show look at some of those technologies that will be making their debut in 2005. One of the key issues for keen gadget users is how to store all their digital images, audio and video files. The 2.5GB and 5GB circular pocket hard drive from Seagate might help. The external USB drive won a CES best innovations design and engineering award and is small enough to slip into a pocket. "It is the kind of storage that appeals to people who want their PCs to look cool," said Seagate. "It is all about style but it also has lots of functionality." "It is the first time you can say a hard drive is sexy," it said. In the centre of the device is a blue light that flashes while data is being written to ensure users do not unplug it when it is busy saving those precious pictures. Universal Electronics\' NevoSL is a universal controller that lets people use one device to get at their multimedia content, such as photos, no matter where it is in their house. It can also act as a remote for home theatre and stereo systems. Working with home broadband networks and PCs, the gadget has built-in wireless and a colourful, simple interface. Paul Arling, UEI chief, said consumers face real problems when trying to get at all the files they own that are typically spread across several different devices. He said the Nevo gave people a simple, single way to regain some control over digital media in the home. The Nevo won two awards at CES, one as a Girl\'s Best Friend award and another for innovation, design and engineering. The gadget is expected to go on sale before the summer and will cost about $799 (£425). Hotseat is targeting keen gamers with money to spend with its Solo Chassis gaming chair. The specially-designed chair lets gamers play in surround-sound while stretching out in their own "space". It is compatible with all the major games consoles, DVD players and PCs. "We found that kids love playing in surround sound," said Jay LeBoff from Hotseat. "We are looking at offering different types of seats, depending on the market success of this one." The chair also lets people experience surround sound while watching videos, with wireless control for six surround sound speakers. And a drinks holder. The chair, which looks like a car seat on a skeletal frame, should go on sale in April and is expected to cost $399 (£211). Satellite radio is big business in the US. In the UK, the digital radio technology is known as DAB and works on slightly different technology. Eton Corporation\'s Porsche designed P7131 digital radio set will be launched both as a DAB radio in the UK as well as a satellite radio set in the US. DAB sets have been slow to take-off in the UK, but this one concentrates on sleek looks as much as technology. "It is for the risqué consumer," said an Eton spokesperson. "We are proud of it because it has the sound quality for the audiophile and the looks for the design-conscious consumer." The Porsche radio is set to go on sale at the end of January in the US and in the first quarter of 2005 in the UK. In the US is it expected to cost $250 (£133). The average person has a library of 600 digital images estimates the Consumer Electronics Association, the organisation behind CES. This is expected to grow to a massive 3,420 images - or 7.2GB - in five years\' time. One gadget that might help swell that collection is Sanyo\'s tiny handheld VPC-C4 camcorder which is another innovation in design and engineering award winner. It combines high quality video and stills in a very small device. It takes MPEG4 video quality at 30 frames a second and has a four megapixel still camera. Images and video are stored on SD cards, which have come down in price in recent months. A 512MB card will store about 30 minutes of video and 420 stills. The device is so tiny it can be controlled with one thumb. Because images and video are stored on SD memory, it is portable to other devices and means other data like audio can be stored on the card too. Wearable technology has always promised much but failed to deliver because of lack of storage capability and poor design. MPIO\'s tiny digital USB music players come in an array of fashionable colours, taking a leaf out of the Apple iPod mini book of design and reflecting the desire for gadgets that look good. Slung on a cord, the player would not look too geeky dangling discreetly from the neck. Although the pendant design was launched three months ago, the device emphasises large storage as well as good looks for fashion-conscious gadget fiends. An even dinkier model, the FY500, comes out in May and will store about 256MB of music. The range of players recently won an International Forum design award 2005. Seamen sail into biometric future The luxury cruise liner Crystal Harmony, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology. As holidaymakers enjoy balmy breezes, their ship\'s crew is testing prototype versions of the world\'s first internationally issued biometric ID cards, the seafarer\'s equivalent of a passport. Along with the owner\'s picture, name and personal details, the new Seafarers\' Identity Document incorporates a barcode representing unique features of its holder\'s fingerprints. The cards are due to be issued in February next year, in line with the revised UN Convention on Seafarers\' Identity Documents of June 2003. Tests currently under way in the Caribbean are designed to ensure that new cards and their machine readers, produced by different companies in different countries, are working to interoperable standards. Results of the current tests, which involve seafarers from a wide range of occupations and nationalities, will be published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) by the end of November. Crystal Cruises, which operates the Crystal Harmony, is exploring the use of biometrics but has not yet committed to the technology. Authenti-corp, the US technology consultancy, has been working with the ILO on its technical specifications for the cards. "If you\'re issued a seafarer\'s ID in your country, you want to be sure that when the ship lands in a port in, say, my country you can validate yourself using whatever equipment we have installed," Authenti-corp\'s CEO, Cynthia Musselman, told the BBC\'s Go Digital programme. She said French, Jordanian and Nigerian nationals would be the first seafarers to get the new ID cards since their countries have already ratified the convention. It aims to combat international terrorism whilst guaranteeing the welfare the one million seafarers estimated to be at sea. The convention highlights the importance of access to shore facilities and shore leave as vital elements to a sailor\'s wellbeing and, therefore, it says, to safer shipping and cleaner oceans. "By increasing security on the seas as well as border control and protection, the cards will hopefully reduce the number of piracy problems around the world," said Ms Musselman. "It should be a safer environment for seafarers to work in, and will allow people protecting their borders to have confidence that the people getting off the ship are, in fact, seafarers." Nintendo DS aims to touch gamers The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. Market leader Nintendo, however, is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played. The first striking thing about the DS is how retro it looks. Far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld, it looks more like Nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. The lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens, and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. Both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. Nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen. The Japanese gaming giant hopes the DS will maintain the firm\'s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market. Nintendo first launched its GameBoy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. But its lead can no longer be taken for granted. Sony will enter the market later this year with its PlayStation Portable, while start-up companies Gizmondo and Tapwave Zodiac are also offering hybrid devices. "We believe the DS will appeal to all ages, both genders and gamers of any skill," said David Yarnton, Nintendo Europe\'s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. With its two screens, wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the GameBoy Advance, the DS certainly has a number of unique selling points. It went on sale in the US in mid-November priced $150 and Nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations, without giving detailed figures. Japan and Europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. With more than two million pre-orders for the device in Japan, Nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. But will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed? The game ships with a demo of Metroid Hunters - a 3D action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine\'s wireless capabilities. It certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people. The game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. The top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. It is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful re-creation of the Nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. The game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. One thing is for certain. Hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices, Ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. If they manage to create titles which use the Nintendo DS\'s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. The fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks. Gadget market \'to grow in 2005\' The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world\'s largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%, while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important. "Everything is going digital," Kirsten Pfeifer from the Consumer Electronics Association, told the BBC News website. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured the pick of 2005\'s products. "Consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like HDTVs [high-definition TVs], digital radio, and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005. "All the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry." Despite showing diversity, some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much "wow factor" as in previous years. The portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of CES, which was the "time and place shifting" of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere, at any time. At the start of last year\'s CES, the CEA predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. That figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players, personal video recorders and digital cameras. It was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice, with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. Part of this has been the rise in spending power of the "generation X-ers" who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. More than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers, according to CEA research. Hybrid devices, which combine a number of multimedia functions, were also in evidence on the show floor. "A lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it," said Stephen Baker, a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. "Some of these functions cost next to nothing to add." As well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable MP3 players to giant high-definition TVs, several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders, such as Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Despite several embarrassing technical glitches during Mr Gate\'s pre-show speech, he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the US market. He unveiled new ways of letting people take TV shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. He disappointed some, however, by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the Xbox games console. Another disappointment was the lack of exposure Sony\'s new portable games device, the PSP, had at the show. Sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in March for the US and Europe. It went on sale in Japan before Christmas. There were only two PSPs embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. A Sony representative told the BBC News website this was because Sony did not consider it to be part of their "consumer technology" offering. Elsewhere at the show, there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens, including Samsung\'s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. Industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005, with new formats for DVDs coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional DVDs. With so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage, like Seagate\'s 5GB pocket sized external hard drive, which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. More than 120,000 trade professionals attended CES in Las Vegas, which officially ran from 6 to 9 January. Swap offer for pirated Windows XP Computer giant Microsoft has launched a pilot scheme to replace counterfeit versions of Windows XP with legal ones. The first-time initiative is restricted to the UK and to users with pre-installed copies of the operating system in PCs bought before November. Until December Microsoft said software can be sent to it for analysis if there are doubts about its legitimacy. The company aims to detect illegal traders and turn users of fake versions of Windows into legitimate ones. The Windows XP Counterfeit Project will mean that software that is found to be counterfeit will be replaced for free, subject to certain conditions, until the end of the year. It is the first time Microsoft has launched a counterfeit product replacement scheme in the world, the company told the BBC News website. In June, the software giant said that the major security update to Windows XP, Service Pack 2, would not work with the most widely pirated versions of its operating system. The upgrade closed security loopholes in XP and added features that made it easier to keep machines safe from viruses and other types of malicious computer code. The US company invited anyone who had suspicions about their version of Windows XP to submit it for testing as soon as possible. The procedure consists of a series of computer checks, collating documents, and filling out a witness statement. "This is a great opportunity for users to confirm the authenticity of Windows XP software whilst helping gather vital information about illegal traders", said Alex Hilton, licence compliance manager at Microsoft. The scheme has also been welcomed by the technology and commerce industry. "It is important that users ensure that they are legally licensed to avoid the risks of purchasing and using counterfeit products", said David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce. The plan would enable Microsoft to gather intelligence about illegal traders in a prompt way, which would allow it to take action against software pirates. Microsoft said it would evaluate the results of the UK programme before setting up similar schemes in other countries. Mobile picture power in your pocket How many times have you wanted to have a camera to hand to catch an unexpected event that would make headlines? With a modern mobile phone that has a camera built in, you no longer need to curse, you can capture the action as it happens. Already on-the-spot snappers are helping newspapers add immediacy to their breaking news stories headlines, where professional photographers only arrive in time for the aftermath. Celebrities might not welcome such a change because they may never be free of a new breed of mobile phone paparazzi making their lives a bit more difficult. Already one tabloid newspaper in LA is issuing photographers with camera phones to help them catch celebrities at play. It could be the start of a trend that only increases as higher resolution phone cameras become more widespread; as video phones catch on and millions of people start carrying the gadgets around. Only last week, the world media highlighted the killing of the Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, notorious after making a controversial film about Islamic culture. One day later De Telegraaf, a daily Amsterdam newspaper, became news on its own when it published a picture taken with a mobile phone of Mr van Gogh\'s body moments after he was killed. "This picture was the story", said De Telegraaf\'s image editor, Peter Schoonen. Other accounts of such picture phone users witnessing news events, include: - A flight from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic which turned around after someone took a picture of a piece of metal falling from the plane as it took off from Zurich (reported by the Swiss daily Le Matin). - Two crooks who robbed a bank in Denmark were snapped before they carried out the crime waiting for the doors of the building to be opened (reported by the Danish regional paper Aarhus Stiftstidende). But this is not just about traditional media lending immediacy to their stories with content from ordinary people, it is also about first-hand journalism in the form of online diaries or weblogs. It has been called "open source news" or even "moblog journalism" and it has flourished in the recent US election campaign. "Not many people walk around with their cameras, but they always have their mobile phones with them. If something happens, suddenly all these mobiles sort of appear from nowhere, and start taking pictures," said digital artist Henry Reichhold. He himself uses mobile phone pictures to create huge panoramic images of events and places. "You see it in bars, you see it everywhere. It\'s a massive thing," Mr Reichhold told the BBC News website. With some picture agencies already paying for exclusive phone pictures, especially of celebrities, there are also fears about the possible downside of this phenomenon. It could become a nuisance for public figures as higher resolution picture phones hit the market, with five megapixel models already being launched in Asia. Already on US photojournal site, Buzznet, there is a public album full of snaps of celebrities, many of which were taken with camera phones. Tabloid newspapers in the UK and many monthly magazines invite readers to send in images of famous people they have seen and snapped. But there are other positive uses of picture mobile phones that may balance these uses. For instance, in Alabama, in the US, camera phones will be used to take snaps at crime scenes involving children, and help the authorities to arrest and prosecute paedophiles. And in China\'s capital Beijing, courts have adopted mobile phone photos as formal evidence. For Henry Reichhold, this is progress: "That\'s the whole thing about the immediacy of the thing. I can see that happening a lot more." TV future in the hands of viewers With home theatre systems, plasma high-definition TVs, and digital video recorders moving into the living room, the way people watch TV will be radically different in five years\' time. That is according to an expert panel which gathered at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to discuss how these new technologies will impact one of our favourite pastimes. With the US leading the trend, programmes and other content will be delivered to viewers via home networks, through cable, satellite, telecoms companies, and broadband service providers to front rooms and portable devices. One of the most talked-about technologies of CES has been digital and personal video recorders (DVR and PVR). These set-top boxes, like the US\'s TiVo and the UK\'s Sky+ system, allow people to record, store, play, pause and forward wind TV programmes when they want. Essentially, the technology allows for much more personalised TV. They are also being built-in to high-definition TV sets, which are big business in Japan and the US, but slower to take off in Europe because of the lack of high-definition programming. Not only can people forward wind through adverts, they can also forget about abiding by network and channel schedules, putting together their own a-la-carte entertainment. But some US networks and cable and satellite companies are worried about what it means for them in terms of advertising revenues as well as "brand identity" and viewer loyalty to channels. Although the US leads in this technology at the moment, it is also a concern that is being raised in Europe, particularly with the growing uptake of services like Sky+. "What happens here today, we will see in nine months to a years\' time in the UK," Adam Hume, the BBC Broadcast\'s futurologist told the BBC News website. For the likes of the BBC, there are no issues of lost advertising revenue yet. It is a more pressing issue at the moment for commercial UK broadcasters, but brand loyalty is important for everyone. "We will be talking more about content brands rather than network brands," said Tim Hanlon, from brand communications firm Starcom MediaVest. "The reality is that with broadband connections, anybody can be the producer of content." He added: "The challenge now is that it is hard to promote a programme with so much choice." What this means, said Stacey Jolna, senior vice president of TV Guide TV group, is that the way people find the content they want to watch has to be simplified for TV viewers. It means that networks, in US terms, or channels could take a leaf out of Google\'s book and be the search engine of the future, instead of the scheduler to help people find what they want to watch. This kind of channel model might work for the younger iPod generation which is used to taking control of their gadgets and what they play on them. But it might not suit everyone, the panel recognised. Older generations are more comfortable with familiar schedules and channel brands because they know what they are getting. They perhaps do not want so much of the choice put into their hands, Mr Hanlon suggested. "On the other end, you have the kids just out of diapers who are pushing buttons already - everything is possible and available to them," said Mr Hanlon. "Ultimately, the consumer will tell the market they want." Of the 50,000 new gadgets and technologies being showcased at CES, many of them are about enhancing the TV-watching experience. High-definition TV sets are everywhere and many new models of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs have been launched with DVR capability built into them, instead of being external boxes. One such example launched at the show is Humax\'s 26-inch LCD TV with an 80-hour TiVo DVR and DVD recorder. One of the US\'s biggest satellite TV companies, DirectTV, has even launched its own branded DVR at the show with 100-hours of recording capability, instant replay, and a search function. The set can pause and rewind TV for up to 90 hours. And Microsoft chief Bill Gates announced in his pre-show keynote speech a partnership with TiVo, called TiVoToGo, which means people can play recorded programmes on Windows PCs and mobile devices. All these reflect the increasing trend of freeing up multimedia so that people can watch what they want, when they want. More power to the people says HP The digital revolution is focused on letting people tell and share their own stories, according to Carly Fiorina, chief of technology giant Hewlett Packard. The job of firms such as HP now, she said in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was to ensure digital and physical worlds fully converged. She said the goal for 2005 was to make people the centre of technology. CES showcases 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005. The tech-fest, the largest of its kind in the world, runs from 6 to 9 January. "The digital revolution is about the democratisation of technology and the experiences it makes possible," she told delegates. "Revolution has always been about giving power to the people." She added: "The real story of the digital revolution is not just new products, but the millions of experiences made possible and stories that millions can tell." Part of giving people more control has been about the freeing up of content, such as images, video and music. Crucial to this has been the effort to make devices that speak to each other better so that content can be more easily transferred from one device, such as a digital camera, to others, such as portable media players. A lot of work still needs to be done, however, to sort out compatibility issues and standards within the technology industry so that gadgets just work seamlessly, she said. Ms Fiorina\'s talk also touted the way technology is being designed to focus on lifestyle, fashion and personalisation, something she sees as key to what people want. Special guest, singer Gwen Stefani, joined her on-stage to promote her own range of HP digital cameras which Ms Stefani has helped design and which are heavily influenced by Japanese youth culture. The digital cameras, which are due to go on sale in the US by the summer, are based on the HP 607 model. The emphasis on personalisation and lifestyle is a big theme at this year\'s CES, with tiny, wearable MP3 players at every turn and rainbow hues giving colour to everything. Ms Fiorina also announced that HP was working with Nokia to launch a visual radio service for mobiles, which would launch in Europe early this year. The service will let people listen to radio on their mobiles and download relevant content, like a track\'s ringtone, simultaneously. The service is designed to make mobile radio more interactive. Among the other new products she showcased was the Digital Media Hub, a big upgrade to HP\'s Digital Entertainment Centre. Coming out in the autumn in the US, the box is a networked, high-definition TV, cable set-top box, digital video recorder and DVD recorder. It has a removable hard drive cartridge, memory card slots, and Light Scribe labelling software which lets people design and print customised DVD labels and covers. It is designed to contain all a household\'s digital media, such as pre-recorded TV shows, pictures, videos and music so it can all be managed in one place. The hub reflects the increasing move to re-box the PC so that it can work as part of other key centres of entertainment. Research suggests that about 258 million images are saved and shared every day, equating to 94 billion a year. Eighty per cent of those remain on cameras. Media hubs are designed to encourage people to organise them on one box. Ms Fiorina was one of several keynote speakers, who also included Microsoft chief Bill Gates, to set out what major technology companies think people will be doing with technologies and gadgets in the next 12 months. In a separate announcement during the keynote speech, Ms Fiorina said that HP would be partnering MTV to replace this year\'s MTV Asia music award. MTV\'s Asia Aid will be held in Bangkok on 3 February, and is aimed at helping to raise money for the Asian tsunami disaster. Robotic pods take on car design A new breed of wearable robotic vehicles that envelop drivers are being developed by Japanese car giant Toyota. The company\'s vision for the single passenger in the 21st Century involves the driver cruising by in a four-wheeled leaf-like device or strolling along encased in an egg-shaped cocoon that walks upright on two feet. Both these prototypes will be demonstrated, along with other concept vehicles and helper robots, at the Toyota stand at the Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, in March 2005. The models are being positioned as so-called personal mobility devices, which have few limits. The open leaf-like "i-unit" vehicle is the latest version of the concept which the company introduced last year. Built using environmentally friendly plant-based materials, the single passenger unit is equipped with intelligent transport system technologies that allow for safe autopilot driving in specially equipped lanes. The model allows the user to make tight on-the-spot turns, move upright amongst other people at low speeds and can be easily switched into a reclining position at higher speeds. Body colours can be customized to suit individual preferences and a personal recognition system offers both information and music. Also on display at the show will be the egg-shaped "i-foot". This is a two-legged mountable robot like device that can be controlled with a joystick. Standing at a height of well over seven feet (2.1 metres), the unit can walk along at a speed of about 1.35km/h (0.83mph) and navigate staircases into the bargain. Mounting and dismounting is accomplished with the aid of the bird-like legs that bend over backwards. "They are clearly what we call concept vehicles, innovative ideas which have yet to be transformed into potential products and which are a few years away from actual production," said Dr David Gillingwater from the Transport Studies Group at Loughborough University. "They clearly have eye-catching appeal, which is in part the name of the game here, and are linked to the iMac and iPod-type niche which Apple have been responsible for developing and leading in recent years - new, different, hi-tech, image conscious products. "As always with these concept vehicles, it is difficult to see \'who\' they would appeal to and what their role would be in the \'personal transport\' marketplace." The personal transport arena is taking on a new dimension though with futuristic devices that augment human capabilities. Toyota\'s prototypes represent the latest incarnation of wearable exoskeletons in a vehicular form that is specially focused on transport. Powered robotic exoskeletons have been the focus of much US military research over the years and Japan seems to have jumped onto the bandwagon with a wave of products being developed for specific applications. With an emerging range of devices targeted towards the ageing world population, care giving and the military, wearable exoskeletons seem to represent a new line of future technologies that meet an individual\'s particular mobility needs. While Toyota\'s prototypes are geared towards mass transport, the company says that the vehicles will allow the elderly and the disabled to achieve independent mobility. Experts, though, are a bit sceptical of their acceptance in this area. "Those with arguably the greatest needs for this sort of assistance, now and certainly in the future, are the elderly and infirm people," Dr Gillingwater told the BBC News website. "You have to ask whether these sorts of vehicles will appeal to these groups." Design considerations also exist. Dr Erel Avineri, of the Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England in Bristol said: "The design of the introduced mobility devices is not completely adjusted to the specific needs of the elderly and the disabled. "For example, one problem that many older passengers experience is limited ability to rotate the neck and upper body, making it difficult to look to the side and back when backing up. "It looks like the visual design of the device interior does not consider this need. This and other human-factors related issues in the design of such devices are not the only issues that should be considered," said Dr Avineri. "In general, introducing a new technology requires the passenger to change behaviour patterns that have served the older passenger for decades. Elderly users might not necessarily accept such innovation. "This may be another barrier to the commercial success of such a vehicle." Such single-person vehicles may find a relatively small market niche and may be more suited towards specialised applications rather than revolutionising the face of mass transport. "The concept of personal mobility behind these sorts of innovations is great but they beg a huge number of questions," said Dr Gillingwater. "What\'s their range? How user-friendly will they really be? What infrastructure will be required to allow these vehicles to be used. "Overall I think these vehicles pose a number of important questions than provide answers or solutions." Gamers snap up new Sony PSP Gamers have bought almost all of the first batch of Sony\'s new PlayStation Portable (PSP) games console, which went on sale in Japan on Sunday. Thousands of people queued for hours to get hold of one of the 200,000 PSPs which were shipped to retailers. The handheld console can play games, music and movies and goes on sale in Europe and North America next year. Despite the demand Sony said it would not increase the 500,000-strong stock of PSPs it plans to ship by year\'s end. Sony says it intends to ship three million of the consoles by March 2005. The company is hoping to challenge the dominance of Nintendo in the handheld market. Nintendo released its new DS console earlier this year and has already raised shipment targets for the device by 40%. The PSP is selling in Japan for 19,800 yen ($188; £98) while Nintendo\'s DS console sells in the US and Japan for $150 (£78). Nintendo\'s goal is to ship 5 million of its new Nintendo DS handheld consoles by March 2005. Set your television to wow Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient. After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers\' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound. But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images. Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public\'s attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition. In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services. In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC\'s high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits. Hollywood to sue net film pirates The US movie industry has launched legal action to sue people who facilitate illegal film downloading. The Motion Picture Association of America wants to stop people using the program BitTorrent to swap movies. The industry is targeting people who run websites which provide information and internet links to movies which have been copied or filmed in cinemas. More than 100 server operators have been targeted in the actions launched in the US and UK, the MPAA added. The suits were filed against users of the file-sharing programs BitTorrent, eDonkey and DirectConnect in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Finland and the Netherlands, the MPAA said. BitTorrent users can download movies by following a link to files which are found on websites called trackers. Unlike most peer-to-peer programs BitTorrent works by sharing a file, which could be anything from a legitimate digital photo to a copied movie, among multiple users at the same time. The movie industry hopes that suing the people who run the trackers will cut BitTorrent users off from illegal movies at source. Last month major film studios started legal action against 200 individuals who were swapping films online. The growth in broadband has made it quicker for people to download movies and the industry fears that if it does not take action now, it could suffer the same downturn as the music industry. The gaming world in 2005 If you have finished Doom 3, Half Life 2 and Halo 2, don\'t worry. There\'s a host of gaming gems set for release in 2005. WORLD OF WARCRAFT The US reception to this game from developers Blizzard has been hugely enthusiastic, with the title topping its competitors in the area of life-eating, high-fantasy, massively multiplayer role-player gaming. Solid, diverse, accessible and visually striking, it may well open up the genre like never before. If nothing else, it will develop a vast and loyal community. Released 25 February on PC. ICO 2 (WORKING TITLE) Ico remains a benchmark for PS2 gaming, a title that took players into a uniquely atmospheric and artistic world of adventure. The (spiritual) sequel has visuals that echo those of the original, but promises to expand the Ico world, with hero Wanda taking on a series of giants. The other known working title is Wanda And Colossus. Release date to be confirmed on PS2. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA The charismatic cel imagery has been scrapped in favour of a dark, detailed aesthetic (realism isn\'t quite the right word) that connects more with Ocarina Of Time. Link resumes his more teenage incarnation too, though enemies, elements and moves look familiar from the impressive trailer that has been released. Horseback adventuring across a vast land is promised. Release date to be confirmed on GameCube. ADVANCE WARS DS The UK Nintendo DS launch line-up is still to be confirmed at time of writing, but titles that exploit its two-screen and touch capacity, like WarioWare Touched! and Sega\'s Feel The Magic, are making a strong impression in other territories. Personally, I can\'t wait for the latest Advance Wars, the franchise that has been the icing on the cake of Nintendo handheld gaming during the past few years. Release date to be confirmed on DS. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Following in the high-spec footsteps of Far Cry and Half-Life 2, this looks like the key upcoming PC first-person shooter (with role-playing elements). The fact that it is inspired in part by Andrei Tarkovsky\'s enigmatic 1979 masterpiece Stalker and set in 2012 in the disaster zone, a world of decay and mutation, makes it all the more intriguing. Released 1 March on PC. METAL GEAR SOLID: SNAKE EATER More Hideo Kojima serious stealth, featuring action in the Soviet-controlled jungle in 1964. The game see Snake having to survive on his wits in the jungle, including eating wildlife. Once again, expect cinematic cut scenes and polished production values. Released March on PS2. DEAD OR ALIVE ULTIMATE Tecmo\'s Team Ninja are back with retooled and revamped versions of Dead Or Alive 1 and 2. Here\'s the big, big deal though - they\'re playable over Xbox Live. Released 11 March on Xbox. KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC II Looks set to build on the acclaimed original Star Wars role playing game with new characters, new Force powers and a new set of moral decisions, despite a different developer. Released 11 February on Xbox and PC. Video phone help for deaf people Deaf people who prefer to communicate using British Sign Language (BSL) could soon be having their phone conversations relayed using webcams or videophones and an interpreter. The Video Relay Service is being piloted by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), but the organisation says unless the service is provided at the same rate as voice calls it will be beyond most people\'s pockets. The RNID is urging telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to reduce the cost of the service from the current £7.00 per minute and make it the same as ordinary phone calls. The service works by putting a deaf person in visual contact with a BSL interpreter via a webcam or video phone, and the interpreter then relays the deaf person\'s conversation using a telephone and translates the other person\'s response into sign language. For many deaf people, especially those born deaf, BSL is a first and preferred means of communication. Until now, the only alternative has been to use textphones which means having to type a message and have it relayed via an operator. "In the past, I\'ve used textphones but they have problems," said Robert Currington who is taking part in the pilot. "I communicate in BSL; my written English is not very good and it takes me longer to think in English and type my message." "I sometimes find it difficult to understand the reply." The RNID says the UK is lagging behind other countries which are already making relay services available at the cost of an ordinary phone call. "There are no technical or economic reasons for not providing equivalent access to services for deaf people," said RNID technology director, Guido Gybels. "In the US and Australia, sign language relay services have already been made universally available at the same cost as a voice call. "By failing to provide and fund the video relay service for sign language users, the telecommunications sector is effectively discriminating against an already disenfranchised group." Ofcom says it has plans to review the services that telecoms companies are obliged to provide early next year. And new technology, including the Video Relay Service, will be discussed with interested parties in the near future. But a spokesman said its powers were limited by legislation. "Any proposals to extend existing arrangements to cover new services would be for government to consider," he said. Mr Currington, like many of the UK\'s 70,000 BSL users, will be hoping that a way can be found to make a cost-effective service available. "The relay service makes phone conversations a pleasure," he said. "I can show my emotions more easily in BSL in the same way hearing people express emotions through voice calls." EU software patent law delayed Controversial new EU rules for the patenting of computer-based inventions have been put on hold due to a last minute intervention from Poland. Poland - a large and therefore crucial EU member - has requested more time to consider the issue, especially as it relates to the patenting of software. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small, innovative ones. They say it could have massive ramifications for developments such as open source software. Polish ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes the patenting of software. The planned law has ignited angry debate about whether the EU should allow the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods as currently happens in the US. So, for instance, US-based Amazon.com holds a patent on \'one-click shopping\'. Critics claim the law, which the EU says is needed to harmonise with the US, is little more than a law on ideas. "Patent rights, it is claimed, protect inventors but in this case it is exclusively the interests of the big companies that are protected," Eva Lichtenberg, a Austrian Green member of the European Parliament said in a statement. "Smaller, innovative firms cannot afford the patenting and legal costs that the directive would inflict on them," she added. The European Parliament has already clashed with the European Union on the issue and there have been accusations that the process to decide the issue has been undemocratic. The directive has been subject to several previous delays. Broadband steams ahead in the US More and more Americans are joining the internet\'s fast lane, according to official figures. The number of people and business connected to broadband jumped by 38% in a year, said the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a report, it said there were more than 32 million broadband connections by the end of June 2004. But the US is still behind compared to other nations, ranked 13th in the world by a UN telecoms body. During his 2004 re-election campaign, President George W Bush pledge to ensure that affordable high-speed net access would be available to all Americans by 2007. According to the report by the FCC, broadband is becoming increasingly popular, with people using it for research and shopping, as well as downloading music and watching video. The total number of people and businesses on broadband rose by to 32.5 million in the year ending June 2004, compared to 23.5 million in June 2003. Whereas in the UK, most people hook up to broadband via Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology which lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. But in the US, cable leads the way, accounting for 18.6 million lines. Broadband over the phone line makes up 11.4 million connections, according to the FCC figures. Napster offers rented music to go Music downloading, for those that have rejected the free peer to peer services, can be a costly business. The cost of paying even as little as 70p per track can add up, particularly for those people who own one of the new generation of players that can store thousands of songs. Paying per track for music is becoming as outmoded as paying per minute for internet access and alternative monthly or yearly subscription models are springing up as a more convenient, and ultimately cheaper way of owning music. "Music fans are moving away from buying the traditional bundled package of a dozen or more songs that we used to call an album to newer ways that fit their lifestyle; either single tracks or subscriptions services," said Paul Myers, chief executive of Wippit, a UK-based music download service. While iTunes is doing good business with its sales of individual tracks to iPod owners, others are questioning whether the concept of owning music is even valid in the digital age. Napster is due to launch a new rental subscription service - dubbed Napster to Go in the UK in the next few months. The service can be used on players that support Microsoft Windows latest Digital Rights Management technology known as Janus. This includes players made by Samsung, Rio and Creative. Currently on offer in beta-version in the US, the service costs $15 per month for unlimited downloads. The technology ensures that music downloaded to the player only remains playable while the user subscribes to the service. Users need to update their license on a monthly basis or the tunes will no longer play. This has outraged some digital music lovers, especially as Napster already offers a cheaper service for downloading music to the PC. Napster claims the higher price is a result of record labels charging more for the to-go service and says it also offers "greater value" for customers. Mr Myers is not convinced a rental model will work for consumers. "We\'ve been offering our unlimited music subscription service for more than three years now and our customers know what they want. Format interoperability, excellent value and the reassurance that music purchased from Wippit is theirs to keep and enjoy on whatever device they choose," he said. "Who wants to download a track that won\'t play next month if you decide to unsubscribe to the service or change portable player for an iPod or the latest mobile phone?" Wippit offers a download subscription service for £4.99 per month or £50 per year. It has a catalogue of around 60,000 songs. EA to take on film and TV giants Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says it wants to become the biggest entertainment firm in the world. The US firm says it wants to compete with companies such as Disney and will only achieve this by making games appeal to mainstream audiences. EA publishes blockbuster titles such as Fifa and John Madden, as well as video game versions of movies such as Harry Potter and the James Bond films. Its revenues were $3bn (£1.65bn) in 2004, which EA hoped to double by 2009. EA is the biggest games publisher in the world and in 2004 had 27 titles which sold in excess of one million copies each. Nine of the 20 biggest-selling games in the UK last year were published by EA. Gerhard Florin, EA\'s managing director for European publishing, said: "Doubling our industry in five years is not rocket science." He said it would take many years before EA could challenge Disney - which in 2004 reported revenues of $30bn (£16bn) - but it remained a goal for the company. "We will be able to bring more people into gaming because games will be more emotional." Mr Florin predicted that the next round of games console would give developers enough power to create real emotion. "It\'s the subtleties, the eyes, the mouth - 5,000 polygons doesn\'t really sell the emotion. "With PS3 and Xbox 2, we can go on the main character with 30,000 to 50,000 polygons," he said. "With that increased firepower, the Finding Nemo video game looks just like the movie, but it will be interactive." Mr Florin said that more than 50% of all EA\'s games were sold to adults and played by adults, but the perception remained that the video game industry was for children. "Our goal is to bring games to the masses which bring out emotions." EA said the video game industry was now bigger than the music industry. "Nobody queues for music anymore." "You can\'t ignore an industry when people queue to buy a game at midnight because they are so desperate to play it," he said, referring to demand for titles for such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2. Jan Bolz, EA\'s vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, said the firm was working to give video games a more central role in popular culture. He said the company was in advanced stages of discussions over a reality TV show in which viewers could control the actions of the characters as in its popular game The Sims. "One idea could be that you\'re controlling a family, telling them when to go to the kitchen and when to go to the bedroom, and with this mechanism you have gamers all over the world \'playing the show\'," said Mr Bolz. He also said EA was planning an international awards show "similar to the Oscars and the Grammys" which would combine video games, music and movies. Mr Bolz said video games firm had to work more closely with celebrities. "People will want to play video games if their heroes like Robbie Williams or Christina Aguilera are in them." Mr Florin said the challenge was to keep people playing in their 30s, 40s and 50s. "There\'s an indication that a 30 year old comes home from work and still wants to play games. "If that\'s true, that\'s a big challenge for TV broadcasters - because watching TV is the biggest pastime at present." Dublin hi-tech labs to shut down Dublin\'s hi-tech research laboratory, Media Labs Europe, is to shut down. The research centre, which was started by the Irish government and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a hotbed for technology concepts. Since its opening in 2000, the centre has developed ideas, such as implants for teeth, and also aimed to be a digital hub for start-ups in the area. The centre was supposed to be self-funded, but has failed to attract the private cash injection it needs. In a statement, Media Labs Europe said the decision to close was taken because neither the Irish Government nor the prestigious US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was willing to fund it. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern had wanted to the centre to become a big draw for smaller hi-tech companies, in an attempt to regenerate the area. About three dozen small firms were attracted to the area, but it is thought the effects of the dot.com recession damaged the Labs\' long-term survival. The Labs needed about 10 million euros (US$13 million) a year from corporate sponsors to survive. "In the end, it was too deep and too long a recession," said Simon Jones, the Labs\' managing director. Ian Pearson, BT\'s futurologist, told the BBC News website that the closure was a "real shame". BT was just one of the companies that had worked with the Labs, looking at RFID tag developments and video conferencing. "There were a lot of very talented, creative people there and they came up with some great ideas that were helping to ensure greater benefits of technology for society. "I have no doubt that the individuals will be quickly snapped up by other research labs, but the synergies from them working as a team will be lost." Noel Dempsey, the government\'s communications minister, said Mr Ahern had been "very committed" to the project. "He is, I know, very disappointed it has come to this. At the time it seemed to be the right thing to do," he said. "Unfortunately the model is not a sustainable one in the current climate." During its five years, innovative and some unusual ideas for technologies were developed. In recent months, 14 patent applications had been filed by the Labs. Many concepts fed into science, engineering, and psychology as well as technology, but it is thought too few of the ideas were commercially viable in the near-term. Several research teams explored how which humans could react with technologies in ways which were entirely different. The Human Connectedness group, for example, developed the iBand, a bracelet which stored and exchanged information about you and your relationships. This information could be beamed to another wearer when two people shook hands. Other projects looked at using other human senses, like touch, to interact with devoices which could be embedded in the environment, or on the body itself. One project examined how brainwaves could directly control a computer game. The Labs, set up in an old Guinness brewery, housed around 100 people, made up of staff, researchers, students, collaborators and part-time undergraduate students. It is thought more than 50 people will lose their jobs when the Labs close on 1 February. According to its latest accounts, Media Lab Europe said it spent 8.16 million euros (about US$10.6 million) in 2003 and raised just 2.56 million euros (US$3.3 million). Peer-to-peer nets \'here to stay\' Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts. Once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year, firms will be very keen to try and make money from P2P technology. The expert panel probed the future of P2P at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in January. The first convictions for P2P piracy were handed out in the US in January. William Trowbridge and Michael Chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. Since the first successful file-sharing network Napster was forced to close down, the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of P2P technology, blaming it for falling sales and piracy. But that is going to change very soon, according to the panel. The music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate P2P networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. But they have slowly realised that P2P is a good way to distribute content, said Travis Kalanick, founder and chairman of P2P network Red Swoosh, and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. They are just waiting to come up with "business models" that work for them, which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards. But, until the legal actions are resolved, experimentation with P2P cannot not happen, said Michael Weiss, president of StreamCast Networks. Remembering the furore around VCRs when they first came out, Mr Weiss said: "Old media always tries to stop new media. "When they can\'t stop it, they try to control it. Then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money." Once the courts decided that the VCR in itself was not an illegal technology, the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. In August 2004, the San Francisco-based US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Grokster and StreamCast, two file-sharing networks. The court said they were essentially in the same position that Sony was in the 1980s VCR battle, and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal. P2P networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. Instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. There are now many different types of P2P systems than work in different ways. P2P nets can be used to share any kind of file, like photos, free software, licensed music and any other digital content. The BBC has already decided to embrace the technology. It aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use P2P technology to distribute them. The files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. But the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. The global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month, and about half a million films are downloaded a day. Legal music download services, like Apple iTunes, Napster, have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. Sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months, the IFPI reported this week. But such download services are very different from P2P networks, not least because of the financial aspect. There are several money-spinning models that could turn P2P into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. Paid-for-pass-along, in which firms receive money each time a file is shared, along with various DRM solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered. "We see there are going to be different models for commoditising P2P," said Marc Morgenstern, vice president of anti-piracy firm Overpeer. "Consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together," agreed Mr Morgenstern. But many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry\'s potential controlling grip on content and P2P technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. Unsigned bands, for example, use P2P networks to distribute their music effectively, which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign. "Increasingly, what you are seeing on P2P is consumer-created content," said Derek Broes, from Microsoft. "They will probably pay an increasing role in helping P2P spread," he said. Looking into P2P\'s future, file sharing is just the beginning for P2P networks, as far as Mr Broes is concerned. "Once some of these issues are resolved, you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content, but also in ways that are unimaginable now," he said. "File-sharing is the tip of the iceberg." Big war games battle it out The arrival of new titles in the popular Medal Of Honor and Call of Duty franchises leaves fans of wartime battle titles spoilt for choice. The acclaimed PC title Call of Duty has been updated for console formats, building on many of the original\'s elements. For its part, the long-running Medal of Honor series has added Pacific Assault to its PC catalogue, adapting the console game Rising Sun. Call of Duty: Finest Hour casts you as a succession of allied soldiers fighting on World War 2 battlefronts including Russia and North Africa. It is a traditional first-person-viewed game that lets you control just one character, in the midst of a unit where cohorts constantly bark orders at you. On a near-identical note, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault does all it can to make you feel part of a tight-knit team and plum in the middle of all-out action. Its arenas are the war\'s Pacific battles, including Guadalcanal and Pearl Harbour. You play one character throughout, a raw and rather talkative US soldier. Both games rely on a carefully stage-managed structure that keeps things ticking along. When this works, it is a brilliant device to make you feel part of a story. When it does not, it is tedious. A winning moment is an early scene in Pacific Assault, where you come under attack at the famous US base in Hawaii. You are first ushered into a gunboat attacking the incoming waves of Japanese planes, then made to descend into a sinking battleship to rescue crewman, before seizing the anti-aircraft guns. It is one of the finest set-pieces ever seen in a video game. This notion of shuffling the player along a studiously pre-determined path, forcibly witnessing a series of pre-set moments of action, is a perilous business which can make the whole affair feel stilted rather than organic. The genius of something like Half Life 2 is that it skilfully disguises its linear plotting by various means of misdirection. This pair of games do not really accomplish that, being more concerned with imparting a full-on atmospheric experience. Call of Duty comes with a suitably bombastic score and overblown presentation. Finest Hour has a similar determination, framing everything in moody wartime music, archive footage and lots of reflective voice-overs. Letting you play a number of different roles is an interesting ploy that adds new dimensions to the Call of Duty endeavour, even if it sacrifices the narrative flow somewhat. The game\'s drawback could be said to be its format; tastes differ, but these wartime shooters often do seem to work better on PC. The mouse control is a big reason why, along with the sharper graphics a top-end computer can muster and the apparent notion that PC games are allowed to get away with a bit more subtlety. Call of Duty on PC was more detailed, plot-wise and graphically, and this new adaptation feels a little rough and ready. Targeting with the PS2 controller proved tricky, not helped by unconvincing collision-detection. You can shoot an enemy repeatedly with zero question as to your aim, yet the bullets will just refuse to hit him. Checkpoints are so few and far between that when you get shot, which happens regularly, you are set harshly far back, and will find yourself covering vast tracts of scorched earth again and again. The game wants to be a challenge, and is, and many players will like it for that. It is as dynamic a battlefield simulator as you will experience and even if it is not as refined as its PC parent, the sense of being part of the action is thoroughly impressive. Both of these games feature military colleagues who are disturbingly bad shots and prone to odd behaviour. And in Pacific Assault in particular, their commands and comments are irritatingly meaningless. But the teamwork element in titles like this is superficial, designed to add atmosphere and camaraderie rather than affect the gameplay mechanics at all. Of the two games, Pacific Assault gets more things right, including little points like auto-saving intelligently and having tidier presentation. It engages you very well and also looks wonderful, making the most of the lush tropical settings that are reminiscent of the glorious Far Cry, although we had to ramp up the settings on a high-spec machine to get the most out of them. Finest Hour is by no means bad, and it is only because the PC original was so dazzling that this version sometimes feels underwhelming. Those looking for a wartime game with plenty of atmosphere and a hearty abundance of enemies to shoot will be contented. But they will also have a niggling puzzlement as to why it does not break a little more ground rather then just being competent. More power to the people says HP The digital revolution is focused on letting people tell and share their own stories, according to Carly Fiorina, chief of technology giant Hewlett Packard. The job of firms such as HP now, she said in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was to ensure digital and physical worlds fully converged. She said the goal for 2005 was to make people the centre of technology. CES showcases 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005. The tech-fest, the largest of its kind in the world, runs from 6 to 9 January. "The digital revolution is about the democratisation of technology and the experiences it makes possible," she told delegates. "Revolution has always been about giving power to the people." She added: "The real story of the digital revolution is not just new products, but the millions of experiences made possible and stories that millions can tell." Part of giving people more control has been about the freeing up of content, such as images, video and music. Crucial to this has been the effort to make devices that speak to each other better so that content can be more easily transferred from one device, such as a digital camera, to others, such as portable media players. A lot of work still needs to be done, however, to sort out compatibility issues and standards within the technology industry so that gadgets just work seamlessly, she said. Ms Fiorina\'s talk also touted the way technology is being designed to focus on lifestyle, fashion and personalisation, something she sees as key to what people want. Special guest, singer Gwen Stefani, joined her on-stage to promote her own range of HP digital cameras which Ms Stefani has helped design and which are heavily influenced by Japanese youth culture. The digital cameras, which are due to go on sale in the US by the summer, are based on the HP 607 model. The emphasis on personalisation and lifestyle is a big theme at this year\'s CES, with tiny, wearable MP3 players at every turn and rainbow hues giving colour to everything. Ms Fiorina also announced that HP was working with Nokia to launch a visual radio service for mobiles, which would launch in Europe early this year. The service will let people listen to radio on their mobiles and download relevant content, like a track\'s ringtone, simultaneously. The service is designed to make mobile radio more interactive. Among the other new products she showcased was the Digital Media Hub, a big upgrade to HP\'s Digital Entertainment Centre. Coming out in the autumn in the US, the box is a networked, high-definition TV, cable set-top box, digital video recorder and DVD recorder. It has a removable hard drive cartridge, memory card slots, and Light Scribe labelling software which lets people design and print customised DVD labels and covers. It is designed to contain all a household\'s digital media, such as pre-recorded TV shows, pictures, videos and music so it can all be managed in one place. The hub reflects the increasing move to re-box the PC so that it can work as part of other key centres of entertainment. Research suggests that about 258 million images are saved and shared every day, equating to 94 billion a year. Eighty per cent of those remain on cameras. Media hubs are designed to encourage people to organise them on one box. Ms Fiorina was one of several keynote speakers, who also included Microsoft chief Bill Gates, to set out what major technology companies think people will be doing with technologies and gadgets in the next 12 months. In a separate announcement during the keynote speech, Ms Fiorina said that HP would be partnering MTV to replace this year\'s MTV Asia music award. MTV\'s Asia Aid will be held in Bangkok on 3 February, and is aimed at helping to raise money for the Asian tsunami disaster. Gadget market \'to grow in 2005\' The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world\'s largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%, while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important. "Everything is going digital," Kirsten Pfeifer from the Consumer Electronics Association, told the BBC News website. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured the pick of 2005\'s products. "Consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like HDTVs [high-definition TVs], digital radio, and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005. "All the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry." Despite showing diversity, some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much "wow factor" as in previous years. The portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of CES, which was the "time and place shifting" of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere, at any time. At the start of last year\'s CES, the CEA predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. That figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players, personal video recorders and digital cameras. It was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice, with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. Part of this has been the rise in spending power of the "generation X-ers" who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. More than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers, according to CEA research. Hybrid devices, which combine a number of multimedia functions, were also in evidence on the show floor. "A lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it," said Stephen Baker, a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. "Some of these functions cost next to nothing to add." As well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable MP3 players to giant high-definition TVs, several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders, such as Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Despite several embarrassing technical glitches during Mr Gate\'s pre-show speech, he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the US market. He unveiled new ways of letting people take TV shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. He disappointed some, however, by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the Xbox games console. Another disappointment was the lack of exposure Sony\'s new portable games device, the PSP, had at the show. Sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in March for the US and Europe. It went on sale in Japan before Christmas. There were only two PSPs embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. A Sony representative told the BBC News website this was because Sony did not consider it to be part of their "consumer technology" offering. Elsewhere at the show, there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens, including Samsung\'s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. Industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005, with new formats for DVDs coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional DVDs. With so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage, like Seagate\'s 5GB pocket sized external hard drive, which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. More than 120,000 trade professionals attended CES in Las Vegas, which officially ran from 6 to 9 January. Napster offers rented music to go Music downloading, for those that have rejected the free peer to peer services, can be a costly business. The cost of paying even as little as 70p per track can add up, particularly for those people who own one of the new generation of players that can store thousands of songs. Paying per track for music is becoming as outmoded as paying per minute for internet access and alternative monthly or yearly subscription models are springing up as a more convenient, and ultimately cheaper way of owning music. "Music fans are moving away from buying the traditional bundled package of a dozen or more songs that we used to call an album to newer ways that fit their lifestyle; either single tracks or subscriptions services," said Paul Myers, chief executive of Wippit, a UK-based music download service. While iTunes is doing good business with its sales of individual tracks to iPod owners, others are questioning whether the concept of owning music is even valid in the digital age. Napster is due to launch a new rental subscription service - dubbed Napster to Go in the UK in the next few months. The service can be used on players that support Microsoft Windows latest Digital Rights Management technology known as Janus. This includes players made by Samsung, Rio and Creative. Currently on offer in beta-version in the US, the service costs $15 per month for unlimited downloads. The technology ensures that music downloaded to the player only remains playable while the user subscribes to the service. Users need to update their license on a monthly basis or the tunes will no longer play. This has outraged some digital music lovers, especially as Napster already offers a cheaper service for downloading music to the PC. Napster claims the higher price is a result of record labels charging more for the to-go service and says it also offers "greater value" for customers. Mr Myers is not convinced a rental model will work for consumers. "We\'ve been offering our unlimited music subscription service for more than three years now and our customers know what they want. Format interoperability, excellent value and the reassurance that music purchased from Wippit is theirs to keep and enjoy on whatever device they choose," he said. "Who wants to download a track that won\'t play next month if you decide to unsubscribe to the service or change portable player for an iPod or the latest mobile phone?" Wippit offers a download subscription service for £4.99 per month or £50 per year. It has a catalogue of around 60,000 songs. Apple Mac mini gets warm welcome The Mac mini has been welcomed by Apple fans, industry experts and PC users. The release of the tiny, low-cost machine is seen as a good move for Apple which currently has a small share of the desktop computer market. Mac watchers and some analysts say the Mac mini will go a long way to help Apple appeal to the mass of consumers. They speculate that the Mac mini will be bought by iPod owners and those wanting an easy-to-use and administer second home computer. "It\'s the bravest move they have made yet," said Jonny Evans, news editor at Macworld magazine. Mr Evans said the combination of low cost, small size and huge numbers of iPod users could make it a big success. He thought that the machine would appeal to those that like Apple technology but who before now have balked at paying high prices for its hardware. "It\'s deeply affordable," he said. "Plus you know that you do not get viruses or all of the associated problems." Already, he said, PC owning friends had declared that they would be buying one. Interest in the new products launched at Macworld expo was so strong that websites for Apple\'s store and the show struggled to cope with demand. According to response statistics gathered by Netcraft many visiting the Apple store in the wake of Mr Jobs\' speech suffered lengthy response times. The Macworld Expo site was completely overwhelmed and went offline. "I think fundamentally it\'s a good idea because it\'s cheap even for a PC," said Nick Ross, deputy labs editor at PC Pro. Apple\'s work on making things easy to use would also help the Mac mini win fans, he said. "I think people expect it just to work now and really it should," hesaid. The Mac mini could find a role in homes that need a second computer that is easy to install and administer, he said. "For browsing the web, e-mail and all kinds of basic duties it\'s going to be absolutely adequate," said Mr Ross. Ian Fogg, broadband and personal technology analyst at Jupiter Research, agreed that the Mac mini could be very popular. "Apple has been hoping that sales of the iPod will have a halo effect on the sales of the Mac," he said. Before now, he said, Apple has been seen as a premium brand. But, he said, the Mac mini changed that perception. "It\'s a particularly good price when you see that it\'s Apple that is doing it," he said. Apple expects the Mac mini to sell for £339 in the UK and $499 in the US. Adding extras such as a larger hard drive, more memory and networking options will increase the basic price. It will go on sale from 22 January. "For consumers interested in style, design and small size - which is what the majority of iPod customers are interested in - it\'s a natural next step," said Mr Fogg. Apple has traditionally done well in the market that the Mac mini is aimed at, said Mr Fogg, who also expected many PC makers to release copycat devices in reaction. His only misgivings were over how easy other consumers, other than iPod owners, would find using the machine. He said anyone wanting to use the Mac mini with the peripherals from an old computer may find it odd to have something so small and sleek next to a hulking monitor. "They\'d be much more likely to pair a Mac mini with a LCD or flat panel monitor which increases the upgrade cost," he said. Those with flat screens and LCD monitors are likely to have bought them recently and not be in the market for a new machine. There are also questions over whether the Mac mini will work with very old peripherals, such as display, keyboard and mouse. The Mac mini also fell short of being a media server that can be a video recorder as well as a store for all the digital music, movies and images people accumulate, said Mr Fogg. "The Mac mini is not quite ready for that yet," he said. "It does not have the right connectors that fit a TV screen or enough storage." Said Mr Fogg: "It\'s very much a computer." One dissenting opinion came from Brian Gammage, vice-president of research at analysts Gartner. He said: "I don\'t think it changes the world." Although the Mac mini was very cheap for an Apple computer, it was still expensive compared to many PCs. Also, he said, it appealed in categories that few consumers care about when buying a home computer. "The PC world is a pile-em-high, sell-em-cheap market," he said, "and all of them are pretty interchangeable." "Since the days when Apple ruled the personal computing world its market share has been on a long, slow decline," he said. "Every few years it does something to give its market share a kick then it starts to go back down again," said Mr Gammage. The release of the Mac mini fit perfectly with this trend, he said. Gamers could drive high-definition TV, films, and games have been gearing up for some time now for the next revolution to transform the quality of what is on our screens. It is called high-definition - HD for short - and it is already hugely popular in Japan and the US. It is set, according to analysts, to do for images what CDs did for sound. Different equipment able to receive HD signals is needed though and is expensive. But Europe\'s gamers may be the early adopters to drive demand. Europeans will have to wait until at least 2006 until they see mainstream HDTV. To view it, it needs to be transmitted in HD format, and people need special receivers and displays that can handle the high-quality resolution. The next generation of consoles, however, are expected to start appearing at the end of 2005, start of 2006. And most new computer displays and plasma sets are already capable of handling such high-resolution pictures. "In the next generation [of consoles] HD support is mandatory," Dr Mark Tuffy games systems director at digital content firm THX told the BBC News website. "Every game is going to be playable in HD. "So consumers who have gone out and spent all this money on HDTVs, and who have no content to watch, are going to be blown away by these really high-detail pictures. "It\'s going to change really the way they look at gaming." At the end of last year, Chris Deering, Sony\'s European president, made a prediction that 20 million European households would have HDTV sets by 2008. A previous prediction from analysts Datamonitor put the figure at 4.6 million by 2008, an increase from an estimated 50,000 sets at the end of 2003. But those in Europe may see little point in buying what is quite an expensive bit of technology - about £2,000 - if there are few programmes or films to watch on them. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006 and the BBC intends to produce all of its content in HD by 2010. Until broadcast rights, format standards - and the practicalities of updating equipment - are agreed, TV content will be limited. All TV images are made up of pixels which go across the screen, and scan lines which go down the screen. Most standard UK TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. HD offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. This means the picture is up to six times as sharp as standard TV. "Probably, in the UK [gaming] is going to be the only thing you are going to really be able to show off, as in \'look what this TV can do\', until HD is really adopted by broadcasters," explains Dr Tuffy. But gamers are also the ideal target audience for HD because they always crave better quality graphics, and more immersive gaming experiences. They are used to spending money on hardware to match a game\'s requirements. Demographics have changed too and the "sweet spot" for the games industry is the gamer in his or her late 20s. This means they are likely to have higher disposable incomes and can afford the price of big-screen, high-definition display technologies and HD projectors, earlier than others. Higher capacity storage discs, such as HD-DVD and blue-ray , are set to be standard in the next round of games consoles - allowing developers more room for detailed graphics. For console developers though, HD offers some production changes. It could make games production slightly more expensive, thinks Dr Tuffy. "But we may see the cross-platform development of games becoming more common because they will more easily be able to take a PC game and apply it to a console," he says. "You are literally going to get to the point, with a Lord of the Rings game for example, is going to be closer and closer to the actual film, especially the CGI stuff from the DVD. "And the transition when they move from a cut scene to the game, just now they have almost got it seamless." With HD, he says, the transition will be completely seamless and the same quality as the big-screen cinema release. This could herald an increasing convergence between the film and gaming industry. But it may not be until the generation after the next games consoles where the two industries really collide. At that point, says Dr Tuffy, games could become more or less interactive movies. Web radio takes Spanish rap global Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop. Hip-hop and rap are actually quite popular in the Spanish-speaking world, but local artists are having trouble marketing their work abroad. But now, a US company is bringing rap and hip-hop en espanol to computer users everywhere. Los Caballeros de Plan G are one of Mexico\'s hottest hip-hop acts. They have a devoted fan base in their native Monterrey. But most Mexican hip-hop fans, not to mention fans in most of the Spanish-speaking world, rarely get a chance to hear the group\'s tracks on the radio. "You can\'t really just go on the radio and listen to hip-hop in Spanish... it\'s just not accessible," says Manuel Millan, a native of San Diego, California. "It\'s really hard for the Spanish hip-hop scene to get into mainstream radio. You usually have a very commercialised sound and the groups are not really known around the country or around the world." Millan and two friends set out to change that - they wanted to make groups like Los Caballeros de Plan G accessible to fans globally. Mainstream radio stations were not going to play this kind of music, and starting their own broadcast station was economically impossible. So, Millan and his friends launched a website called latinohiphopradio.com. The name says it all: it is web-based radio, devoted to the hottest Spanish language rap and hip-hop tracks. The site, which is in both in English and Spanish, is meant to be easy to navigate. All the user has to do is download a media player. There are no DJs. It is just music streamed over the net for free. Suddenly, with the help of the website, Los Caballeros de Plan G are producing "export quality" rap. The web might be just the right medium for Spanish language hip-hop right now. The genre is in what Millan calls its "infant stage". But the production values are improving, and artists such as Argentina\'s Mustafa Yoda are pushing to make it better and better. Mustafa Yoda is currently one of the hottest tracks on latinohiphopradio.com. "He\'s considered the Eminem of Argentina, and the Latin American hip-hop scene," Millan says. "He really hasn\'t had that much exposure as far as anywhere in the world, but he\'s definitely the one to look out for as far as becoming the next big thing in the Spanish-speaking world." Currently, the Chilean group Makisa is also in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10, as is Cuban artist Papo Record. "Every country\'s got it\'s own cultural differences and they try to put those into their own songs," Millan says. Latinohiphopradio.com has been up and running for a couple of months now. The site has listeners from across the Spanish speaking world. Right now, Mexico leads the way, accounting for about 50% of listeners. But web surfers in Spain are logging in as well - about 25% of the web station\'s traffic comes from there. That is not surprising as many consider Spain to be the leader in Spanish-language rap and hip-hop. Millan says that Spain is actually just behind the United States and France in terms of overall rap and hip-hop production. That might be changing, though, as more and more Latin American artists are finding audiences. But one Spaniard is still firmly in latinohiphopradio.com\'s top 10. His name is Tote King and Manuel Millan says that he is the hip-hop leader in Spain. On his track Uno Contra Veinte Emcees, or One Against 20 Emcees, Tote King shows he is well aware of that fact. "It\'s basically him bragging that he\'s one of the best emcees in Spain right now," Millan says. "And it\'s pretty much true. He has the tightest productions, and his rap flow is impeccable, it\'s amazing." Latinohiphopradio.com is hoping to expand in the coming year. Millan says they want to include more music and more news from the world of Spanish language hip-hop and rap. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production. Sony PSP console hits US in March US gamers will be able to buy Sony\'s PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for $250 (£132) and the first million sold will come with Spider-Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it\'s not a gaming device. It\'s an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. Mobiles \'not media players yet\' Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life. Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple\'s iTunes, Napster and other net music download services. With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy\'s TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report. Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe\'s Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009. Mobile audio enters new dimension As mobile phones move closer to being a ubiquitous, all-in-one media player, audio is becoming ever more important. But how good can that sound be from such a small device? The sound of a buzzing bee jumps from left to right before disappearing around the back of my head. The surround sound demo is unremarkable when heard on a multi-speaker home cinema system but startling when emerging from a small mobile phone. British firm Sonaptic is one of a number of companies to have developed 3D audio technology that emerges from stereo speakers. Firms AM3D and SRS both offer stereo-widening technology for mobile phones. But Sonaptic\'s managing director David Monteith says his firm is the only company to offer positional 3D audio on a mobile. "There are quite a few basic technologies out there, making the sound seem a bit bigger, headphones a bit nicer. "No-one has really tried before to make proper 3D positional audio - where an individual channel can be moved around." Sonaptic has been working with Japanese mobile network NTT DoCoMo to set standards for 3D audio on mobile phones. In the last few months handsets from NEC, Fujitsu and Mitsubishi have been released on to the Japanese marker which have chips produced by Yamaha and Rohm with Sonaptic\'s technology. "The technology has been around on PCs and games consoles for some time but what we are doing is making it more efficient so it can go on a small consumer device like a mobile phone," said Mr Monteith. The technology works through applying the science of psychoacoustics and grew out of medical research done by the company\'s research director Dr Alastair Sibbald. "We are basically trying to fool your ears into thinking sound is coming from areas it actually isn\'t. "Your brain uses certain bits of information which we are effectively synthesising on a mobile phone handset." The structure of the ear works as a 3D encoder for sound - helping the brain understand from where sound is emanating. Sonaptic\'s audio processing algorithms mimic that 3D encoding, giving the impression that sound is coming from the left, right, and behind a listener when in fact it is coming from a single source. Mr Montieth says: "If the sound is off to one side it will get to one ear before the other - if it is on the right it has to bend around your head to get to your left ear. "The shape of your ear causes differences in sound from one ear to the other. We are synthesising those differences." Sonaptic hopes the technology will have a big impact in the growing market of mobile gaming and music downloading. "Handhelds often have limitations - screens will be small by definition. "If you want to get impact from media you are running - either a movie, a game or watching TV - if you want it to be more immersive then our technology can help." A fishing game is the first title to use the technology, creating a 3D sound field while the gamer plays. Driving games and shoot \'em ups using the technology are in development. The technology can also be used for music - giving songs a much more expansive and immersive feel. Sonaptic offers its technology on a chip or in software and is about to release a new version which significantly improves the efficiency of the audio processing. "It\'s important we only use 10 or 15% of the processor otherwise you won\'t be able to play a game on the handset," explained Mr Montieth. The company is now looking to the US and European markets, where it has been working with network Vodafone. "We have focused first on Japan because it has a very advanced mobile phone market. "We knew Japan would be the first place to have the handsets that could use our technology. "There should be handsets out in the UK in the next six months." Apple iPod family expands market Apple has expanded its iPod family with the release of its next generation of the digital music players. Its latest challenges to the growing digital music gadget market include an iPod mini model which can hold 6GB compared to a previous 4GB. The company, which hopes to keep its dominant place in the digital music market, also said the gold coloured version of the mini would be dropped. A 30GB version has also been added to the iPod Photo family. The latest models have a longer battery life and their prices have been cut by an average of £40. The original iPod took an early lead in the digital music player market thanks to its large storage capacity and simple design. During 2004 about 25 million portable players were sold, 10 million of which were Apple iPods. But analysts agree that the success is also down to its integration with the iTunes online store, which has given the company a 70% share of the legal download music market. Mike McGuire, a research director at analyst Gartner, told the BBC News website that Apple had done a good job in "sealing off the market from competition" so far. "They have created a very seamless package which I think is the idea of the product - the design, function and the software are very impressive," he said. He added that the threat from others was always present, however. "Creative, other Microsoft-partnered devices, Real, Sony and so on, are ratcheting up the marketing message and advertising," he said. Creative was very upbeat about how many of its Creative Zen players it had shipped by the end of last year, he said. Its second-generation models, like the Creative Zen Micro Photo, is due out in the summer. It will have 5GB of memory on board. Digital music players are now the gadget of choice among young Americans, according to recent research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. One in 10 US adults - 22 million people - now owns a digital music player of some sort. Sales of legally downloaded songs also rose more than tenfold in 2004, according to the record industry, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months. The IFPI industry body said that the popularity of portable music players was behind the growth. Analysts say that the ease of use and growth of music services available on the net will continue to drive the trend towards portable music players. People are also starting to use them in novel ways. Some are combining automatic syncing functions many of them have with other net functions to automatically distribute DIY radio shows, called podcasts. But 2005 will also see more competition from mobile phone operators who are keen to offer streaming services on much more powerful and sophisticated handsets. According to Mr McGuire, research suggests that people like the idea of building up huge libraries of music, which they can do with high-capacity storage devices, like iPods and Creative Zens. Mobiles do not yet have this capacity though, and there are issues about the ease of portability of mobile music. Mr McGuire said Apple was ensuring it kept a foot in the mobile music door with its recent deal with Motorola to produce a version of iTunes for Motorola phones. US woman sues over ink cartridges A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world\'s biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK\'s Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers. Mobile networks seek turbo boost Third-generation mobile (3G) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services. That was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. Fast 3G networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. At 3GSM, Siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. The German company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3G networks. The system is not available commercially yet, but Motorola, the US mobile handset and infrastructure maker, held a clinic for mobile operators on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a high-speed, high bandwidth technology available now. Early HSDPA systems typically offer around two megabits per second (Mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) on standard 3G networks. "High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) - sometimes called Super 3G - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips," according to a report published by UK-based research consultancy Analysys. A number of companies are developing the technology. Nokia and Canada-based wireless communication products company Sierra Wireless recently agreed to work together on High Speed Downlink Packet Access. The two companies aim to jointly market the HSDPA solution to global network operator customers. "While HSDPA theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14Mbps, practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks," said Dr Alastair Brydon, author of the Analysys report: Pushing Beyond the Limits of 3G with HSDPA and Other Enhancements. "The typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which, even at this lower rate, will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic WCDMA [3G]," he added. Motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9Mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3G cell using a single HSDPA device. But some mobile operators are opting for a technology called Evolution, Data Optimised (EV-DO). US operator Sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3G network at the end of last year. We are "expanding our network and deploying EV-DO technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds," said Oliver Valente, Sprint\'s vice president for technology development, when the contract was announced. As part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year, Sprint will spend around $1bn on EV-DO technology from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and Motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second, and peak download rates of 2.4Mbps. MMO2, the UK-based operator with services in the UK, Ireland and Germany, has opted for technology based on HSDPA. Using technology from Lucent, it will offer data speeds of 3.6Mbps from next summer on its Isle of Man 3G network, and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. US operator Cingular Wireless is also adopting HSDPA, using technology from Lucent alongside equipment from Siemens and Ericsson. Siemens\' plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today, but Christoph Caselitz, president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that: "By the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015, the need for transmission capacities for voice, data, image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10." Siemens - in collaboration with the Fraunhofer German-Sino Lab for Mobile Communications and the Institute for Applied Radio System Technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae, instead of the usual one. This enables a data transmission, such as sending a big file or video, to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. The speeds offered by 3G mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3G licences. But today, instead of connecting to the internet by slow, dial-up phone connection, many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - much faster than 3G. This means users are likely to find 3G disappointing unless the networks are souped up. If they aren\'t, those lucrative "power users", such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks, reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. But one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. Siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory, it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. A commercial system could be as far away as 2012, though Siemens did not rule out an earlier date. Looks and music to drive mobiles Mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales, according to research from technology analysts Gartner. More than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally, said the report, the highest total sold to date. The figure was 30% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, Gartner said. Good design and the look of a mobile, as well as new services such as music downloads, could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005, said analysts. Although people were still looking for better replacement phones, there was evidence, according to Gartner, that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales. "All the markets grew apart from Japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western Europe," mobile analyst Carolina Milanesi told the BBC News website. "Japan is where north America and western European markets can be in a couple of years\' time. "They already have TV, music, ringtones, cameras, and all that we can think of on mobiles, so people have stopped buying replacement phones." But there could be a slight slowdown in sales in European and US markets too, according to Gartner, as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. This means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade, said Gartner. Third generation mobiles (3G) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer, like video, could drive people into upgrading their phones, but Ms Milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen. "At the end of the day, people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don\'t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical." Nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. The majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms. More likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics, as well as music services. The Motorola Razr V3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005, she added. This was not a "women\'s thing", she said, but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. It was not just about how the phone functioned, but about what it said about its owner. "Western Europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design," said Ms Milanesi. "People are after something that is nice-looking, and together with that, there is the entertainment side. "This year music will have a part to play in this." The market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004, but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£94 million) by 2009, according to Juniper Research. Sony Ericsson just released its Walkman branded mobile phone, the W800, which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours\' battery life, and a two megapixel camera. In July last year, Motorola and Apple announced a version of iTunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with Motorola mobile phones. Apple said the new iTunes music player would become Motorola\'s standard music application for its music phones. But the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the iPod. Ms Milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. But they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity, which would not put too much strain on battery life. \'No re-draft\' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms. The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament\'s request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council\'s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US. More movies head to Sony\'s PSP Movies Open Water and Saw are among those to be made available for Sony\'s PSP games console. Film studio Lions Gate entertainment has announced an initial list of 12 movies that will be on the UMD format used by the handheld. "The typical buyer of the machine [is] the core demographic to whom our films generally appeal," said Steve Beeks, president of Lions Gate. Already available in Japan, the PSP is released in the US on 24 March. Spider-Man 2 on UMD will be given to the first million customers in the US. The Punisher and House of the Dead along with older titles such as Total Recall and Rambo: First Blood, will be in the UMD format, with disks costing between $20 (£10.40) to $30 (£15.60) for new titles and $10 (£5.20) to $20 for older films. "When we first saw the machine and started talking to Sony, we immediately decided it was going to be a winner, both from the gaming perspective and from the perspective of people watching movies on the go," Mr Beeks said. The disks, which are smaller than DVDs, only work in Sony\'s PSP and can hold up to 1.8GB of data. "We actually believe people who buy the UMD would not have bought it on DVD," he said. "There are people who will want UMD because of the portability. Maybe they\'re already taking the games with them out of the house, and they\'re bigger gamers than they are movie watchers." Four movies have already been announced for PSP. They are: XXX, Hellboy, Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Cebit opens to mobile music tune Cebit, the world\'s largest hi-tech fair, has opened its doors in Hanover for a look at the latest technologies for homes and businesses. There are more than 6,000 exhibitors registered and about 500,000 visitors are expected to pass through the doors. Third generation mobiles, the digital home and broadband are key themes at the show. Camera phones will get better resolutions as vendors set out to prove that bigger is definitely better. Samsung is set to steal some initial limelight with the launch of a 7-megapixel phone on the opening day. The SCH-V770 has some of the features of high-end digital single lens reflex cameras such as manual focus and the ability to attach a telephoto or wide-angle lens. Camera phones are likely to prove an interesting battle ground at the show, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm Gartner. "It is firmly established that cameras are an integral part of phones and now the technology arms race is on in terms of megapixels. There will be a certain amount of \'look how big mine is\'," he said. There will also be increasing focus on music-enabled mobiles. "At 3GSM in Cannes everyone went music mad and music is going to be a big theme for all the vendors at Cebit," said Mr Wood. Sony Ericsson will use the fair to show off the W800 - its recently unveiled Walkman branded phone - and there is speculation that Motorola may unveil its ROKR handset, widely tipped as the first to carry Apple\'s iTunes music software. Apple and Motorola announced they were getting together at the end of last year as a result of a long-standing friendship between Motorola\'s chief executive Ed Zander and Steve Jobs. Some analysts think Motorola may save the launch for CTIA, a wireless show in America the following week, which could be a telling sign about how operators are coming to view the German tech fair. "One of the interesting things is that CeBIT is clearly a show in decline," said Mr Wood. "A lot of the big players, such as Nokia, are pulling back saying it is hard to justify a big presence at all of the shows. It could be the last big year for Cebit," he said. Other themes include TV-enabled mobiles which are bound to create a buzz in the halls as Vodafone unveils a prototype handset that can show live digital television. There has been a glut of recent headlines about mobile TV - French operators are teaming up, O2 is trialling a system in Oxford, UK, and Nokia begins trialling a system in Finland with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE TV and commercial TV channels. Cebit could become the battleground for the two competing methods for getting TV on to mobiles, and is also likely to provide a stage for a technology slated to compete with 3G. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) has been described as "3G on steroids" and could offer consumers much faster download times. For instance, a song which currently takes one and a half minutes to download to a phone could be done in 10 seconds. Korean giants LG Electronics and Samsung will show off HSDPA handsets at the show and the technology is set to be rolled out in the US, Europe and Korea next year. Broadband will continue to be a key theme at the show with internet telephony proving this year\'s killer application. Germany\'s largest online service provider, T-Online, is tipped to reveal software for low-cost net telephony which would see it competing with its parent company Deutsche Telekom. Cebit is used by many to unveil cutting edge products and in the mobile sphere this is likely to mean a lot of bright, colourful handsets as fashion continues to compete with technology when it comes to the device everyone has in their pockets. Rainbow-coloured phones, influenced by handsets from Japan, are just one example of how Asian companies will stamp their mark on this year\'s show, at which they will have their biggest ever presence. Cebit organisers have created a digital home in Hall 25 of the 27 hangar-like buildings that will house the show. "The digital home will be a hyped theme at the show. The house will be totally wired and full of things that can be used for home entertainment," said Cebit organiser Gabriele Dorries. Chip maker backs net phone calls Rich Templeton, the head of giant chip maker Texas Instruments, has given his backing to the growing sector of Voice over Internet Telephony (Voip) Voip allows PC users, and in some cases those with just a broadband connection, to make telephone calls via the net. Mr Templeton said Voip would be the next major application to drive broadband connections into homes. Internet service provider Wanadoo has announced it is launching its own broadband telephony service in the UK. Subscribers to Wanadoo\'s broadband service will be able to use the service to make free evening and weekend calls to any UK landline, and free calls at any time to other Wanadoo users. The service will cost an extra £4 a month and will come with a free Livebox, the broadband hub which Wanadoo plans will be used in future to provide video-on-demand and home security services. The secondary phone line will mean customers can have an extra home phone number and will also provide wireless internet access around the home. Eventually the service will replace existing landline services as Wanadoo goes head to head with BT. "Voice-over broadband is a key trend across Europe and is set to have a dramatic impact on the telecommunications industry, " Eric Abensur, Wanadoo\'s chief executive told the BBC News website. Mr Templeton said he agreed. "Voice-over-packet is going to be the second killer application after broadband internet access," he said. The world\'s largest maker of chips for mobile phones believes the technology will grow rapidly from the relatively small user base it has currently. Almost 83 million people have downloaded the software that powers the Skype Voip service, according to the net telephony firm\'s website. Skype lets people make free calls to other Skype users and also make low-cost calls to ordinary phone numbers. US firm Vonage also offers a Voip service, but one which lets people plug an ordinary phone into a broadband router to make calls. Bill Simmelink, general manager of TI\'s Voip business, said the technology would only take off when people were making net calls with the ease of making a normal call. "It\'s not about the pipe, if you will, or the silicon per se, it\'s about the application," he said. "We want to communicate freely, effortlessly and economically wherever we are." In a sign that Voip is seeping into the mainstream, giant ISP AOL announced on Tuesday that it had plans to launch a net-based phone service for some of its members within the month. Customers will continue to use their traditional phones, but they will plug them into adapters connected to their broadband source rather than the jack provided by the telephone company. Calls are received and placed just like on the old telephone network. "We can help mass-market adoption of Voip," said AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller. "We can utilise our national footprint. We can help the entire industry become well known." Nintendo DS makes its Euro debut Nintendo\'s DS handheld game console has officially gone on sale in Europe. Many stores around the UK opened at midnight to let keen gamers get their hands on the device. The two-screen clamshell gadget costs £99 (149 euros) and 15 games are available for it at launch, some featuring well-known characters such as Super Mario and Rayman. The DS spearheads Nintendo\'s attempt to continue its dominance of the handheld gaming market. Since going on sale in Japan and the US at the end of 2004, Nintendo has sold almost 4m DS consoles. Part of this popularity may be due to the fact that the DS can run any of the catalogue of 700 games produced for Nintendo\'s GameBoy Advance handheld. Games for the DS are expected to cost between £19 and £29. About 130 games for the DS are in development. As well as having two screens, one of which is controlled by touch, the DS also lets players take on up to 16 other people via wireless. A "download play" option means DS owners can take each other on even if only one of them owns a copy of a particular game. Other DS owners can also be sent text messages and drawings. Nintendo is also planning to release a media adapter for the handheld so it can play music and video. Five Virgin megastores and 150 Game shops were expected to open early on Friday morning to let people buy a DS. "We know that customers want it as soon as it\'s released - and that means the minute, not the day," said Robert Quinn, Game\'s UK sales director. But Nintendo will only have sole control of Europe\'s handheld gaming market for a few weeks because soon Sony is expected to release its PSP console. Although Nintendo is aiming for younger players and the PSP is more for older gamers, it is likely that the two firms will be competing for many of the same customers. Sony\'s PSP represents a real threat to Nintendo because of the huge number of PlayStation owners around the world and the greater flexibility of the sleek black gadget. The PSP uses small discs for games, can play music and movies without the need for add-ons and also supports short-range wireless play. When it goes on sale the PSP is likely to cost between £130 and £200. The pirates with no profit motive Two men who were part of a huge network of internet software pirates, known as Drink Or Die, have been convicted at the Old Bailey. BBC News investigates how the network worked and what motivated those involved. They called themselves Drink Or Die (DOD). They were a network of computer buffs who derived pleasure from cracking codes protecting copyrighted software such as Windows 95. They would then share it with each other. There is no suggestion any of them profited financially. But the authorities in both Britain and the United States considered it software piracy and took a dim view of networks such as DOD, one of a number of so-called warez organisations operating on the internet. In October 2000 the US Customs Service began an investigation into DOD and other networks, such as Razor 1911, Risciso, Myth and Popz. Fourteen months later US Customs co-ordinated a series of raids across the globe as part of Operation Buccaneer. Seventy search warrants were executed in the US, Britain, Australia, Norway, Sweden and Finland. At least 60 people were arrested worldwide - 45 of them in the US. Among the leaders of the network were Americans John Sankus - known by his internet nickname Eriflleh (Hellfire spelt backwards) - Richard Berry, Kent Kartadinata and Christopher Tresco, who used a server based at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The longest jail sentence - 46 months - was handed down to Sankus, a 28-year-old from Philadelphia. US Attorney Paul McNulty said at the time: "John Sankus and his techno-gang operated in the faceless world of the internet and thought they would never be caught. "They were wrong. These sentences, and those to follow, should send a message to others entertaining similar beliefs of invincibility." But one man still in legal limbo is British-born Australian Hew Raymond Griffiths, who is still fighting against extradition to the US. US Customs claimed Mr Griffiths was one of DOD\'s leaders but his lawyer, Antony Townsden, told the BBC News website it was a laughable suggestion and added: "He was living on welfare and had such an old computer that he couldn\'t even download software. "The allegation that he was the group\'s co-leader is illusory. He had the least technical skills of anyone, he couldn\'t crack any codes and he has only been called a leader because he was a loudmouth who wrote a lot on their messageboard." Mr Townsden said if he had committed any crimes he should be prosecuted in Australia, not the US. He claimed the Australian government\'s decision to accept the extradition request was typical of their current "acquiescent" attitude to the US. Mr Griffiths is expecting to hear this week the outcome of his appeal against the decision to extradite him. Those involved would give themselves internet aliases which would act in the same way as tags used by graffiti artists. They could then brag about their code-cracking abilities without giving away their real identities. Alex Bell, whose trial at the Old Bailey ended on Friday, was known as Mr 2940 - after a computer device - while his co-defendant Steven Dowd\'s nickname, curiously, was Tim. A spokesman for US Immigration, Customs and Enforcement, Dean Boyd, said DOD did not appear to be motivated by money. Their motivation was the kudos which surrounded being able to crack sophisticated software. He told the BBC News website: "Primarily they were just interested in how fast they could crack the code. It was all about underground notoriety." But Mr Boyd pointed out that once the software had been distributed on the internet it fell into the hands of organised criminals who were able to mass produce pirated software at zero cost. "It cost US industries a lot of money, billions of dollars," he said. Mr Boyd said: "It was truly global in scope. We raided a number of universities, including Duke (in North Carolina) and MIT, and found that several of the people involved were employed by major computer corporations. "They would go home from work in the evenings and get involved in this warez culture." Warez groups, which began to surface in the early 1990s, operate according to a strict code of honour. For example if one group cracked the software first its rivals would respect that achievement and not seek to claim it themselves. Mr Boyd said the destruction of DOD was a great coup but he added: "I\'m not going to sit here and say we have sorted the problem. There are still hackers and people who do this for fun. "Internet piracy of computer software remains a gigantic problem." A spokesman for the Business Software Alliance said: "DOD members claim they did not profit at all. But they did profit by getting access to very expensive servers." He said DOD and other warez groups were fostering a "culture of piracy" on the internet. He said 29% of computer software in Britain was believed to have been pirated and this cost £1bn in revenue for software companies, their suppliers and distributors. "It may seem like a victimless crime but it touches more people than you might care to believe." Gizmondo gadget hits the shelves The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on Saturday. Priced at £229, the handheld device is debuting in the UK and goes on sale in the US and mainland Europe in the next few weeks. A catalogue of about 20 games is being prepared for the gadget including The Great Escape and Conflict Vietnam. The British-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by Nintendo and Sony. The Gizmondo device packs a lot of functions inside its black cover and is aimed at gamers and those that want more from their game-playing gadgets. It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies. It can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text, multimedia and e-mail messages. The phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay Vodafone accounts bundled in with the device. It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services. The GPRS and Bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming. The gadget will be available from the Gizmondo store on London\'s Regent Street and from several other retail partners. Although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions, it will face serious competition from three established names in mobile gaming: Nintendo, Nokia and Sony. The main competition is likely to come from Nintendo and Sony. Nintendo\'s DS handheld went on sale on 11 March and priced at £99 costs far less than the Gizmondo. It also has a ready pool of fans of earlier Nintendo handhelds to draw on. In the first two days it was on sale in Europe the 87,000 DS handhelds were sold - a better debut than the GameCube enjoyed. Sony\'s PSP was due to make its European debut in March but now this is likely to be delayed by a few months. The PSP is due to go on sale in the US later this month and a bundle including the player, accessories and a copy of Spiderman 2 is expected to cost about $250 (£129). The PSP can also play music and movies and supports wireless multiplayer gaming. Nokia\'s N-Gage could also be a competitor on the telecommunications side. This too crams a fully functional phone into a gadget that also plays games. Sony PSP handheld console hits US The latest handheld gaming gadget, Sony\'s PlayStation Portable, goes on sale in the US on Thursday. The entertainment device, which also stores images, music and video, is intended to compete with Nintendo\'s DS, released earlier this month in the UK. Gamers have been queuing outside shops across the US to get their hands on the gadget, which costs $250 (about £132). The first million sold will come with the Spider-Man 2 film on UMD, Sony\'s own disc format for the device. The PSP can be linked up with others for multiplayer gaming, via a wireless connection. Sony has touted the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan since its launch there last year. But it faces stiff competition from the Nintendo DS, which sold more than the GameCube in its first few days on release in Europe. It too allows for multiplayer gaming over the air. Nintendo dominates the handheld market, with more than a 90% share of the market in the US alone. The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget also went on sale in the UK last week. It hopes to take a share of the handheld gaming market too. "The story of the PSP is it\'s not a gaming device as much as it is a portable entertainment device," said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He told the Reuters news agency that he expected Sony to sell about 10 million PSPs in enough time to rival Apple\'s iPod. There is no date for the PSP\'s release in Europe yet. Sony has promised to have a million units ready for its US launch, but there are fears demand may not be met. It also said it expected to ship three million PSPs worldwide by the end of its fiscal year ending 31 March. The machine\'s European launch was put back "a few months" last week in order to make sure enough of the devices were ready for its US launch, as well as satisfying the Japanese market. The PSP has almost as much processing power in it as the PlayStation 2 console. Hundreds of gamers gathered at US shops, some waiting for more than 36 hours, to be the first to get their hands on the gadget. A spokesman for one US shop said it expected the device to sell out on its first day. The 24 games for the mini console include Ape Academy, Formula One, Wipeout Pure and Fired Up. Movie studios, including Lions Gate Entertainment and Disney, have also announced forthcoming film titles that will be made available on the UMD format. Net fingerprints combat attacks Eighty large net service firms have switched on software to spot and stop net attacks automatically. The system creates digital fingerprints of ongoing incidents that are sent to every network affected. Firms involved in the smart sensing system believe it will help trace attacks back to their source. Data gathered will be passed to police to help build up intelligence about who is behind worm outbreaks and denial of service attacks. Firms signing up for the sensing system include MCI, BT, Deutsche Telekom, Energis, NTT, Bell Canada and many others. The creation of the fingerprinting system has been brokered by US firm Arbor Networks and signatures of attacks will be passed to anyone suffering under the weight of an attack. Increasingly computer criminals are using swarms of remotely controlled computers to carry out denial of service attacks on websites, launch worms and relay spam around the net. "We have seen attacks involving five and ten gigabytes of traffic," said Rob Pollard, sales director for Arbor Networks which is behind the fingerprinting system. "Attacks of that size cause collateral damage as they cross the internet before they get to their destination," he said. Once an attack is spotted and its signature defined the information will be passed back down the chain of networks affected to help every unwitting player tackle the problem. Mr Pollard said Arbor was not charging for the service and it would pass on fingerprint data to every network affected. "What we want to do is help net service firms communicate with each other and then push the attacks further and further back around the world to their source," said Mr Pollard. Arbor Network\'s technology works by building up a detailed history of traffic on a network. It spots which computers or groups of users regularly talk to each other and what types of traffic passes between machines or workgroups. Any anomaly to this usual pattern is spotted and flagged to network administrators who can take action if the traffic is due to a net-based attack of some kind. This type of close analysis has become very useful as net attacks are increasingly launched using several hundred or thousand different machines. Anyone looking at the traffic on a machine by machine basis would be unlikely to spot that they were all part of a concerted attack. "Attacks are getting more diffuse and more sophisticated," said Malcolm Seagrave, security expert at Energis. "In the last 12 months it started getting noticeable that criminals were taking to it and we\'ve seen massive growth." He said that although informal systems exist to pass on information about attacks, often commercial confidentiality got in the way of sharing enough information to properly combat attacks. France starts digital terrestrial France has become the last big European country to launch a digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service. Initially, more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. Despite the long wait for a French DTT roll-out, the new platform\'s backers hope to emulate the success of its UK free-to-air counterpart, Freeview. Recent figures from the UK\'s regulator Ofcom showed Freeview was more popular than the Sky digital satellite service. In the three months to September 2004, almost five times as many people signed up to the UK\'s free-to-air DTT service compared with Sky. Almost 60% of UK households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable, satellite or Freeview. The French DTT platform is known as TNT, which stands for TV numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. But it is being branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or "digital television for all". TNT is a joint venture between public broadcaster France Televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. Digital terrestrial TV will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with, adding pay-TV channels later. Thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated. "A couple of years ago, DTT had a bad image," said Olivier Gerolami, chief operating officer of TNT. "But everyone\'s impressed with DTT in the UK, Italy and Germany, and they realise it is a very good idea. "France is the poorest market in Europe in terms of free-to-air national channels, so it has the potential to be one of the biggest DTT markets," Mr Gerolami added in remarks quoted by the US entertainment industry paper Variety. TNT aims to reach 35% of France\'s population at launch, from 17 transmission sites. The transmission area will initially include Paris, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse. Eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. Digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). A recent survey by Mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of DTT, and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. Consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sagem, Sony and Thomson are gearing up for production. The Conseil Superieur de l\'Audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator, said: "Following the recent success of Freeview in the UK, some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects". Media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. The CSA said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable, but the future of the remaining TV viewers required action by the public sector. For the most part, they are people living in mountainous or border areas, which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial TV for years. Up to 15 pay-TV channels will launch on DTT between September 2005 and March 2006. Leading pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. Free-to-air services will be broadcast in MPEG-2 format. But pay-TV operators will be allowed to broadcast in MPEG-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (HD) subscription services in the future. TNT expects between 700,000 and one million DTT set-top boxes to be sold in 2005. "It is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off," said Mr Gerolami, "but we\'re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in France." Other analysts were less optimistic, predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-TV subscriptions. "We think free DTT could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-TV in France," said Henri de Bodinat, vice-president of the Arthur D. Little consultancy. Apple laptop is \'greatest gadget\' The Apple Powerbook 100 has been chosen as the greatest gadget of all time, by US magazine Mobile PC. The 1991 laptop was chosen because it was one of the first "lightweight" portable computers and helped define the layout of all future notebook PCs. The magazine has compiled an all-time top 100 list of gadgets, which includes the Sony Walkman at number three and the 1956 Zenith remote control at two. Gadgets needed moving parts and/or electronics to warrant inclusion. The magazine staff compiled the list and specified that gadgets also needed to be a "self-contained apparatus that can be used on its own, not a subset of another device". "In general we included only items that were potentially mobile," said the magazine. "In the end, we tried to get to the heart of what really makes a gadget a gadget," it concluded. The oldest "gadget" in the top 100 is the abacus, which the magazine dates at 190 A.D., and put in 60th place. Other pre-electronic gadgets in the top 100 include the sextant from 1731 (59th position), the marine chronometer from 1761 (42nd position) and the Kodak Brownie camera from 1900 (28th position). The Tivo personal video recorder is the newest device to make the top 10, which also includes the first flash mp3 player (Diamond Multimedia), as well as the first "successful" digital camera (Casio QV-10) and mobile phone (Motorola Startac). The most popular gadget of the moment, the Apple iPod, is at number 12 in the list while the first Sony transistor radio is at number 13. Sony\'s third entry in the top 20 is the CDP-101 CD player from 1983. "Who can forget the crystalline, hiss-free blast of Madonna\'s Like A Virgin emanating from their first CD player?" asked the magazine. Karl Elsener\'s knife, the Swiss Army Knife from 1891, is at number 20 in the list. Gadgets which could be said to feature surprisingly low down in the list include the original telephone (23rd), the Nintendo GameBoy (25th), and the Pulsar quartz digital watch (36th). The list also contains plenty of oddities: the Pez sweet dispenser (98th), 1990s toy Tamagotchi (86th) and the bizarre Ronco inside the shell egg scrambler (84th). Almost everyone has a mobile phone, how many people own a Powerbook? or an iPod? The findings of this magazine are not very convincing. What about the magnetic compass? We still use it 1,000 years after it was invented. I am amazed by the obsession with individual gadgets rather than genre. For example the Sony walkman was the first truly portable way of listening to your own music on the move whereas Minidisc, Flash MP3, portable CD players etc. are really just improvements in technology. My favourite \'true\' gadgets are probably my portable MiniDisc player and the little battery powered whizzy thing I use to froth up my coffee! Calm down it\'s only in their opinion, and any list that includes the Taser in the top 100 gadgets has to be suspect.... Swiss army knife and no question about it. How many of the other items are still relatively unchanged from the original idea and still as useful/popular? You don\'t need a laptop or even a pocket calculator to work that one out! This list merely illustrates interesting cultural divides between the American authors and the overwhelmingly British responses. Brits see no further than mobile phones and the over thirties Sinclair; whilst the Americans focus on Apple, TV remotes and TiVO (which probably is rather obscure in Europe). What about the Soda Stream. This gadget changed my pre-teen life. Lap tops may enable you to "think different, but you cant use them to "get busy with the fizzy" How about Astro Wars, one of the pioneers for computer games, i remember spending many an hour playing this and it still works today! However tried it the other day and it was rubbish, still a great gadget of its time. Why worry about mobile phones. Soon they will be subsumed into the PDA\'s / laptops etc. What about the Marine Chronometer? Completely revolutionised navigation for boats and was in use for centuries. For it\'s time, a technological marvel! Sony Net Minidisc! It paved the way for more mp3 player to explode onto the market. I always used my NetMD, and could not go anywhere without it. A laptop computer is not a gadget! It\'s a working tool! The Sinclair Executive was the world\'s first pocket calculator. I think this should be there as well. How about the clockwork radio? Or GPS? Or a pocket calculator? All these things are useful to real people, not just PC magazine editors. Are the people who created this list insane ? Surely the most important gadget of the modern age is the mobile phone? It has revolutionised communication, which is more than can be said for a niche market laptop. From outside the modern age, the marine chronometer is the single most important gadget, without which modern transportation systems would not have evolved so quickly. Has everyone forgot about the Breville pie maker?? An interesting list. Of the electronic gadgets, thousands of journalists in the early 1980s blessed the original noteboook pc - the Tandy 100. The size of A4 paper and light, three weeks on a set of batteries, an excellent keyboard, a modem. A pity Tandy did not make it DOS compatible. What\'s an Apple Powerbook 100 ? It\'s out of date - not much of a "gadget". Surely it has to be something simple / timeless - the tin opener, Swiss Army Knife, safety razor blade, wristwatch or the thing for taking stones out of horses hooves ? It has to be the mobile phone. No other single device has had such an effect on our way of living in such a short space of time. The ball point pen has got to be one of the most used and common gadgets ever. Also many might be grateful for the pocket calculator which was a great improvement over the slide rule. The Casio pocket calculator that played a simple game and made tinny noises was also a hot gadget in 1980. A true gadget, it could be carried around and shown off. All top 10 are electronic toys, so the list is probably a better reflection of the current high-tech obsession than anything else. I say this as the Swiss Army Knife only made No 20. Sinclair QL a machine far ahead of its time. The first home machine with a true multi-takings OS. Shame the marketing was so bad!!! Apple.. a triumph of fashion over... well everything else. Utter rubbish. Yes, the Apple laptop and Sony Walkman are classic gadgets. But to call the sextant and the marine chronometer \'gadgets\' and rank them as less important than a TV remote control reveals a quite shocking lack of historical perspective. The former literally helped change the world by vastly improving navigation at see. The latter is the seed around which the couch potato culture has developed. No competition. I\'d also put Apple\'s Newton and the first Palm Pilot there as the front runners for portable computing, and possibly the Toshiba Libretto for the same reason. I only wish that Vulcan Inc\'s Flipstart wasn\'t just vapourware otherwise it would be at the top. How did a laptop ever manage to beat off the challenge of the wristwatch or the telephone (mobile or otherwise)? What about radios and TVs? The swiss army knife. By far the most useful gadget. I got mine 12 years ago. Still wearing and using it a lot! It stood the test of time. Psion Organiser series 3, should be up there. Had a usable qwerty keyboard, removable storage, good set of apps and programmable. Case design was good (batteries in the hinge - a first, I think). Great product innovation. The first mobile PC was voted best gadget by readers of...err... mobile PC?! Why do you keep putting these obviously biased lists on your site? It\'s obviously the mobile phone or remote control, and readers of a less partisan publication would tell you that. The Motorola Startac should be Number One. Why? There will be mobile phones long after notebook computers and other gadgets are either gone or integrated in communications devices. The Psion series 3c! The first most practical way to carry all your info around... I too would back the Sinclair Spectrum - without this little beauty I would never have moved into the world of IT and earn the living that I do now. I\'d have put the mobile phone high up the list. Probably a Nokia model. Sinclair Spectrum - 16k. It plugged into the tv. Games were rubbish but it gave me a taste for programming and that\'s what I do for a living now. I wish more modern notebooks -- even Apple\'s newest offerings -- were more like the PB100. Particularly disheartening is the demise of the trackball, which has given way to the largely useless "trackpad" which every notebook on the market today uses. They\'re invariably inaccurate, uncomfortable, and cumbersome to use. Congratulations to Apple, a deserved win! China \'ripe\' for media explosion Asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond, with China and India filling the two top spots, analysts have predicted. Japan, South Korea and Singapore will also be strong players, but China\'s demographics give it the edge, a media conference in London heard. The world\'s most populous country - population 1.3bn - now has about 200 million middle-class consumers. Forty per cent fall in the key 16 to 35-year-old demographic. As a result, it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications, analysts told the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference last week. Interest in China among international media groups has surged in recent months after Beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television, radio and film production companies. News Corporation, Viacom and Sony Pictures are among the big names involved in joint ventures with Chinese players. More than 700 million Chinese listen to 1,000 radio stations, while 200 TV stations broadcast 2,900 channels. China Central Television (CCTV), the state broadcaster, claims an audience of more than a billion people. Of the country\'s 360 million households, 100 million receive cable TV programmes. The rest could be a potential audience for satellite broadcasting which China plans to launch in 2006. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which regulates broadcasting, plans to move all programmes to digital by 2015. The continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content, creating significant opportunities for both Chinese and foreign content providers. But according to recent reports from China, the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in TV production joint ventures. It has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be "unfriendly", according to reports. The SARFT said: "There is a very strong ideological component to production of broadcast television programmes." It added: "China must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector." According to the Financial Times\' China correspondent, the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in China\'s media sector. This is despite Beijing\'s decision to open the state-dominated sector to international investment. As well as traditional broadcasting, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media, like mobile services and online gaming. Mobile games already account for 15% of revenues from China\'s 340 million mobile users. Online gaming sales are predicted to top a billion US dollars next year, according to the UK-based journal Screen Digest. The video market is also seen as a big opportunity, although piracy levels are still very high despite an anti-piracy drive during the past year. In the cinema industry the deployment of digital screens is being accelerated. This is not just to modernise venues but also to curb piracy and regulate distribution. Li Ruigang, president of the commercial broadcaster Shanghai Media Group, told the conference that China\'s new media market "is already experiencing explosive growth". It was particularly strong in charged broadband services and mobile value-added services. Leading China-watcher, and founder of the CGA consultancy Jeanne-Marie Gescher, agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap China\'s huge media market potential. "China\'s media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it," Mrs Gescher concluded. Camera phones are \'must-haves\' Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner. Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them. Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips. Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists. The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK\'s Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy\'s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers\' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson\'s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said. Peer-to-peer nets \'here to stay\' Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts. Once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year, firms will be very keen to try and make money from P2P technology. The expert panel probed the future of P2P at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in January. The first convictions for P2P piracy were handed out in the US in January. William Trowbridge and Michael Chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. Since the first successful file-sharing network Napster was forced to close down, the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of P2P technology, blaming it for falling sales and piracy. But that is going to change very soon, according to the panel. The music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate P2P networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. But they have slowly realised that P2P is a good way to distribute content, said Travis Kalanick, founder and chairman of P2P network Red Swoosh, and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. They are just waiting to come up with "business models" that work for them, which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards. But, until the legal actions are resolved, experimentation with P2P cannot not happen, said Michael Weiss, president of StreamCast Networks. Remembering the furore around VCRs when they first came out, Mr Weiss said: "Old media always tries to stop new media. "When they can\'t stop it, they try to control it. Then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money." Once the courts decided that the VCR in itself was not an illegal technology, the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. In August 2004, the San Francisco-based US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Grokster and StreamCast, two file-sharing networks. The court said they were essentially in the same position that Sony was in the 1980s VCR battle, and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal. P2P networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. Instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. There are now many different types of P2P systems than work in different ways. P2P nets can be used to share any kind of file, like photos, free software, licensed music and any other digital content. The BBC has already decided to embrace the technology. It aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use P2P technology to distribute them. The files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. But the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. The global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month, and about half a million films are downloaded a day. Legal music download services, like Apple iTunes, Napster, have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. Sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months, the IFPI reported this week. But such download services are very different from P2P networks, not least because of the financial aspect. There are several money-spinning models that could turn P2P into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. Paid-for-pass-along, in which firms receive money each time a file is shared, along with various DRM solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered. "We see there are going to be different models for commoditising P2P," said Marc Morgenstern, vice president of anti-piracy firm Overpeer. "Consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together," agreed Mr Morgenstern. But many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry\'s potential controlling grip on content and P2P technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. Unsigned bands, for example, use P2P networks to distribute their music effectively, which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign. "Increasingly, what you are seeing on P2P is consumer-created content," said Derek Broes, from Microsoft. "They will probably play an increasing role in helping P2P spread," he said. Looking into P2P\'s future, file sharing is just the beginning for P2P networks, as far as Mr Broes is concerned. "Once some of these issues are resolved, you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content, but also in ways that are unimaginable now," he said. "File-sharing is the tip of the iceberg." TV\'s future down the phone line Internet TV has been talked about since the start of the web as we know it now. But any early attempts to do it - the UK\'s Home Choice started in 1992 - were thwarted by the lack of a fast network. Now that broadband networks are bedding down, and it is becoming essential for millions, the big telcos are keen to start shooting video down the line. In the face of competition from cable companies offering net voice calls, they are keen to be the top IPTV dogs. Software giant Microsoft thinks IPTV - Internet Protocol TV - is the future of television, and it sits neatly with its vision of the "connected entertainment experience". "Telcos have been wanting to do video for a long time," Ed Graczyk, director of marketing for Microsoft IPTV, told the BBC News website. "The challenge has been the broadband network, and the state of technology up until not so long ago did not add up to a feasible solution. "Compression technology was not efficient enough, the net was not good enough. A lot of stars have aligned in the last 18 months to make it a reality." Last year, he said, was all about deal making and partnering up; shaping the "IPTV ecosystem". This year, those deals will start to play out and more services will come online. "2006 is where it starts ramping up and expanding to other geographies - over time as broadband becomes more prevalent in South America, and other parts of Asia, it will expand," he added. What telcos really want to do is to send the "triple-play" of video, voice, and data down one single line, be it cable or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Some are talking about "quadruple play", too, with mobile services added into the mix. It is an emerging new breed of competition for satellite and cable broadcasters and operators. According to technology analysts, TDG Research, there will be 20 million subscribers to IPTV services in under six years. Key to the appeal of sending TV programmes down the same line as the web data, whenever a viewer wants it, is that it uses the same technology as the internet. It means there is not just a one-way relationship between the viewer and the "broadcaster". This allows for more DVD-like interactivity, limitless storage and broadcast space, bespoke channel "playlists", and thousands of hours of programmes or films at a viewer\'s fingertips. It potentially lets operators target programmes to smaller, niche or localised audiences, sending films to Bollywood fans for instance, as well as individual devices. Operators could also send high-definition programmes straight to the viewer, bypassing the need for a special broadcast receiver. Perhaps most compelling - yet some might say insignificant - is instantaneous channel flicking. Currently, there is a delay when you try to do this on satellite, cable or Freeview. With IPTV, the speed is 15 milliseconds. "That gets rounds of applause," according to Mr Graczyk. Microsoft is one of the companies that started thinking about IPTV some time ago. "We believe this will be the way all TV is delivered in the future - but that is several years away," said Mr Graczyk. "As with music, TV has moved to digital formats. "The things software can do to integrate media into devices means a whole new generation of connected entertainment experiences that cross devices from the TV, to the mobile, to the gaming console and so on." The company intends its Microsoft\'s IPTV Edition software, an end-to-end management and delivery platform, to let telcos to do exactly that, seamlessly. It has netted seven major telcos as customers, representing a potential audience of 25 million existing broadband subscribers. Its deal with US telco SBC was the largest TV software deal to date, said Mr Graczyk. IPTV is about more than telcos, though. There are several web-based offerings that aim to put control in the hands of the consumer by exploiting the net\'s power. Jeremy Allaire, chief of Brightcove, told the BBC News website that it would be a flavour of IPTV that was about harnessing the web as a "channel". "It is not just niches, but about exploiting content not usually viewed," he said. "We are focussed on the owners of video content who have rights to digitally distribute content, and who often see unencumbered distribution. "For them to do it through cable and so on is price-prohibitive," he said. This type of IPTV service might also be a distribution channel for more established publishers who have unique types of content that they cannot offer through cable and satellite operators - history channel archives, for instance. What is a clear sign that IPTV has a future is that Microsoft is not the only player in the field. There are a lot of other "middleware" players providing similar management services as Microsoft, like Myrio and C-Cor. But it will up to the viewer to decide if it really is to be successful. Be careful how you code A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson. If it gets its way, the Dutch government will conclude its presidency of the European Union by pushing through a controversial measure that has been rejected by the European Parliament, lacks majority support from national governments and will leave millions of European citizens in legal limbo and facing the possibility of court cases against them. If the new law was about border controls, defence or even the new constitution, then our TV screens would be full of experts agonising over the impact on our daily lives. Sadly for those who will be directly affected, the controversy concerns the patenting of computer programs, a topic that may excite the bloggers, campaigning groups and technical press but does not obsess Middle Britain. After all, how much fuss can you generate about the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions, and the way it amends Article 52 of the 1973 European Patent Convention? Yet if the new directive is nodded through at the next meeting of one of the EU\'s ministerial councils, as seems likely, it will allow programs to be patented in Europe just as they are in the US. Many observers of the computing scene, including myself, think the results will be disastrous for small companies, innovative programmers and the free and open source software movement. It will let large companies patent all sorts of ideas and give legal force to those who want to limit their competitors\' use of really obvious ideas. In the US you cannot build a system that stores customer credit card details so that they can pay without having to re-enter them unless Amazon lets you, because they hold the patent on "one-click" online purchase. It is a small invention, but Amazon made it to the patent office first and now owns it. We are relatively free from this sort of thing over here, but perhaps not for long. The new proposals go back to 2002, although argument about patentability of software and computer-implemented inventions has been going on since at least the mid-1980s. They have come to a head now after a year in which proposals were made, endorsed by the Council of Ministers, radically modified by the European Parliament and then re-presented in their original form. Some national governments seem to be aware of the problems. Poland has rejected the proposal and Germany\'s main political parties have opposed it, but there is not enough opposition to guarantee their rejection. Early in December the British government held a consultation meeting with those who had commented on the proposals. Science Minister Lord Sainsbury went along to listen and outline the UK position, but according to those present, it was embarrassing to see how little the minister and his officials actually understood the issues concerned. The draft Directive is being put through the council as what is called an "A" item and can only be approved or rejected. No discussion or amendment is allowed. So why should we be worried? First, there is the abuse of the democratic process involved in disregarding the views of the parliament and abandoning all of their carefully argued amendments. This goes to the heart of the European project, and even those who do not care about software or patents should be worried. If coders are treated like this today, who is to say that it will not be you tomorrow? More directly, once software patents are granted then any programmer will have to worry that the code they are writing is infringing someone else\'s patent. This is not about stealing software, as code is already protected by copyright. Patents are not copyright, but something much stronger. A patent gives the owner the right to stop anyone else using their invention, even if the other person invented it separately. I have never, to my shame, managed to read Lord Byron\'s Childe Harold\'s Pilgrimage. If it was pointed out that one of my articles contained a substantial chunk of the poem then I could defend myself in court by claiming that I had simply made it up and it was coincidence. The same does not hold for a patent. If I sit down this afternoon and write a brilliant graphics compression routine and it happens to be the same as the LZW algorithm used in GIF files, then I am in trouble under patent law, at least in the US. Coincidence is no defence. The proposed directive is supported by many of the major software companies, but this is hardly surprising since most of them are US-based and they have already had to cope with a legal environment that allows patents. They have legal departments and, more crucially, patents of their own which they can trade or cross-license with other patent holders. Even this system breaks down, of course, as Microsoft found out last year when they initially lost a case brought by Eolas which claimed that Internet Explorer (and other browsers) infringed an Eolas patent. That one was eventually thrown out, but only after months of uncertainty and millions of dollars. But small companies, and the free and open software movement do not have any patents to trade. Much of the really useful software we use every day, programs like the Apache web server, the GNU/Linux operating system and the fearsomely popular Firefox browser, is developed outside company structures by people who do not have legal departments to check for patent infringements. The damage to software will not happen overnight, of course. If the directive goes through it has to be written into national laws and then there will be a steady stream of legal actions against small companies and open source products. Eventually someone will decide to attack Linux directly, probably with some secret funding from one or two large players. The new directive will limit innovation by forcing programmers to spend time checking for patent infringements or simply avoiding working in potentially competitive areas. And it will damage Europe\'s computer industry. We can only hope that the Council of Ministers has the integrity and strength to reject this bad law. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital. Losing yourself in online gaming Online role playing games are time-consuming, but enthralling flights from reality. But are some people taking their fantasy lives too seriously? When video game World of Warcraft hit the shops in Europe last week fans wrote in to the BBC website to express their delight - and to offer a warning. "An addiction to a game like this is far more costly in time than any substance could impair - keep track of time," wrote Travis Anderson, in Texas. Some of the comments were humorous: "This game is so good I\'m not going to get it, there\'s no way I could limit the hours I\'d spend playing it," wrote Charles MacIntyre, from England. But some struck a more worrying tone about the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG): "\'You need to get out more\' could be the motto of any MMORPG. Shame they are getting more popular, as you know this problem is just going to mushroom," wrote Stuart Stanton-Davies, in Huddersfield. Scare-mongering articles about "addictive video games" have existed since the days the first game of Pong stopped everyone from working at the Atari offices. Gaming is like any other pastime - it can quickly become an unhealthy obsession, whether it is spending too much time in the gym, in front of the television, or reading poetry. Unfortunately, gaming and addiction is a far too easy association to make. However, stories about gamers spending 10 to 15 hours a day in front of some video games are becoming more frequent. And the impact that is having on their families is quite distressing for some. Massively multiplayer online role playing games - MMORPGs - allow thousands of gamers to share a common experience of sharing fantasy or science fiction worlds. The scope of these games - like Warcraft, EverQuest, Ultima among others - is epic, and exploration and adventure is almost infinite. Part of the "problem" is grinding - by which gamers have to perform long-winded, mindless tasks, to bring up their levels and gain access to more adventure. Such open-endedness brings with it a desire to keep playing; not for no reason is EverQuest (EQ) nicknamed EverCrack. E Hayot, writing in the culture blogzine Print Culture, said recently: "I used to play the online role-playing game EverQuest a lot. "By \'a lot\', I mean probably 15 to 20 hours a week on average, and on weeks where I didn\'t have to work, as many as 30 or 40 hours." He says that in the world of online gaming such behaviour "wasn\'t that unusual; lots of people I knew in the game played EQ that much". "You lie; you don\'t go into work because you "had stuff to do at home"; you cancel or refuse invitations to dinner, you spend much less time watching TV (a good thing, presumably)," he wrote, explaining how EverQuest took over his time. He quit the game, he says, because he realised life was more fun than EverQuest. Let us be clear - such obsession is rare. But the huge growth in online gaming means a growth in the numbers of people who take their passion for a hobby too far. Almost 400,000 people bought a copy of World of Warcraft in the first two days on sale earlier this month. Only a fraction will descend into obsessives. The thoughts of families and friends of gamers who have been affected by EverQuest can be found on one blog EverQuest Daily Grind. Jane, who runs the website, compiles a chronicle of heart-rending stories. "I am actually convinced at this point that there are more than \'some\' people who spend more times in MMOPRGs than in reality," she said. One unnamed correspondent - all are anonymous - wrote: "On the rare nights when my husband does come to bed at the same time as I do, I find that I am so used to sleeping by myself that it is difficult to get to sleep with another body laying next to me. "I can\'t talk to him while he is playing. There is absolutely no point as he doesn\'t hear me or is so distracted that I get a \'ummm... ya\' a few minutes after I ask him a question." "Gaming widows" has become a comedic term for women who have been shut out by male gamers. But for some it is not in the least funny. Another correspondent wrote: "I believe that he is addicted to the online gaming, and that is the cause of his depression and restlessness." And some of them are even sadder: "Today our son was five days old. "The sad truth is my husband spent 11 hours today playing his Warcraft game. He did not interact with our sweet tiny baby because there were important quests waiting online." Video game fans often complain that their hobby is misunderstood or marginalised. But as gaming becomes ever more mainstream, and games ever more immersive, there will be no hiding place for social problems. I wish 30-40 hours a week was unusual but I think it probably isn\'t. An 11 hour stretch isn\'t that surprising - I\'ve known people to play 15+ hours at a stretch. I know of people who are spending their week\'s holiday from work playing Warcraft. I know of people who would play Ever[Crack] in shifts...waking at 3am to take over from their friends and resume waiting for an item they \'needed\' to appear. I understand that the key sign of an addiction is if you alter your life around it rather than fit it into your life. By all standards many of us are addicts. So is the solution to force ourselves to stop playing..or do we just need to make real life a bit more interesting? Sadly with all the talk of people becoming obsessed with gaming, I find myself longing to have the time to join them. I have been in a long term relationship for over 4 years - since that began, games have become more and more complex. And more and more so I find I have less and less time to play them, with and marriage and work being the main drag on my time. I think the line between playing a game a lot and a gaming addiction is really quite distinct. I play games a lot, definately over 20 hours a week, but I don\'t go missing work or other commitments in order to play games. I have, about a year ago, deleted every game on my computer. RPGs are the worst - the real world fades and all your worries sorround a new magic staff or mighty sword. Unlike books, or perhaps even TV, you gain absolutely nothing. When you stop playing you\'re at the same point as when you started; all the achievements of your 10 hour session are irretrievably locked in the game and, since you\'ve gained nothing in the real world, you may as well pile on more achievement in the fake one. Despite having little monetary value, the "rewards" and encouragement offered by these MMORPGs is enough to hook games for hours daily. If only business could learn to leverage that very simply human need for easily measurable progress and recognition. Perhaps the unhealthily obsessed simply need more recognition for their achievements in reality? My advice to gaming widows is "if you can\'t beat \'em, join \'em". That is, try playing it yourself. If he wants to play as well, well at least you\'ll be together somewhere... I was an addict and it cost me my relationship. I still play now, but without the guilt , hehe, How long have i played in one sitting? From morning till the early hours of the next day, the birds were singing out side and i had to hobble to the bath room cos my bladder was so full i was in pain, i would hardly eat, perhaps some toast, smoke endlessly and drink. Now, thankfully the fascination has worn off and I have a girlfriend but still no job. For the most part online gaming give me an adiction to illusory achievement, and as there is no end in sight you keep going for the mirage of the ultimate. Obsessive behaviour is, of course, always cause for concern, but it always bothers me when articles about gaming talk in terms of "reality". Obviously, somebody who spends thirty hours a week playing EverQuest has a problem. This problem, however, has nothing to do with a dysfunctional sense of reality. An obsessive EQ player does not consider the game to be "real" any more than - for example - an obsessive automotive tinkerer considers their car to be human. If MMORPGs have a unique danger, in terms of encouraging obsessive behaviour, it is not that they create an absorbing virtual world, but rather that they can be easily accessed 24/7. The problem here does not lie with the nature of gaming, but with the nature of modern 24 hour culture. The problem with these so called MMORPGS is that you can never really complete them, there\'s always another quest to do. A few of my friends have only had about 10 hours sleep since it was released friday... Championship Manager consumed my life for years. One particular session started at about 2pm on a Sunday, paused for a brief sleep at 5am on the Monday and after visit to University for classes restarted at about midday for another 10 hour session. The people who tend to hark on about about the problems of "hardcore gaming" seem to be those who have rarely allowed themselves to become immersed in a game. I would expect their perspective to change if they were to do that. I used to be an EverQuest addict while I was in college. It came to the point where the gaming world felt more real than the real one. I failed alot of my courses and was able to barely graduate. I was lucky that I came to my senses when I did, others were less fortunate and dropped out of college. Now that I am holding a job, I avoid online RPGS like the plague. When I was made redundant I told my partner I had a new job for three months whilst every day I played EverQuest from 7:30am till 5:pm. When She came home I pretended I had just got in as well, hence justifying playing it all evening. I have since quit playing MMORPG and have a good job. When I got to the point where I was eating my dinner in front of the PC I realised things were getting silly so I\'m trying not to spend so much time on there. It\'s not easy. I feel as if I\'ve got a real addiction going on here. For me the problem is that I love to complete a goal. Once it is completed that is it, I am finished, time to move on. I become obsessed to complete the goal, so from that standpoint it is an addiction. In a game where you will never complete an "ultimate" goal, well it would be like falling into a black pit. It is easier to escape into a controlled fantasy world than face reality at times - in other words the goal offered in the PC game are "easier" and more fun than the real world. Pretty scary implications if you think about it. I can\'t buy World of Warcraft as it would destroy my marrage, I just know it!! I played Star Wars Galaxies for about a year and can attest to the addictiveness of these games. They are all engineered in such a way that early on in the game you progress quickly, but this progress becomes exponentially slower, requiring more and more time to reach the next level. I\'m sad to say that at the peak of my addiction I was spending entire weekends in front of my monitor, slowly building up my character, stopping only for food and toilet breaks. Thankfully I made a clean break, and actually managed to sell my Jedi account for £800 - which is my only sanity check in an otherwise completely unproductive time vacuum. Seven years ago, I began playing Ultima Online. This game dominated 2 years of my life. They were 2 wonderful years and I still have vivid memories of the experiences and friends I had. Online gaming can be a world of escapism where you can be yourself without fear of the thoughts of others. Something that cannot always be achieved in the day to day running of a normal life. Whilst I would warn against people giving to much of there life to these games, I believe they are a better way to spend your time than say watching TV. Gaming is addictive and should be made a recognised addiction. When I was single I used to play upto eight hours a night after work every night for about a year, building up my stats, completing evermore quests and battling ogres. But somehow I found time to get out, even met someone and got married! Has my life changed? Hell no! I still cast spells and battle till the early hours of the morning. On with the fun! Online gaming should be enjoyed just as much as you would enjoy watching television, or going to the cinema or the pub with your mates. Many people use recreational drugs on an occasional basis and are able to lead succesfull lives with families, relationships and good careers. A minority allow drugs to take over and destroy their lives and become addicted. According to this article the same is true of MMORPGs. The message to the government is clear, either legalise drugs, or outlaw online gaming!! Sounds like there are some sad stories here - and I can believe them all. I play alot of Warcraft myself, and know full well how addictive it is. I am resolute that it will not take over my life. It certainly gets in the way though. I think that some people simply do not know how to draw this line, or lack the willpower to stop themselves stepping over it. I think I\'m obsessed with gaming in general, I spend far too much time playing games like Everquest 2 and Football Manager rather than going out and interacting with real people and when I do try to, I\'m always thinking in the back if my mind that I\'d rather be in front of the computer winning the league with Cambridge United. I am obsessed with online role playing games. It\'s not so much quests but it has the adrenaline of a real life situation - goals to achieve etc. I spend about five hours per day online playing it and I rarely get more than four to five hours sleep before getting up for work the next morning... As many of the players spend their time in MMORPGs rather than in front of the TV I fail to see how it will affect players social lives negatively. Furthermore these types of games contain a huge social aspect, whereas other games and some other pursuits (such as being a couch potato) the players could be indulging in are solitary by nature. These games are like most things -- too much of anything is a bad thing, but as long as you can walk away from the computer to do other things too, they can be great fun. Living in Korea at the moment, they have lots PC Bangs (Internet Cafes). Nearly most of South Koreans are addicted to online games, and one Korean died because of the lack of food and water he had through playing online games. I play xbox live every day. I find my self lying and rescheduling everything around my gaming fix. The longest I played was a 24 hour straight session. I know I play for to long but it\'s an obsession that I can\'t control. Can you reccomend a counsellor - this is not a wind up... but something I\'m increasingly concerned with... Me and my mate play online for an hour or two a day, we\'re both aware of how much time can disappear by sitting in front of a TV, trying to \'frag\' some individual. It\'s getting the balance between getting home and relasing the stress of a day by an hour or so gaming, and enjoying \'real\' life... I bought the US version of World of Warcraft when it came out. The longest period I played was 23 hrs straight. I gave up the game after a month because it was so addictive, but have subsequently just bought the European version (couldn\'t help myself). In future, I\'m going to regulate my time far more strictly. Great game! Having played MMORPG games for some years I agree that these type of games can be life sucking. But my concern is for the younger generation of gamers that play for hours on end in an adult enviroment. Most MMORPG games you need a credit card to play but I dont think parents know just what they are letting there children into. Unless there is undeniable medical proof that staring at a computer screens for hours at a time can damage a person¿s health, you can expect this not to decline but to get worse. These people are pathetic. They need to get off their machines and notice that our world is being swiftly overcome by issues and troubles that make the trifling worries of and "online universe" absolutely meaningless. 24hours, when i was a kid at school and i was on half term, Ultima Online was the game, ahhhh them was the days ! LOL '}
def clean (data):
targetDict = {}
for country, article in data.items():
val = (helper(article))
targetDict[country] = val
return (targetDict)
def helper (art):
targetArray = []
words = nltk.word_tokenize(str(art))
tokenizer = [word for word in words if word.isalnum()]
targetArray.append(tokenizer)
total = 0
targetSize = len(targetArray)
for x in range(targetSize):
total = total + len(targetArray[x])
print("Total number of words in articles:",total)
flat_list = [item for sublist in targetArray for item in sublist]
stopWordsRemoved = []
stop_words = nltk.corpus.stopwords.words('english')
newStopWords = ['A','The','It','Said','And','Or','Nor','On','Of','In','At','I','But','Mr','Ms','Mrs','Mss','a','the','it',
'said','and','or','nor','on','of','in','at','i','but','mr','mrs','ms','but','they','is','Is','are','Are','an','B','As']
stop_words.extend(newStopWords)
for x in flat_list:
if x not in stop_words:
stopWordsRemoved.append(x)
print('Total tokens after stop words removed',len(stopWordsRemoved))
#apply lemmatization
lemmatiziedArray = []
def lemmatization(dataString):
lemmatizer = WordNetLemmatizer()
holder = lemmatizer.lemmatize(dataString)
return holder
for x in stopWordsRemoved:
helper = lemmatization(x)
lemmatiziedArray.append(helper)
#Remove if needed
from nltk.stem import PorterStemmer
# Stemming & Lemmatization
stemmer = nltk.PorterStemmer()
lemmatizer = nltk.WordNetLemmatizer()
# Applying both stemming & lemmatization on the string
normalized_stem_data = [stemmer.stem(word) for word in lemmatiziedArray]
clean_text = [lemmatizer.lemmatize(word) for word in normalized_stem_data]
return clean_text
CleanBusiness = clean(businessClean)
CleanEntertainment = clean(entertainmentClean)
CleanPolitics = clean(politicsClean)
CleanSports = clean(sportsClean)
CleanTech = clean(techClean)
CleanBusinessOver = clean(bOverlapClean)
CleanEntertainmentOver = clean(eOverlapClean)
CleanPoliticsOver = clean(pOverlapClean)
CleanSportsOver = clean(sOverlapClean)
CleanTechOver = clean(tOverlapClean)
Total number of words in articles: 1058 Total tokens after stop words removed 655 Total number of words in articles: 1238 Total tokens after stop words removed 740 Total number of words in articles: 3787 Total tokens after stop words removed 2277 Total number of words in articles: 592 Total tokens after stop words removed 342 Total number of words in articles: 3706 Total tokens after stop words removed 2188 Total number of words in articles: 660 Total tokens after stop words removed 409 Total number of words in articles: 784 Total tokens after stop words removed 468 Total number of words in articles: 3309 Total tokens after stop words removed 2006 Total number of words in articles: 1014 Total tokens after stop words removed 612 Total number of words in articles: 1136 Total tokens after stop words removed 680 Total number of words in articles: 2714 Total tokens after stop words removed 1617 Total number of words in articles: 309 Total tokens after stop words removed 179 Total number of words in articles: 1726 Total tokens after stop words removed 1007 Total number of words in articles: 872 Total tokens after stop words removed 518 Total number of words in articles: 14323 Total tokens after stop words removed 8394 Total number of words in articles: 31386 Total tokens after stop words removed 18859 Total number of words in articles: 702 Total tokens after stop words removed 432 Total number of words in articles: 932 Total tokens after stop words removed 529 Total number of words in articles: 228 Total tokens after stop words removed 132 Total number of words in articles: 722 Total tokens after stop words removed 429 Total number of words in articles: 1094 Total tokens after stop words removed 672 Total number of words in articles: 810 Total tokens after stop words removed 448 Total number of words in articles: 1148 Total tokens after stop words removed 616 Total number of words in articles: 969 Total tokens after stop words removed 633 Total number of words in 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BrazilCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Brazil']
ChinaCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['China']
EuropeCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['EU'] + CleanBusiness['Europe']
FranceCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['France']
GermanyCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Germany']
IndiaCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['India']
IndonesiaCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Indonesia']
ItalyCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Italy']
JapanCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Japan']
MexicoCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Mexico']
RussiaCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Russia']
TurkeyCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['Turkey']
UKCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['UK']
USCleanBusiness = CleanBusiness['US']
AustraliaCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['Australia']
CanadaCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['Canada']
EuropeCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['Europe']
FranceCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['France']
GermanyCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['Germany']
IndiaCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['India']
JapanCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['Japan']
UKCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['UK']
USCleanEntertainment = CleanEntertainment['US']
AustraliaCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['Australia']
EuropeCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['EU'] + CleanPolitics['Europe']
IndonesiaCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['Indonesia']
MexicoCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['Mexico']
RussiaCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['Russia']
UKCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['UK']
USCleanPolitics = CleanPolitics['US']
ArgentinaCleanSports = CleanSports['Argentina']
AustraliaCleanSports = CleanSports['Australia']
BrazilCleanSports = CleanSports['Brazil']
CanadaCleanSports = CleanSports['Canada']
EuropeCleanSports = CleanSports['Europe']
FranceCleanSports = CleanSports['France']
GermanyCleanSports = CleanSports['Germany']
IndiaCleanSports = CleanSports['India']
ItalyCleanSports = CleanSports['Italy']
JapanCleanSports = CleanSports['Japan']
MexicoCleanSports = CleanSports['Mexico']
UKCleanSports = CleanSports['UK']
USCleanSports = CleanSports['US']
ChinaCleanTech = CleanTech['China']
EuropeCleanTech = CleanTech['EU'] + CleanTech['Europe']
FranceCleanTech = CleanTech['France']
GermanyCleanTech = CleanTech['Germany']
IndiaCleanTech = CleanTech['India']
ItalyCleanTech = CleanTech['Italy']
JapanCleanTech = CleanTech['Japan']
UKCleanTech = CleanTech['UK']
USCleanTech = CleanTech['US']
ArgentinaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Argentina']
AustraliaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Australia']
BrazilCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Brazil']
CanadaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Canada']
ChinaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['China']
EuropeCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['EU'] + CleanBusinessOver['Europe']
FranceCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['France']
GermanyCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Germany']
IndiaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['India']
IndonesiaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Indonesia']
ItalyCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Italy']
JapanCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Japan']
MexicoCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Mexico']
RussiaCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Russia']
TurkeyCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['Turkey']
UKCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['UK']
USCleanBusinessOver = CleanBusinessOver['US']
ArgentinaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Argentina']
AustraliaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Australia']
BrazilCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Brazil']
CanadaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Canada']
ChinaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['China']
EuropeCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Europe'] + CleanEntertainmentOver['EU']
FranceCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['France']
GermanyCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Germany']
IndiaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['India']
IndonesiaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Indonesia']
ItalyCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Italy']
JapanCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Japan']
MexicoCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Mexico']
RussiaCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['Russia']
UKCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['UK']
USCleanEntertainmentOver = CleanEntertainmentOver['US']
AustraliaCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Australia']
CanadaCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Canada']
ChinaCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['China']
EuropeCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['EU'] + CleanPoliticsOver['Europe']
FranceCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['France']
GermantCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Germany']
IndiaCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['India']
IndonesiaCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Indonesia']
JapanCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Japan']
MexicoCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Mexico']
RussiaCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Russia']
TurkeyCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['Turkey']
UKCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['UK']
USCleanPoliticsOver = CleanPoliticsOver['US']
ArgentinaCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Argentina']
AustraliaCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Australia']
BrazilCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Brazil']
CanadaCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Canada']
ChinaCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['China']
EuropeCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Europe']
FranceCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['France']
GermanyCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Germany']
IndiaCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['India']
ItalyCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Italy']
JapanCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Japan']
MexicoCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Mexico']
RussiaCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Russia']
TurkeyCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['Turkey']
UKCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['UK']
USCleanSportsOver = CleanSportsOver['US']
ArgentinaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Argentina']
AustraliaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Australia']
BrazilCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Brazil']
CanadaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Canada']
ChinaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['China']
EuropeCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['EU'] + CleanTechOver['Europe']
FranceCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['France']
GermanyCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Germany']
IndiaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['India']
IndonesiaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Indonesia']
ItalyCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Italy']
JapanCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Japan']
MexicoCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Mexico']
RussiaCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Russia']
TurkeyCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['Turkey']
UKCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['UK']
USCleanTechOver = CleanTechOver['US']
print(AustraliaCleanBusinessOver)
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#Prepare to extract topics by Country
Argentina = [ArgentinaCleanSports, ArgentinaCleanBusinessOver, ArgentinaCleanEntertainmentOver,ArgentinaCleanSportsOver, ArgentinaCleanTechOver]
Australia = [AustraliaCleanBusiness, AustraliaCleanBusinessOver, AustraliaCleanEntertainment, AustraliaCleanEntertainmentOver,AustraliaCleanPolitics, AustraliaCleanPoliticsOver,ArgentinaCleanSports, ArgentinaCleanSportsOver,ArgentinaCleanTechOver]
Brazil = [BrazilCleanBusiness,BrazilCleanBusinessOver,BrazilCleanEntertainmentOver,BrazilCleanSports,BrazilCleanSportsOver,BrazilCleanTechOver]
Canada = [CanadaCleanBusinessOver, CanadaCleanEntertainmentOver,CanadaCleanPoliticsOver,CanadaCleanSportsOver,CanadaCleanTechOver]
China = [ChinaCleanBusinessOver,ChinaCleanEntertainmentOver, ChinaCleanPoliticsOver, ChinaCleanSportsOver, ChinaCleanTech, ChinaCleanTechOver]
Europe = [EuropeCleanBusiness, EuropeCleanBusinessOver, EuropeCleanEntertainment, EuropeCleanEntertainmentOver, EuropeCleanPolitics, EuropeCleanPoliticsOver, EuropeCleanSports, EuropeCleanSportsOver, EuropeCleanTech, EuropeCleanTechOver]
France = [FranceCleanBusiness, FranceCleanBusinessOver, FranceCleanEntertainment, FranceCleanEntertainmentOver, FranceCleanPoliticsOver, FranceCleanSports, FranceCleanSportsOver, FranceCleanTech, FranceCleanTechOver]
Germany = [GermanyCleanBusiness, GermanyCleanBusinessOver, GermanyCleanEntertainment, GermanyCleanEntertainmentOver, GermanyCleanSports, GermanyCleanSportsOver, GermanyCleanTech, GermanyCleanTechOver]
India = [IndiaCleanBusiness, IndiaCleanBusinessOver, IndiaCleanEntertainment, IndiaCleanEntertainmentOver,IndiaCleanPoliticsOver,IndiaCleanSports, IndiaCleanSportsOver, IndiaCleanTech, IndiaCleanTechOver]
Indonesia = [IndonesiaCleanBusiness, IndonesiaCleanBusinessOver, IndonesiaCleanEntertainmentOver, IndonesiaCleanPolitics, IndonesiaCleanPoliticsOver,IndonesiaCleanTechOver]
Italy = [ItalyCleanBusiness, ItalyCleanBusinessOver, ItalyCleanEntertainmentOver, ItalyCleanSports, ItalyCleanSportsOver, ItalyCleanTech, ItalyCleanTechOver]
Japan = [JapanCleanBusiness, JapanCleanBusinessOver, JapanCleanEntertainment, JapanCleanEntertainmentOver, JapanCleanPoliticsOver, JapanCleanSports, JapanCleanSportsOver, JapanCleanTech, JapanCleanTechOver]
Mexico = [MexicoCleanBusiness, MexicoCleanBusinessOver, MexicoCleanEntertainmentOver, MexicoCleanPolitics, MexicoCleanPoliticsOver, MexicoCleanSports, MexicoCleanSportsOver, MexicoCleanTechOver]
Russia = [RussiaCleanBusiness, RussiaCleanBusinessOver, RussiaCleanEntertainmentOver, RussiaCleanPolitics, RussiaCleanPoliticsOver, RussiaCleanSportsOver, RussiaCleanTechOver]
Turkey = [TurkeyCleanBusiness, TurkeyCleanBusinessOver, TurkeyCleanPoliticsOver, TurkeyCleanSportsOver, TurkeyCleanTechOver]
UnitedKingdom = [UKCleanBusiness, UKCleanBusinessOver, UKCleanEntertainment, UKCleanEntertainmentOver, UKCleanPolitics, UKCleanPoliticsOver,UKCleanSports, UKCleanSportsOver, UKCleanTech, UKCleanTechOver]
UnitedStates = [USCleanBusiness, USCleanBusinessOver, USCleanEntertainment, USCleanEntertainmentOver, USCleanPolitics, USCleanPoliticsOver, USCleanSports, USCleanSportsOver, USCleanTech, USCleanTechOver]
UnitedStates
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'thing', 'use', 'real', 'peopl', 'PC', 'magazin', 'editor', 'peopl', 'creat', 'list', 'insan', 'sure', 'import', 'gadget', 'modern', 'age', 'mobil', 'phone', 'revolutionalis', 'commun', 'nich', 'market', 'laptop', 'from', 'outsid', 'modern', 'age', 'marin', 'chronomet', 'singl', 'import', 'gadget', 'without', 'modern', 'transport', 'system', 'would', 'evolv', 'quickli', 'ha', 'everyon', 'forgot', 'brevil', 'pie', 'maker', 'An', 'interest', 'list', 'electron', 'gadget', 'thousand', 'journalist', 'earli', '1980', 'bless', 'origin', 'noteboook', 'pc', 'tandi', '100', 'size', 'A4', 'paper', 'light', 'three', 'week', 'set', 'batteri', 'excel', 'keyboard', 'modem', 'piti', 'tandi', 'make', 'do', 'compat', 'what', 'appl', 'powerbook', '100', 'date', 'much', 'gadget', 'sure', 'someth', 'simpl', 'timeless', 'tin', 'open', 'swiss', 'armi', 'knife', 'safeti', 'razor', 'blade', 'wristwatch', 'thing', 'take', 'stone', 'hors', 'hoof', 'mobil', 'phone', 'No', 'singl', 'devic', 'effect', 'way', 'live', 'short', 'space', 'time', 'ball', 'point', 'pen', 'got', 'one', 'use', 'common', 'gadget', 'ever', 'also', 'mani', 'might', 'grate', 'pocket', 'calcul', 'great', 'improv', 'slide', 'rule', 'casio', 'pocket', 'calcul', 'play', 'simpl', 'game', 'made', 'tinni', 'nois', 'also', 'hot', 'gadget', '1980', 'true', 'gadget', 'could', 'carri', 'around', 'shown', 'all', 'top', '10', 'electron', 'toy', 'list', 'probabl', 'better', 'reflect', 'current', 'ob', 'anyht', 'el', 'say', 'swiss', 'armi', 'knife', 'made', 'No', '20', 'sinclair', 'QL', 'machin', 'far', 'ahead', 'time', 'first', 'home', 'machin', 'true', 'OS', 'shame', 'market', 'bad', 'appl', 'triumph', 'fashion', 'well', 'everyth', 'el', 'utter', 'rubbish', 'ye', 'appl', 'laptop', 'soni', 'walkman', 'classic', 'gadget', 'call', 'sextant', 'marin', 'chronomet', 'rank', 'le', 'import', 'TV', 'remot', 'control', 'reveal', 'quit', 'shock', 'lack', 'histor', 'perspect', 'former', 'liter', 'help', 'chang', 'world', 'vastli', 'improv', 'navig', 'see', 'latter', 'seed', 'around', 'couch', 'potato', 'cultur', 'develop', 'No', 'competit', 'also', 'put', 'appl', 'newton', 'first', 'palm', 'pilot', 'front', 'runner', 'portabl', 'comput', 'possibl', 'toshiba', 'libretto', 'reason', 'wish', 'vulcan', 'inc', 'flipstart', 'vapourwar', 'otherwis', 'would', 'top', 'how', 'laptop', 'ever', 'manag', 'beat', 'challeng', 'wristwatch', 'telephon', 'mobil', 'otherwis', 'what', 'radio', 'tv', 'swiss', 'armi', 'knife', 'By', 'far', 'use', 'gadget', 'got', 'mine', '12', 'year', 'ago', 'still', 'wear', 'use', 'lot', 'stood', 'test', 'time', 'psion', 'organis', 'seri', '3', 'had', 'usabl', 'qwerti', 'keyboard', 'remov', 'storag', 'good', 'set', 'app', 'programm', 'case', 'design', 'good', 'batteri', 'hing', 'first', 'think', 'great', 'product', 'innov', 'first', 'mobil', 'PC', 'vote', 'best', 'gadget', 'reader', 'err', 'mobil', 'PC', 'whi', 'keep', 'put', 'obvious', 'bias', 'list', 'site', 'obvious', 'mobil', 'phone', 'remot', 'control', 'reader', 'le', 'partisan', 'public', 'would', 'tell', 'motorola', 'startac', 'number', 'one', 'whi', 'there', 'mobil', 'phone', 'long', 'notebook', 'comput', 'gadget', 'either', 'gone', 'integr', 'commun', 'devic', 'psion', 'seri', '3c', 'first', 'practic', 'way', 'carri', 'info', 'around', 'would', 'back', 'sinclair', 'spectrum', 'without', 'littl', 'beauti', 'would', 'never', 'move', 'world', 'IT', 'earn', 'live', 'put', 'mobil', 'phone', 'high', 'list', 'probabl', 'nokia', 'model', 'sinclair', 'spectrum', '16k', 'plug', 'tv', 'game', 'rubbish', 'gave', 'tast', 'program', 'live', 'wish', 'modern', 'notebook', 'even', 'appl', 'newest', 'offer', 'like', 'pb100', 'particularli', 'dishearten', 'demis', 'trackbal', 'given', 'way', 'larg', 'useless', 'trackpad', 'everi', 'notebook', 'market', 'today', 'u', 'they', 'invari', 'inaccur', 'uncomfort', 'cumbersom', 'use', 'congratul', 'appl', 'deserv', 'win', 'googl', 'toolbar', 'spark', 'concern', 'search', 'engin', 'firm', 'googl', 'releas', 'trial', 'tool', 'concern', 'net', 'user', 'direct', 'peopl', 'commerci', 'websit', 'autolink', 'featur', 'come', 'googl', 'latest', 'toolbar', 'provid', 'link', 'webpag', 'find', 'book', 'isbn', 'number', 'site', 'also', 'link', 'googl', 'map', 'servic', 'address', 'car', 'firm', 'carfax', 'licenc', 'plate', 'googl', 'featur', 'avail', 'US', 'add', 'use', 'link', 'user', 'concern', 'googl', 'domin', 'posit', 'search', 'engin', 'market', 'place', 'could', 'mean', 'would', 'give', 'competit', 'edg', 'firm', 'like', 'amazon', 'autolink', 'work', 'creat', 'link', 'websit', 'base', 'inform', 'contain', 'webpag', 'even', 'link', 'specifi', 'whether', 'publish', 'page', 'given', 'permiss', 'If', 'user', 'click', 'autolink', 'featur', 'googl', 'toolbar', 'webpag', 'book', 'uniqu', 'isbn', 'number', 'would', 'link', 'directli', 'amazon', 'websit', 'could', 'mean', 'onlin', 'librari', 'list', 'isbn', 'book', 'number', 'find', 'direct', 'user', 'whether', 'like', 'websit', 'paid', 'advertis', 'page', 'may', 'also', 'direct', 'peopl', 'rival', 'servic', 'dan', 'gillmor', 'founder', 'grassroot', 'medium', 'support', 'medium', 'tool', 'bad', 'idea', 'unfortun', 'move', 'compani', 'look', 'continu', 'hypergrowth', 'statement', 'googl', 'featur', 'still', 'beta', 'ie', 'trial', 'stage', 'compani', 'welcom', 'feedback', 'user', 'user', 'choos', 'never', 'click', 'autolink', 'button', 'web', 'page', 'view', 'never', 'modifi', 'addit', 'user', 'choos', 'disabl', 'autolink', 'featur', 'entir', 'time', 'new', 'tool', 'compar', 'smart', 'tag', 'featur', 'microsoft', 'user', 'wide', 'criticis', 'net', 'user', 'later', 'drop', 'microsoft', 'concern', 'trademark', 'use', 'rais', 'smart', 'tag', 'allow', 'microsoft', 'link', 'word', 'web', 'page', 'anoth', 'site', 'chosen', 'compani', 'googl', 'none', 'compani', 'receiv', 'autolink', 'paid', 'servic', 'some', 'user', 'autolink', 'would', 'fair', 'websit', 'sign', 'allow', 'featur', 'work', 'page', 'receiv', 'revenu', 'click', 'commerci', 'site', 'cori', 'doctorow', 'european', 'outreach', 'coordin', 'digit', 'civil', 'liberti', 'group', 'electron', 'fronter', 'foundat', 'googl', 'penalis', 'market', 'domin', 'cours', 'googl', 'allow', 'direct', 'peopl', 'whatev', 'proxi', 'choos', 'end', 'user', 'would', 'want', 'know', 'choos', 'use', 'servic', 'much', 'googl', 'paid', 'substitut', 'compani', 'one', 'chosen', 'googl', 'doctorow', 'object', 'would', 'user', 'forc', 'use', 'autolink', 'trick', 'use', 'servic', 'global', 'blogger', 'action', 'day', 'call', 'global', 'web', 'blog', 'commun', 'call', 'action', 'lend', 'support', 'two', 'imprison', 'iranian', ...], ['ink', 'help', 'drive', 'democraci', 'asia', 'kyrgyz', 'republ', 'small', 'mountain', 'state', 'former', 'soviet', 'republ', 'use', 'invis', 'ink', 'ultraviolet', 'reader', 'countri', 'elect', 'part', 'drive', 'prevent', 'multipl', 'vote', 'thi', 'new', 'technolog', 'caus', 'worri', 'guard', 'optim', 'among', 'differ', 'sector', 'popul', 'effort', 'live', 'reput', '1990', 'island', 'democraci', 'kyrgyz', 'presid', 'askar', 'akaev', 'push', 'law', 'requir', 'use', 'ink', 'upcom', 'parliamentari', 'presidenti', 'elect', 'US', 'govern', 'agre', 'fund', 'expens', 'associ', 'decis', 'kyrgyz', 'republ', 'seen', 'mani', 'expert', 'backslid', 'high', 'point', 'reach', 'hastili', 'push', 'referendum', '2003', 'reduc', 'legisl', 'branch', 'one', 'chamber', '75', 'deputi', 'use', 'ink', 'one', 'part', 'gener', 'effort', 'show', 'commit', 'toward', 'open', 'elect', 'german', 'embassi', 'soro', 'foundat', 'kyrgyz', 'govern', 'contribut', 'purchas', 'transpar', 'ballot', 'box', 'actual', 'technolog', 'behind', 'ink', 'complic', 'ink', 'spray', 'person', 'left', 'thumb', 'dri', 'visibl', 'normal', 'light', 'howev', 'presenc', 'ultraviolet', 'light', 'kind', 'use', 'verifi', 'money', 'caus', 'ink', 'glow', 'neon', 'yellow', 'light', 'entranc', 'poll', 'station', 'one', 'elect', 'offici', 'scan', 'voter', 'finger', 'UV', 'lamp', 'allow', 'enter', 'everi', 'voter', 'left', 'thumb', 'spray', 'ink', 'receiv', 'ballot', 'If', 'ink', 'show', 'UV', 'light', 'voter', 'allow', 'enter', 'poll', 'station', 'likewis', 'voter', 'refus', 'ink', 'receiv', 'ballot', 'these', 'elect', 'assum', 'even', 'greater', 'signific', 'two', 'larg', 'factor', 'upcom', 'parliamentari', 'elect', 'prelud', 'potenti', 'regim', 'chang', 'presidenti', 'elect', 'autumn', 'well', 'echo', 'recent', 'elect', 'former', 'soviet', 'republ', 'notabl', 'ukrain', 'georgia', 'use', 'ink', 'controversi', 'especi', 'among', 'group', 'perceiv', 'wide', 'circul', 'articl', 'compar', 'use', 'ink', 'rural', 'practic', 'mark', 'sheep', 'still', 'common', 'metaphor', 'primarili', 'agricultur', 'societi', 'author', 'one', 'articl', 'began', 'petit', 'drive', 'use', 'ink', 'greatest', 'part', 'opposit', 'ink', 'often', 'sheer', 'ignor', 'local', 'newspap', 'carri', 'stori', 'ink', 'harm', 'radioact', 'even', 'ultraviolet', 'reader', 'may', 'caus', 'health', 'problem', 'other', 'aggress', 'middl', 'road', 'coalit', 'organ', 'laud', 'move', 'import', 'step', 'forward', 'thi', 'type', 'ink', 'use', 'mani', 'elect', 'world', 'countri', 'vari', 'serbia', 'south', 'africa', 'indonesia', 'turkey', 'common', 'type', 'ink', 'elect', 'indel', 'visibl', 'ink', 'elect', 'afghanistan', 'show', 'improp', 'use', 'type', 'ink', 'caus', 'addit', 'problem', 'use', 'invis', 'ink', 'without', 'problem', 'elect', 'numer', 'rumor', 'spread', 'serbia', 'exampl', 'christian', 'islam', 'leader', 'assur', 'popul', 'use', 'contrari', 'religion', 'other', 'rumour', 'associ', 'remov', 'ink', 'variou', 'soft', 'drink', 'solvent', 'clean', 'product', 'put', 'forward', 'howev', 'realiti', 'ink', 'effect', 'get', 'cuticl', 'thumb', 'difficult', 'wash', 'ink', 'stay', 'finger', 'least', '72', 'hour', 'week', 'use', 'ink', 'reader', 'panacea', 'elect', 'ill', 'passag', 'ink', 'law', 'nevertheless', 'clear', 'step', 'forward', 'toward', 'free', 'fair', 'elect', 'countri', 'wide', 'watch', 'parliamentari', 'elect', 'schedul', '27', 'februari', 'david', 'mikosz', 'work', 'ife', 'intern', 'organis', 'support', 'build', 'democrat', 'societi', 'digit', 'guru', 'float', '100', 'PC', 'nichola', 'negropont', 'chairman', 'founder', 'mit', 'medium', 'lab', 'say', 'develop', 'laptop', 'PC', 'go', 'sale', 'le', '100', 'He', 'told', 'bbc', 'world', 'servic', 'programm', 'Go', 'digit', 'hope', 'would', 'becom', 'educ', 'tool', 'develop', 'countri', 'He', 'one', 'laptop', 'per', 'child', 'could', 'import', 'develop', 'child', 'whole', 'famili', 'villag', 'neighbourhood', 'He', 'child', 'could', 'use', 'laptop', 'like', 'text', 'book', 'He', 'describ', 'devic', 'strip', 'laptop', 'would', 'run', 'oper', 'system', 'We', 'get', 'display', '20', 'need', 'rear', 'project', 'imag', 'rather', 'use', 'ordinari', 'flat', 'panel', 'second', 'trick', 'get', 'rid', 'fat', 'skinni', 'gain', 'speed', 'abil', 'use', 'smaller', 'processor', 'slower', 'memori', 'devic', 'probabl', 'export', 'kit', 'part', 'assembl', 'local', 'keep', 'cost', 'negropont', 'profit', 'ventur', 'though', 'recognis', 'manufactur', 'compon', 'would', 'make', 'money', '1995', 'negropont', 'publish', 'bestsel', 'be', 'digit', 'wide', 'seen', 'predict', 'digit', 'age', 'concept', 'base', 'experi', 'US', 'state', 'main', 'child', 'given', 'laptop', 'comput', 'take', 'home', 'work', 'while', 'idea', 'popular', 'amongst', 'child', 'initi', 'receiv', 'resist', 'teacher', 'problem', 'laptop', 'get', 'broken', 'howev', 'negropont', 'adapt', 'idea', 'work', 'cambodia', 'set', 'two', 'school', 'togeth', 'wife', 'gave', 'child', 'laptop', 'We', 'put', '25', 'laptop', 'three', 'year', 'ago', 'one', 'broken', 'kid', 'cherish', 'thing', 'also', 'TV', 'telephon', 'game', 'machin', 'textbook', 'negropont', 'want', 'laptop', 'becom', 'common', 'mobil', 'phone', 'conced', 'ambiti', 'nokia', 'make', '200', 'million', 'cell', 'phone', 'year', 'u', 'claim', 'go', 'make', '200', 'million', 'laptop', 'big', 'number', 'talk', 'three', 'five', 'year', 'talk', 'month', 'He', 'plan', 'distribut', 'end', '2006', 'alreadi', 'discus', 'chine', 'educ', 'ministri', 'expect', 'make', 'larg', 'order', 'china', 'spend', '17', 'per', 'child', 'per', 'year', 'textbook', 'that', 'five', 'six', 'year', 'distribut', 'sell', 'laptop', 'quantiti', 'one', 'million', 'ministri', 'educ', 'cheaper', 'market', 'overhead', 'go', 'away', 'UK', 'net', 'user', 'lead', 'TV', 'download', 'british', 'TV', 'viewer', 'lead', 'trend', 'illeg', 'download', 'US', 'show', 'net', 'accord', 'research', 'new', 'episod', '24', 'desper', 'housew', 'six', 'foot', 'under', 'appear', 'web', 'hour', 'shown', 'US', 'report', 'web', 'track', 'compani', 'envision', '18', 'download', 'within', 'UK', 'download', 'TV', 'programm', 'increas', '150', 'last', 'year', 'about', '70', 'use', 'program', 'bittorr', 'firm', 'easi', 'download', 'pirat', 'TV', 'show', 'programm', 'vcr', 'ben', 'coppin', 'envision', 'typic', 'episod', '24', 'download', 'peopl', 'global', 'report', 'estim', 'within', 'UK', 'fan', 'mani', 'popular', 'US', 'TV', 'programm', 'like', '24', 'usual', 'wait', 'week', 'month', 'latest', 'seri', 'shown', 'UK', 'case', 'report', 'peopl', 'abl', 'watch', 'new', 'episod', 'britain', 'US', 'audienc', 'west', 'coast', 'countri', 'miss', 'televis', 'show', 'present', 'littl', 'problem', 'anyon', 'basic', 'knowledg', 'internet', 'explain', 'coppin', 'two', 'click', 'favourit', 'programm', 'download', 'effect', 'internet', 'global', 'video', 'record', 'exact', 'figur', 'difficult', 'pin', 'thought', 'peopl', 'UK', 'download', 'TV', 'programm', 'some', 'may', 'want', 'odd', 'episod', 'other', 'download', 'regularli', 'mani', 'broadcast', 'analyst', 'agre', 'net', 'radic', 'alter', 'way', 'peopl', 'get', 'content', 'like', 'TV', 'programm', 'thi', 'present', 'challeng', 'broadcast', 'concern', 'channel', 'schedul', 'may', 'becom', 'le', 'import', 'peopl', 'also', 'concern', 'advertis', 'usual', 'cut', 'download', 'programm', 'industri', 'coin', 'term', 'describ', 'trend', 'abl', 'watch', 'want', 'want', 'increas', 'popular', 'person', 'digit', 'video', 'record', 'box', 'automat', 'record', 'programm', 'like', 'also', 'contribut', 'trend', 'there', 'also', 'numer', 'program', 'avail', 'net', 'automat', 'search', 'store', 'TV', 'programm', 'viewer', 'effect', 'creat', 'person', 'video', 'record', 'comput', 'within', 'half', 'hour', 'record', 'episod', 'upload', 'post', 'onto', 'network', 'download', 'site', 'becaus', 'tend', 'shorter', 'film', 'process', 'digitis', 'quickli', 'more', 'peopl', 'broadband', 'connect', 'UK', 'also', 'mean', 'episod', 'download', 'quickli', 'accord', 'jupit', 'research', '40', 'home', 'broadband', 'say', 'help', 'pick', 'choos', 'programm', 'want', 'see', 'friend', 'recommend', 'envision', 'report', 'TV', 'industri', 'consid', 'offer', 'legal', 'way', 'download', 'show', 'bbc', 'ran', 'trial', 'call', 'interact', 'medium', 'player', 'imp', 'last', 'year', 'base', 'distribut', 'model', 'let', 'peopl', 'download', 'programm', 'held', 'right', 'eight', 'day', 'alreadi', 'air', 'look', 'expans', 'trial', 'later', 'year', 'bbc', 'alreadi', 'allow', 'radio', 'fan', 'hear', 'programm', 'miss', 'onlin', 'week', 'broadcast', 'about', 'six', 'million', 'peopl', 'UK', 'fast', 'net', 'connect', 'via', 'cabl', 'phone', 'line', 'soni', 'psp', 'consol', 'hit', 'US', 'march', 'US', 'gamer', 'abl', 'buy', 'soni', 'playstat', 'portabl', '24', 'march', 'news', 'europ', 'debut', 'handheld', 'consol', 'go', 'sale', '250', 'first', 'million', 'sold', 'come', '2', 'umd', 'disc', 'format', 'machin', 'soni', 'bill', 'machin', 'walkman', '21st', 'centuri', 'sold', 'unit', 'japan', 'consol', '12cm', 'play', 'game', 'movi', 'music', 'also', 'offer', 'support', 'wireless', 'game', 'soni', 'enter', 'market', ...]]
def topicModeling (data):
id2word = corpora.Dictionary(data)
lda_model = gensim.models.ldamodel.LdaModel(corpus=corpus,
id2word=id2word,
num_topics=10,
random_state=100,
update_every=1,
chunksize=100,
passes=10,
alpha='auto',
per_word_topics=True)
pprint(lda_model.print_topics())
doc_lda = lda_model[corpus]
return lda_model, corpus, id2word
print('Printing Topics For Argentina')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Argentina)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Argentina [(0, '0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"80" + 0.001*"De" + 0.001*"leader" + ' '0.001*"34" + 0.001*"allegedli" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"24" + 0.001*"decad"'), (1, '0.001*"De" + 0.001*"80" + 0.001*"allegedli" + 0.001*"federico" + ' '0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"belgium" + 0.001*"2002" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"fell" ' '+ 0.001*"acquaint"'), (2, '0.001*"80" + 0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"De" + ' '0.001*"allegedli" + 0.001*"account" + 0.001*"fell" + 0.001*"25" + ' '0.001*"china"'), (3, '0.012*"80" + 0.011*"federico" + 0.010*"aim" + 0.008*"easi" + 0.008*"De" + ' '0.006*"allegedli" + 0.006*"china" + 0.006*"2002" + 0.005*"account" + ' '0.005*"fell"'), (4, '0.001*"80" + 0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"china" + 0.001*"aim" + ' '0.001*"expect" + 0.001*"De" + 0.001*"conclus" + 0.001*"feed" + 0.001*"easi" ' '+ 0.001*"2002"'), (5, '0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"80" + 0.001*"De" + ' '0.001*"allegedli" + 0.001*"acquaint" + 0.001*"34" + 0.001*"account" + ' '0.001*"M"'), (6, '0.001*"80" + 0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"De" + ' '0.001*"M" + 0.001*"china" + 0.001*"25" + 0.001*"leader" + ' '0.001*"allegedli"'), (7, '0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"80" + 0.001*"De" + 0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"easi" + ' '0.001*"conclus" + 0.001*"2002" + 0.001*"allegedli" + 0.001*"M" + ' '0.001*"eclac"'), (8, '0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"80" + 0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"De" + ' '0.001*"fell" + 0.001*"belgium" + 0.001*"china" + 0.001*"eclac" + ' '0.001*"2002"'), (9, '0.001*"80" + 0.001*"aim" + 0.001*"china" + 0.001*"expect" + ' '0.001*"federico" + 0.001*"easi" + 0.001*"agua" + 0.001*"conclus" + ' '0.001*"game" + 0.001*"feed"')]
print('Printing Topics For Australia')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Australia)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Australia [(0, '0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"slow" + ' '0.000*"although" + 0.000*"four" + 0.000*"sharehold" + 0.000*"that" + ' '0.000*"abroad" + 0.000*"sportwagon"'), (1, '0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"although" + ' '0.000*"slow" + 0.000*"that" + 0.000*"associ" + 0.000*"sportwagon" + ' '0.000*"creat" + 0.000*"246bn"'), (2, '0.001*"sky" + 0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"246bn" + 0.000*"slow" ' '+ 0.000*"although" + 0.000*"70" + 0.000*"that" + 0.000*"rose" + ' '0.000*"abroad"'), (3, '0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"slow" + ' '0.000*"although" + 0.000*"246bn" + 0.000*"that" + 0.000*"sportwagon" + ' '0.000*"aluminium" + 0.000*"70"'), (4, '0.001*"countri" + 0.001*"although" + 0.001*"sky" + 0.001*"talk" + ' '0.001*"that" + 0.001*"organis" + 0.001*"slow" + 0.001*"are" + ' '0.001*"abroad" + 0.001*"rose"'), (5, '0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"although" + 0.000*"countri" + ' '0.000*"slow" + 0.000*"246bn" + 0.000*"aluminium" + 0.000*"that" + ' '0.000*"arrang" + 0.000*"sportwagon"'), (6, '0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"although" + 0.000*"talk" + ' '0.000*"that" + 0.000*"slow" + 0.000*"plan" + 0.000*"perform" + 0.000*"rose" ' '+ 0.000*"second"'), (7, '0.012*"sky" + 0.011*"countri" + 0.010*"talk" + 0.008*"although" + ' '0.008*"slow" + 0.006*"that" + 0.006*"246bn" + 0.005*"rose" + 0.005*"associ" ' '+ 0.005*"sportwagon"'), (8, '0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"246bn" + 0.000*"slow" ' '+ 0.000*"70" + 0.000*"creat" + 0.000*"rose" + 0.000*"suspend" + ' '0.000*"area"'), (9, '0.000*"sky" + 0.000*"countri" + 0.000*"talk" + 0.000*"although" + ' '0.000*"slow" + 0.000*"rose" + 0.000*"associ" + 0.000*"organis" + ' '0.000*"creat" + 0.000*"sharehold"')]
print('Printing Topics For Brazil')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Brazil)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Brazil [(0, '0.001*"collaps" + 0.001*"second" + 0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"econom" + ' '0.001*"record" + 0.001*"argentin" + 0.001*"rival" + 0.001*"sign" + ' '0.001*"across" + 0.001*"pursu"'), (1, '0.001*"second" + 0.001*"collaps" + 0.001*"record" + 0.001*"argentin" + ' '0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"press" + 0.001*"30" + 0.001*"say" + ' '0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"begin"'), (2, '0.001*"collaps" + 0.001*"record" + 0.001*"argentin" + 0.001*"sign" + ' '0.001*"propos" + 0.001*"second" + 0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"pursu" + ' '0.001*"across" + 0.001*"close"'), (3, '0.011*"collaps" + 0.009*"second" + 0.009*"argentin" + 0.008*"sign" + ' '0.007*"redistribut" + 0.007*"societi" + 0.007*"share" + 0.007*"rival" + ' '0.006*"econom" + 0.006*"propos"'), (4, '0.024*"record" + 0.016*"world" + 0.013*"second" + 0.013*"begin" + ' '0.013*"30" + 0.011*"collaps" + 0.010*"protest" + 0.009*"say" + ' '0.009*"burden" + 0.009*"redistribut"'), (5, '0.001*"collaps" + 0.001*"second" + 0.001*"argentin" + 0.001*"societi" + ' '0.001*"rival" + 0.001*"share" + 0.001*"press" + 0.001*"sign" + ' '0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"record"'), (6, '0.001*"record" + 0.001*"second" + 0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"collaps" + ' '0.001*"argentin" + 0.001*"sign" + 0.001*"bloc" + 0.001*"travel" + ' '0.001*"share" + 0.001*"close"'), (7, '0.001*"collaps" + 0.001*"second" + 0.001*"record" + 0.001*"redistribut" + ' '0.001*"world" + 0.001*"begin" + 0.001*"burden" + 0.001*"say" + ' '0.001*"argentina" + 0.001*"30"'), (8, '0.001*"record" + 0.001*"collaps" + 0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"second" + ' '0.001*"argentin" + 0.001*"revenu" + 0.001*"share" + 0.001*"argentina" + ' '0.001*"sign" + 0.001*"rival"'), (9, '0.001*"record" + 0.001*"second" + 0.001*"argentin" + 0.001*"collaps" + ' '0.001*"world" + 0.001*"redistribut" + 0.001*"30" + 0.001*"compani" + ' '0.001*"begin" + 0.001*"say"')]
print('Printing Topics For Canada')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Canada)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Canada [(0, '0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"appear" + 0.001*"relief" + ' '0.001*"everyth" + 0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"repay" + 0.001*"tim" + 0.001*"read" ' '+ 0.001*"revis"'), (1, '0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"appear" + ' '0.001*"access" + 0.001*"read" + 0.001*"varttina" + 0.001*"warwick" + ' '0.001*"bruce" + 0.001*"tim"'), (2, '0.001*"relief" + 0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"want" + 0.001*"compani" + ' '0.001*"repay" + 0.001*"appear" + 0.001*"blair" + 0.001*"announc" + ' '0.001*"1985" + 0.001*"revis"'), (3, '0.001*"relief" + 0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"sent" + ' '0.001*"appear" + 0.001*"repay" + 0.001*"product" + 0.001*"compar" + ' '0.001*"want" + 0.001*"approach"'), (4, '0.024*"relief" + 0.016*"want" + 0.013*"1985" + 0.013*"blair" + 0.013*"seem" ' '+ 0.011*"compani" + 0.010*"rato" + 0.009*"see" + 0.009*"chairman" + ' '0.009*"repay"'), (5, '0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"relief" + 0.001*"repay" + ' '0.001*"appear" + 0.001*"revis" + 0.001*"product" + 0.001*"bruce" + ' '0.001*"invest" + 0.001*"tim"'), (6, '0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"appear" + 0.001*"relief" + ' '0.001*"repay" + 0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"communiqu" + 0.001*"bruce" + ' '0.001*"tim" + 0.001*"read"'), (7, '0.001*"repay" + 0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"relief" + ' '0.001*"appear" + 0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"announc" + 0.001*"bruce" + ' '0.001*"varttina" + 0.001*"compar"'), (8, '0.001*"compani" + 0.001*"relief" + 0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"appear" + ' '0.001*"seem" + 0.001*"repay" + 0.001*"revis" + 0.001*"warwick" + ' '0.001*"product" + 0.001*"bruce"'), (9, '0.011*"compani" + 0.009*"seem" + 0.009*"appear" + 0.008*"sent" + ' '0.007*"repay" + 0.007*"tim" + 0.007*"warwick" + 0.007*"varttina" + ' '0.006*"everyth" + 0.006*"put"')]
print('Printing Topics For China')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(China)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For China [(0, '0.000*"37" + 0.000*"bangaldesh" + 0.000*"attent" + 0.000*"cautiou" + ' '0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"Do" + 0.000*"bankruptci" + 0.000*"asset" + ' '0.000*"focu" + 0.000*"buy"'), (1, '0.000*"attent" + 0.000*"bangaldesh" + 0.000*"37" + 0.000*"bono" + ' '0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"chavez" + 0.000*"child" + 0.000*"cautiou" + ' '0.000*"cbi" + 0.000*"asset"'), (2, '0.001*"attent" + 0.001*"bono" + 0.001*"bangaldesh" + 0.001*"37" + ' '0.001*"chavez" + 0.001*"auction" + 0.001*"breakthrough" + 0.001*"balloon" + ' '0.001*"300" + 0.001*"asphalt"'), (3, '0.000*"attent" + 0.000*"37" + 0.000*"bangaldesh" + 0.000*"cautiou" + ' '0.000*"bono" + 0.000*"arsen" + 0.000*"child" + 0.000*"bankruptci" + ' '0.000*"breakthrough" + 0.000*"1bn"'), (4, '0.000*"attent" + 0.000*"37" + 0.000*"bangaldesh" + 0.000*"cautiou" + ' '0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"bono" + 0.000*"averag" + 0.000*"break" + ' '0.000*"arsen" + 0.000*"breakthrough"'), (5, '0.000*"attent" + 0.000*"37" + 0.000*"cautiou" + 0.000*"bangaldesh" + ' '0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"balloon" + 0.000*"bankruptci" + 0.000*"child" + ' '0.000*"french" + 0.000*"1bn"'), (6, '0.000*"bangaldesh" + 0.000*"attent" + 0.000*"37" + 0.000*"auction" + ' '0.000*"cautiou" + 0.000*"averag" + 0.000*"cbi" + 0.000*"bono" + ' '0.000*"arsen" + 0.000*"balloon"'), (7, '0.022*"attent" + 0.015*"bono" + 0.011*"bangaldesh" + 0.011*"breakthrough" + ' '0.011*"chavez" + 0.010*"37" + 0.009*"asphalt" + 0.009*"balloon" + ' '0.009*"300" + 0.008*"auction"'), (8, '0.000*"bangaldesh" + 0.000*"37" + 0.000*"cautiou" + 0.000*"attent" + ' '0.000*"bankruptci" + 0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"arsen" + 0.000*"cbi" + ' '0.000*"fulli" + 0.000*"buy"'), (9, '0.010*"37" + 0.008*"bangaldesh" + 0.008*"cautiou" + 0.008*"bankruptci" + ' '0.007*"auction" + 0.006*"fulli" + 0.006*"french" + 0.006*"focu" + ' '0.006*"Do" + 0.006*"asset"')]
print('Printing Topics For Europe')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Europe)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Europe [(0, '0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"enforc" + 0.000*"latest" + ' '0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"bo" + 0.000*"editori" + 0.000*"eye" + 0.000*"2050" ' '+ 0.000*"insur"'), (1, '0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"greater" + ' '0.000*"latest" + 0.000*"launch" + 0.000*"enforc" + 0.000*"histor" + ' '0.000*"domin" + 0.000*"export"'), (2, '0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"enforc" + ' '0.000*"dye" + 0.000*"latest" + 0.000*"greater" + 0.000*"GM" + 0.000*"lose" ' '+ 0.000*"event"'), (3, '0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"latest" + 0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"enforc" + ' '0.000*"345m" + 0.000*"eye" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"domin" + 0.000*"dye" + ' '0.000*"40m"'), (4, '0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"latest" + ' '0.000*"maintain" + 0.000*"greater" + 0.000*"345m" + 0.000*"domin" + ' '0.000*"insur" + 0.000*"GM"'), (5, '0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"latest" + 0.000*"extens" + ' '0.000*"enforc" + 0.000*"maintain" + 0.000*"eye" + 0.000*"editori" + ' '0.000*"40m" + 0.000*"2050"'), (6, '0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"greater" + ' '0.000*"lose" + 0.000*"enforc" + 0.000*"histor" + 0.000*"export" + ' '0.000*"annual" + 0.000*"allianc"'), (7, '0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"latest" + ' '0.000*"enforc" + 0.000*"2050" + 0.000*"345m" + 0.000*"eye" + 0.000*"domin" ' '+ 0.000*"dye"'), (8, '0.011*"employ" + 0.010*"announc" + 0.009*"extens" + 0.007*"latest" + ' '0.007*"enforc" + 0.005*"eye" + 0.005*"greater" + 0.005*"domin" + ' '0.005*"event" + 0.005*"maintain"'), (9, '0.000*"announc" + 0.000*"extens" + 0.000*"employ" + 0.000*"latest" + ' '0.000*"eye" + 0.000*"2050" + 0.000*"enforc" + 0.000*"GM" + 0.000*"345m" + ' '0.000*"insur"')]
print('Printing Topics For France')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(France)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For France [(0, '0.000*"first" + 0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"31" + 0.000*"350" + 0.000*"mix" + ' '0.000*"background" + 0.000*"242m" + 0.000*"ground" + 0.000*"747" + ' '0.000*"argentina"'), (1, '0.000*"first" + 0.000*"31" + 0.000*"350" + 0.000*"background" + 0.000*"747" ' '+ 0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"argentina" + 0.000*"2001" + 0.000*"4bn" + ' '0.000*"242m"'), (2, '0.000*"31" + 0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"first" + 0.000*"background" + 0.000*"350" ' '+ 0.000*"five" + 0.000*"747" + 0.000*"agenda" + 0.000*"biggest" + ' '0.000*"allianz"'), (3, '0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"first" + 0.000*"350" + 0.000*"31" + 0.000*"background" ' '+ 0.000*"help" + 0.000*"five" + 0.000*"ground" + 0.000*"biggest" + ' '0.000*"2001"'), (4, '0.000*"first" + 0.000*"350" + 0.000*"31" + 0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"background" ' '+ 0.000*"747" + 0.000*"biggest" + 0.000*"buoy" + 0.000*"ground" + ' '0.000*"mix"'), (5, '0.000*"31" + 0.000*"350" + 0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"first" + 0.000*"background" ' '+ 0.000*"747" + 0.000*"argentina" + 0.000*"2001" + 0.000*"2015" + ' '0.000*"help"'), (6, '0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"first" + 0.000*"747" + 0.000*"background" + ' '0.000*"350" + 0.000*"2001" + 0.000*"hold" + 0.000*"ground" + 0.000*"31" + ' '0.000*"argentina"'), (7, '0.000*"31" + 0.000*"first" + 0.000*"agenda" + 0.000*"background" + ' '0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"behind" + 0.000*"350" + 0.000*"6bn" + 0.000*"allianz" ' '+ 0.000*"buoy"'), (8, '0.000*"first" + 0.000*"70m" + 0.000*"background" + 0.000*"31" + 0.000*"350" ' '+ 0.000*"747" + 0.000*"242m" + 0.000*"bad" + 0.000*"hold" + 0.000*"2015"'), (9, '0.011*"31" + 0.011*"first" + 0.010*"70m" + 0.008*"background" + 0.007*"350" ' '+ 0.006*"747" + 0.005*"agenda" + 0.005*"2001" + 0.005*"4bn" + ' '0.005*"biggest"')]
print('Printing Topics For Germany')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Germany)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Germany [(0, '0.000*"export" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"made" + 0.000*"badg" + 0.000*"40" + ' '0.000*"DZ" + 0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"han" + 0.000*"25" + 0.000*"around"'), (1, '0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"export" + 0.000*"badg" + 0.000*"DZ" + 0.000*"20" + ' '0.000*"40" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"han" + 0.000*"huge" + 0.000*"come"'), (2, '0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"40" + 0.000*"export" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"badg" + ' '0.000*"DZ" + 0.000*"hinder" + 0.000*"around" + 0.000*"huge" + ' '0.000*"beyond"'), (3, '0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"40" + 0.000*"DZ" + 0.000*"badg" + ' '0.000*"made" + 0.000*"export" + 0.000*"20" + 0.000*"come" + 0.000*"60"'), (4, '0.000*"export" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"badg" + 0.000*"40" + ' '0.000*"air" + 0.000*"beyond" + 0.000*"60" + 0.000*"DZ" + 0.000*"han"'), (5, '0.021*"35m" + 0.015*"air" + 0.011*"As" + 0.011*"america" + 0.011*"behind" + ' '0.010*"export" + 0.009*"23" + 0.008*"employ" + 0.008*"AP" + 0.008*"40"'), (6, '0.010*"export" + 0.008*"As" + 0.008*"badg" + 0.008*"DZ" + 0.007*"40" + ' '0.006*"huge" + 0.006*"hinder" + 0.006*"han" + 0.006*"made" + ' '0.006*"around"'), (7, '0.000*"export" + 0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"40" + 0.000*"badg" + ' '0.000*"20" + 0.000*"60" + 0.000*"come" + 0.000*"around" + 0.000*"25"'), (8, '0.000*"export" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"badg" + 0.000*"DZ" + ' '0.000*"25" + 0.000*"40" + 0.000*"60" + 0.000*"come" + 0.000*"huge"'), (9, '0.000*"35m" + 0.000*"As" + 0.000*"export" + 0.000*"badg" + 0.000*"20" + ' '0.000*"40" + 0.000*"come" + 0.000*"air" + 0.000*"hinder" + 0.000*"america"')]
print('Printing Topics For India')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(India)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For India [(0, '0.000*"alli" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"firm" + 0.000*"better" + ' '0.000*"live" + 0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"execut" + 0.000*"essar" + ' '0.000*"966m" + 0.000*"juli"'), (1, '0.000*"execut" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"alli" + 0.000*"live" + ' '0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"fallen" + 0.000*"impact" + 0.000*"energi" + ' '0.000*"firm" + 0.000*"elli"'), (2, '0.010*"alli" + 0.008*"financi" + 0.008*"live" + 0.008*"firm" + ' '0.007*"expert" + 0.006*"action" + 0.006*"abd" + 0.006*"966m" + ' '0.006*"better" + 0.006*"juli"'), (3, '0.021*"execut" + 0.015*"hire" + 0.011*"financi" + 0.011*"improv" + ' '0.011*"market" + 0.010*"alli" + 0.009*"equiti" + 0.008*"final" + ' '0.008*"agent" + 0.008*"expert"'), (4, '0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"execut" + 0.000*"live" + 0.000*"alli" + ' '0.000*"elli" + 0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"final" + 0.000*"improv" + ' '0.000*"merchant" + 0.000*"local"'), (5, '0.001*"execut" + 0.000*"alli" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"hire" + ' '0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"live" + 0.000*"improv" + 0.000*"market" + ' '0.000*"allow" + 0.000*"equiti"'), (6, '0.001*"execut" + 0.001*"alli" + 0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"market" + ' '0.000*"hire" + 0.000*"live" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"improv" + ' '0.000*"final" + 0.000*"elli"'), (7, '0.000*"execut" + 0.000*"alli" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"hire" + ' '0.000*"live" + 0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"market" + 0.000*"firm" + ' '0.000*"local" + 0.000*"merchant"'), (8, '0.000*"execut" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"alli" + 0.000*"expert" + ' '0.000*"firm" + 0.000*"hire" + 0.000*"live" + 0.000*"elli" + 0.000*"54bn" + ' '0.000*"final"'), (9, '0.000*"expert" + 0.000*"alli" + 0.000*"financi" + 0.000*"firm" + ' '0.000*"live" + 0.000*"execut" + 0.000*"action" + 0.000*"allow" + ' '0.000*"merchant" + 0.000*"airway"')]
print('Printing Topics For Indonesia')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Indonesia)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Indonesia [(0, '0.001*"detail" + 0.001*"told" + 0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"steadili" + ' '0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"great" + 0.001*"sooner" + 0.001*"town" + 0.001*"line" ' '+ 0.001*"addit"'), (1, '0.017*"stagger" + 0.013*"detail" + 0.013*"told" + 0.009*"steadili" + ' '0.008*"40m" + 0.008*"ani" + 0.007*"shock" + 0.007*"authoris" + 0.006*"time" ' '+ 0.006*"announc"'), (2, '0.012*"town" + 0.011*"line" + 0.010*"manag" + 0.010*"slight" + ' '0.010*"mexico" + 0.009*"great" + 0.009*"ani" + 0.008*"defray" + ' '0.007*"sooner" + 0.007*"broadli"'), (3, '0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"authoris" + 0.001*"told" + 0.001*"40m" + ' '0.001*"solheim" + 0.001*"78" + 0.001*"cost" + 0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"detail" ' '+ 0.001*"steadili"'), (4, '0.001*"detail" + 0.001*"told" + 0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"ani" + ' '0.001*"steadili" + 0.001*"40m" + 0.001*"devast" + 0.001*"78" + ' '0.001*"sukarnoputri" + 0.001*"town"'), (5, '0.001*"detail" + 0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"told" + 0.001*"steadili" + ' '0.001*"sukarnoputri" + 0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"devast" + 0.001*"announc" + ' '0.001*"town" + 0.001*"shock"'), (6, '0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"detail" + 0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"told" + ' '0.001*"steadili" + 0.001*"slight" + 0.001*"mexico" + 0.001*"town" + ' '0.001*"line" + 0.001*"addit"'), (7, '0.001*"told" + 0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"town" + 0.001*"detail" + ' '0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"steadili" + 0.001*"great" + 0.001*"line" + ' '0.001*"slight" + 0.001*"sukarnoputri"'), (8, '0.001*"detail" + 0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"told" + 0.001*"manag" + ' '0.001*"steadili" + 0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"mexico" + 0.001*"addit" + ' '0.001*"town" + 0.001*"back"'), (9, '0.001*"stagger" + 0.001*"detail" + 0.001*"told" + 0.001*"steadili" + ' '0.001*"ani" + 0.001*"40m" + 0.001*"sooner" + 0.001*"shock" + 0.001*"mexico" ' '+ 0.001*"addit"')]
print('Printing Topics For Italy')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Italy)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Italy [(0, '0.000*"close" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"reuter" + 0.000*"especi" + ' '0.000*"rid" + 0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"sputter" + 0.000*"US" + 0.000*"reiter" ' '+ 0.000*"should"'), (1, '0.000*"reuter" + 0.000*"close" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"sputter" + ' '0.000*"rid" + 0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"3" + 0.000*"collaps" + 0.000*"step" + ' '0.000*"sell"'), (2, '0.000*"reuter" + 0.000*"close" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"anoth" + ' '0.000*"public" + 0.000*"rid" + 0.000*"11m" + 0.000*"sputter" + 0.000*"28" + ' '0.000*"US"'), (3, '0.000*"reuter" + 0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"close" + 0.000*"specul" + ' '0.000*"sputter" + 0.000*"rid" + 0.000*"basi" + 0.000*"US" + 0.000*"apolog" ' '+ 0.000*"11m"'), (4, '0.000*"close" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"rid" + 0.000*"reuter" + ' '0.000*"sputter" + 0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"claim" + 0.000*"apolog" + ' '0.000*"step" + 0.000*"bet"'), (5, '0.010*"close" + 0.008*"anoth" + 0.008*"specul" + 0.008*"sputter" + ' '0.007*"rid" + 0.006*"summit" + 0.006*"step" + 0.006*"should" + ' '0.006*"especi" + 0.006*"receipt"'), (6, '0.000*"reuter" + 0.000*"close" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"rid" + ' '0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"basi" + 0.000*"smaller" + 0.000*"11m" + 0.000*"3" + ' '0.000*"also"'), (7, '0.001*"reuter" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"close" + 0.000*"rid" + ' '0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"public" + 0.000*"bet" + 0.000*"smaller" + ' '0.000*"basi" + 0.000*"begin"'), (8, '0.000*"close" + 0.000*"anoth" + 0.000*"specul" + 0.000*"reuter" + ' '0.000*"summit" + 0.000*"public" + 0.000*"should" + 0.000*"sell" + ' '0.000*"rid" + 0.000*"bet"'), (9, '0.022*"reuter" + 0.015*"11m" + 0.011*"specul" + 0.011*"basi" + 0.011*"3" + ' '0.010*"close" + 0.009*"reform" + 0.009*"smaller" + 0.009*"bust" + ' '0.008*"rid"')]
print('Printing Topics For Japan')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Japan)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Japan [(0, '0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"come" + 0.000*"befor" + 0.000*"pessimist" + ' '0.000*"integr" + 0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"heronri" + 0.000*"grown" + ' '0.000*"rise" + 0.000*"bridg"'), (1, '0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"pessimist" + 0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"heizo" + ' '0.000*"market" + 0.000*"heronri" + 0.000*"befor" + 0.000*"hope" + ' '0.000*"integr" + 0.000*"given"'), (2, '0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"heronri" + 0.000*"pessimist" + ' '0.000*"heizo" + 0.000*"activ" + 0.000*"befor" + 0.000*"grown" + ' '0.000*"grew" + 0.000*"integr"'), (3, '0.000*"heizo" + 0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"pressur" + ' '0.000*"market" + 0.000*"heronri" + 0.000*"industrialist" + 0.000*"group" + ' '0.000*"bailout" + 0.000*"pessimist"'), (4, '0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"heronri" + 0.000*"pessimist" + ' '0.000*"heizo" + 0.000*"given" + 0.000*"profit" + 0.000*"offic" + ' '0.000*"market" + 0.000*"peugeot"'), (5, '0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"pessimist" + 0.000*"grew" + 0.000*"integr" + ' '0.000*"heizo" + 0.000*"bondhold" + 0.000*"offic" + 0.000*"heronri" + ' '0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"given"'), (6, '0.021*"heizo" + 0.014*"market" + 0.011*"inform" + 0.011*"move" + ' '0.011*"pressur" + 0.010*"benefit" + 0.009*"group" + 0.008*"bailout" + ' '0.008*"industrialist" + 0.008*"heronri"'), (7, '0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"heizo" + 0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"bondhold" + ' '0.000*"integr" + 0.000*"pessimist" + 0.000*"heronri" + 0.000*"grown" + ' '0.000*"given" + 0.000*"come"'), (8, '0.000*"benefit" + 0.000*"inform" + 0.000*"heizo" + 0.000*"integr" + ' '0.000*"bridg" + 0.000*"pessimist" + 0.000*"hope" + 0.000*"heronri" + ' '0.000*"grew" + 0.000*"believ"'), (9, '0.010*"benefit" + 0.008*"inform" + 0.008*"pessimist" + 0.008*"integr" + ' '0.007*"heronri" + 0.006*"bondhold" + 0.006*"bridg" + 0.006*"befor" + ' '0.006*"come" + 0.006*"offic"')]
print('Printing Topics For Mexico')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Mexico)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Mexico [(0, '0.001*"report" + 0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"growth" + ' '0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"5" + 0.001*"job" + 0.001*"choic" + 0.001*"reflect" + ' '0.001*"global"'), (1, '0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"report" + 0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"sent" + ' '0.001*"growth" + 0.001*"polici" + 0.001*"outlook" + 0.001*"still" + ' '0.001*"result" + 0.001*"given"'), (2, '0.001*"report" + 0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"sent" + ' '0.001*"growth" + 0.001*"choic" + 0.001*"job" + 0.001*"result" + ' '0.001*"dividend" + 0.001*"reflect"'), (3, '0.001*"report" + 0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"involv" + ' '0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"taken" + 0.001*"job" + 0.001*"growth" + ' '0.001*"global" + 0.001*"reflect"'), (4, '0.001*"report" + 0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"job" + 0.001*"sent" + ' '0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"gdp" + 0.001*"growth" + 0.001*"dividend" + ' '0.001*"incom" + 0.001*"franc"'), (5, '0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"report" + 0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"sent" + ' '0.001*"taken" + 0.001*"growth" + 0.001*"outlook" + 0.001*"dividend" + ' '0.001*"still" + 0.001*"job"'), (6, '0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"report" + 0.001*"growth" + ' '0.001*"sent" + 0.001*"job" + 0.001*"outlook" + 0.001*"incom" + ' '0.001*"polici" + 0.001*"result"'), (7, '0.001*"report" + 0.001*"itali" + 0.001*"growth" + 0.001*"sent" + ' '0.001*"greater" + 0.001*"taken" + 0.001*"franc" + 0.001*"5" + 0.001*"gdp" + ' '0.001*"involv"'), (8, '0.011*"report" + 0.009*"itali" + 0.009*"sent" + 0.008*"job" + ' '0.007*"growth" + 0.007*"choic" + 0.007*"provision" + 0.007*"involv" + ' '0.007*"5" + 0.006*"gdp"'), (9, '0.025*"greater" + 0.017*"outlook" + 0.013*"itali" + 0.013*"still" + ' '0.013*"polici" + 0.012*"report" + 0.010*"given" + 0.010*"invit" + ' '0.010*"price" + 0.009*"growth"')]
print('Printing Topics For Russia')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Russia)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Russia [(0, '0.000*"clear" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"drive" + 0.000*"offici" + 0.000*"up" ' '+ 0.000*"oligarch" + 0.000*"net" + 0.000*"dismiss" + 0.000*"presid" + ' '0.000*"these"'), (1, '0.022*"offici" + 0.015*"seiz" + 0.011*"pour" + 0.011*"yanukovich" + ' '0.011*"sovereign" + 0.010*"clear" + 0.009*"natur" + 0.009*"budget" + ' '0.009*"possibl" + 0.008*"oligarch"'), (2, '0.000*"offici" + 0.000*"clear" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"oligarch" + ' '0.000*"up" + 0.000*"11bn" + 0.000*"month" + 0.000*"encourag" + ' '0.000*"presid" + 0.000*"naftohaz"'), (3, '0.000*"clear" + 0.000*"up" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"offici" + 0.000*"presid" ' '+ 0.000*"oligarch" + 0.000*"class" + 0.000*"drive" + 0.000*"net" + ' '0.000*"earnest"'), (4, '0.010*"clear" + 0.008*"up" + 0.008*"pour" + 0.008*"presid" + ' '0.007*"oligarch" + 0.006*"earnest" + 0.006*"encourag" + 0.006*"dismiss" + ' '0.006*"drive" + 0.006*"net"'), (5, '0.000*"offici" + 0.000*"clear" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"oligarch" + ' '0.000*"up" + 0.000*"close" + 0.000*"seiz" + 0.000*"month" + 0.000*"presid" ' '+ 0.000*"amid"'), (6, '0.000*"offici" + 0.000*"up" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"oligarch" + ' '0.000*"clear" + 0.000*"naftohaz" + 0.000*"presid" + 0.000*"dismiss" + ' '0.000*"earnest" + 0.000*"use"'), (7, '0.001*"clear" + 0.001*"offici" + 0.001*"pour" + 0.000*"oligarch" + ' '0.000*"naftohaz" + 0.000*"encourag" + 0.000*"dismiss" + 0.000*"drive" + ' '0.000*"up" + 0.000*"11bn"'), (8, '0.000*"clear" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"oligarch" + 0.000*"offici" + ' '0.000*"up" + 0.000*"these" + 0.000*"month" + 0.000*"presid" + 0.000*"use" + ' '0.000*"naftohaz"'), (9, '0.000*"offici" + 0.000*"pour" + 0.000*"up" + 0.000*"oligarch" + ' '0.000*"seiz" + 0.000*"month" + 0.000*"use" + 0.000*"amid" + 0.000*"clear" + ' '0.000*"drive"')]
print('Printing Topics For United Kingdom')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(UnitedKingdom)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For United Kingdom [(0, '0.000*"70" + 0.000*"card" + 0.000*"addit" + 0.000*"broadband" + ' '0.000*"knew" + 0.000*"crowd" + 0.000*"carri" + 0.000*"boyl" + ' '0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"contradict"'), (1, '0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"card" + 0.000*"collect" + 0.000*"70" + ' '0.000*"crowd" + 0.000*"broadband" + 0.000*"500m" + 0.000*"decis" + ' '0.000*"carri" + 0.000*"780"'), (2, '0.000*"card" + 0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"broadband" + 0.000*"70" + ' '0.000*"crowd" + 0.000*"capit" + 0.000*"decis" + 0.000*"bought" + ' '0.000*"bond" + 0.000*"collect"'), (3, '0.000*"70" + 0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"crowd" + 0.000*"card" + 0.000*"addit" ' '+ 0.000*"knew" + 0.000*"broadband" + 0.000*"deloitt" + 0.000*"life" + ' '0.000*"left"'), (4, '0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"70" + 0.000*"card" + 0.000*"crowd" + ' '0.000*"broadband" + 0.000*"deloitt" + 0.000*"compress" + 0.000*"decis" + ' '0.000*"bond" + 0.000*"bushman"'), (5, '0.016*"britain" + 0.011*"collect" + 0.008*"compress" + 0.008*"decis" + ' '0.008*"card" + 0.007*"70" + 0.007*"bought" + 0.006*"500m" + 0.006*"capit" + ' '0.006*"broadband"'), (6, '0.000*"70" + 0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"card" + 0.000*"broadband" + ' '0.000*"carri" + 0.000*"crowd" + 0.000*"life" + 0.000*"contradict" + ' '0.000*"bushman" + 0.000*"left"'), (7, '0.009*"70" + 0.007*"card" + 0.007*"crowd" + 0.007*"carri" + ' '0.006*"broadband" + 0.005*"life" + 0.005*"left" + 0.005*"knew" + ' '0.005*"addit" + 0.005*"contradict"'), (8, '0.000*"70" + 0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"card" + 0.000*"broadband" + ' '0.000*"left" + 0.000*"crowd" + 0.000*"bond" + 0.000*"carri" + ' '0.000*"collect" + 0.000*"780"'), (9, '0.000*"britain" + 0.000*"70" + 0.000*"broadband" + 0.000*"crowd" + ' '0.000*"card" + 0.000*"carri" + 0.000*"boyl" + 0.000*"bond" + 0.000*"780" + ' '0.000*"knew"')]
print('Printing Topics For United States')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(UnitedStates)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For United States [(0, '0.000*"23" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"airway" + 0.000*"48m" ' '+ 0.000*"bebe" + 0.000*"amaz" + 0.000*"ahead" + 0.000*"bag" + 0.000*"bid"'), (1, '0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"23" + 0.000*"airway" + ' '0.000*"bebe" + 0.000*"all" + 0.000*"becam" + 0.000*"bag" + 0.000*"bid" + ' '0.000*"1875"'), (2, '0.015*"airlin" + 0.010*"ascend" + 0.008*"altria" + 0.008*"bernard" + ' '0.008*"auction" + 0.007*"23" + 0.006*"agreement" + 0.006*"although" + ' '0.006*"200m" + 0.006*"airway"'), (3, '0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"23" + 0.000*"airway" + ' '0.000*"ascend" + 0.000*"bebe" + 0.000*"200m" + 0.000*"although" + ' '0.000*"attract" + 0.000*"amaz"'), (4, '0.000*"23" + 0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"ascend" + ' '0.000*"bebe" + 0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"becam" + 0.000*"200m" + ' '0.000*"bernard" + 0.000*"airway"'), (5, '0.008*"23" + 0.007*"altria" + 0.007*"bebe" + 0.006*"amaz" + 0.005*"airway" ' '+ 0.005*"deserv" + 0.005*"discoveri" + 0.005*"dire" + 0.005*"48m" + ' '0.005*"bag"'), (6, '0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"ascend" + 0.000*"23" + ' '0.000*"bernard" + 0.000*"bebe" + 0.000*"airway" + 0.000*"auction" + ' '0.000*"230bn" + 0.000*"bid"'), (7, '0.000*"23" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"bebe" + 0.000*"airlin" + ' '0.000*"airway" + 0.000*"bid" + 0.000*"amaz" + 0.000*"48m" + 0.000*"deserv" ' '+ 0.000*"discoveri"'), (8, '0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"23" + 0.000*"amaz" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"bebe" ' '+ 0.000*"airway" + 0.000*"against" + 0.000*"dire" + 0.000*"discoveri" + ' '0.000*"deserv"'), (9, '0.000*"airlin" + 0.000*"altria" + 0.000*"23" + 0.000*"airway" + ' '0.000*"ascend" + 0.000*"auction" + 0.000*"although" + 0.000*"1875" + ' '0.000*"against" + 0.000*"bernard"')]
print('Need to summarize by category')
Need to summarize by category
Business = [ArgentinaCleanBusinessOver, AustraliaCleanBusinessOver, BrazilCleanBusinessOver, CanadaCleanBusinessOver, ChinaCleanBusinessOver,EuropeCleanBusinessOver,FranceCleanBusinessOver ,GermanyCleanBusinessOver, IndiaCleanBusinessOver, IndonesiaCleanBusinessOver, ItalyCleanBusinessOver, JapanCleanBusinessOver, MexicoCleanBusinessOver, RussiaCleanBusinessOver, TurkeyCleanBusinessOver, UKCleanBusinessOver, USCleanBusinessOver]
Entertainment = [ArgentinaCleanEntertainmentOver,AustraliaCleanEntertainmentOver,BrazilCleanEntertainmentOver ,CanadaCleanEntertainmentOver ,ChinaCleanEntertainmentOver ,EuropeCleanEntertainmentOver ,FranceCleanEntertainmentOver , GermanyCleanEntertainmentOver , IndiaCleanEntertainmentOver , IndonesiaCleanEntertainmentOver, ItalyCleanEntertainmentOver ,JapanCleanEntertainmentOver , MexicoCleanEntertainmentOver , RussiaCleanEntertainmentOver , UKCleanEntertainmentOver , USCleanEntertainmentOver]
Politics = [AustraliaCleanPoliticsOver ,CanadaCleanPoliticsOver ,ChinaCleanPoliticsOver ,EuropeCleanPoliticsOver ,FranceCleanPoliticsOver ,GermantCleanPoliticsOver ,IndiaCleanPoliticsOver ,IndonesiaCleanPoliticsOver ,JapanCleanPoliticsOver ,MexicoCleanPoliticsOver ,RussiaCleanPoliticsOver ,TurkeyCleanPoliticsOver ,UKCleanPoliticsOver,USCleanPoliticsOver]
Sports = [ArgentinaCleanSportsOver ,AustraliaCleanSportsOver ,BrazilCleanSportsOver ,CanadaCleanSportsOver ,ChinaCleanSportsOver ,EuropeCleanSportsOver ,FranceCleanSportsOver ,GermanyCleanSportsOver ,IndiaCleanSportsOver ,ItalyCleanSportsOver ,JapanCleanSportsOver, MexicoCleanSportsOver ,RussiaCleanSportsOver ,TurkeyCleanSportsOver ,UKCleanSportsOver ,USCleanSportsOver ]
Tech = [ArgentinaCleanTechOver ,AustraliaCleanTechOver ,BrazilCleanTechOver ,CanadaCleanTechOver ,ChinaCleanTechOver ,EuropeCleanTechOver ,FranceCleanTechOver ,GermanyCleanTechOver ,IndiaCleanTechOver ,IndonesiaCleanTechOver ,ItalyCleanTechOver ,JapanCleanTechOver ,MexicoCleanTechOver ,RussiaCleanTechOver ,TurkeyCleanTechOver ,UKCleanTechOver, USCleanTechOver ]
print('Visual Topics In Articles By Category')
Successful
print('Printing Topics For Business Articles')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Business)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Business Articles [(0, '0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"chile" + 0.000*"promot" + ' '0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"introduc" + 0.000*"grant" + ' '0.000*"peg" + 0.000*"expand"'), (1, '0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"promot" + ' '0.000*"introduc" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"mind" + 0.000*"expand" + ' '0.000*"food" + 0.000*"hostil"'), (2, '0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"promot" + ' '0.000*"gener" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"mind" + 0.000*"introduc" + ' '0.000*"protest" + 0.000*"aara"'), (3, '0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"promot" + ' '0.000*"introduc" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"grant" + 0.000*"mind" + ' '0.000*"hostil" + 0.000*"renegoti"'), (4, '0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"hideou" + ' '0.000*"introduc" + 0.000*"promot" + 0.000*"mind" + 0.000*"gener" + ' '0.000*"grant" + 0.000*"hostil"'), (5, '0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"introduc" + 0.000*"promot" + 0.000*"food" + ' '0.000*"expand" + 0.000*"gold" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"peg" + ' '0.000*"attract" + 0.000*"societi"'), (6, '0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"introduc" + ' '0.000*"promot" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"chile" + 0.000*"aara" + ' '0.000*"gold" + 0.000*"expand"'), (7, '0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"promot" + ' '0.000*"insist" + 0.000*"mind" + 0.000*"relationship" + ' '0.000*"infrastructur" + 0.000*"renegoti" + 0.000*"gener"'), (8, '0.000*"auster" + 0.000*"promot" + 0.000*"heat" + 0.000*"insist" + ' '0.000*"hideou" + 0.000*"introduc" + 0.000*"gene" + 0.000*"expand" + ' '0.000*"defenc" + 0.000*"food"'), (9, '0.011*"heat" + 0.011*"auster" + 0.010*"insist" + 0.008*"promot" + ' '0.007*"hideou" + 0.006*"introduc" + 0.005*"mind" + 0.005*"gener" + ' '0.005*"respons" + 0.005*"hostil"')]
print('Printing Topics For Entertainment Articles')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Entertainment)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Entertainment Articles [(0, '0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"ever" + 0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"doubl" + ' '0.000*"million" + 0.000*"25" + 0.000*"exhibitor" + 0.000*"distribut" + ' '0.000*"lo" + 0.000*"devon"'), (1, '0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"ever" + 0.000*"million" + ' '0.000*"doubl" + 0.000*"poland" + 0.000*"exhibitor" + 0.000*"item" + ' '0.000*"hold" + 0.000*"order"'), (2, '0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"million" + 0.000*"ever" + ' '0.000*"doubl" + 0.000*"order" + 0.000*"decemb" + 0.000*"devon" + ' '0.000*"exhibitor" + 0.000*"earli"'), (3, '0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"ever" + 0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"doubl" + ' '0.000*"hold" + 0.000*"item" + 0.000*"million" + 0.000*"order" + ' '0.000*"earli" + 0.000*"mind"'), (4, '0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"exhibitor" + 0.000*"doubl" + 0.000*"million" + ' '0.000*"ever" + 0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"distribut" + 0.000*"farrel" + ' '0.000*"denmark" + 0.000*"devon"'), (5, '0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"ever" + 0.000*"million" + ' '0.000*"doubl" + 0.000*"lo" + 0.000*"25" + 0.000*"exhibitor" + ' '0.000*"farrel" + 0.000*"denmark"'), (6, '0.000*"ever" + 0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"doubl" + ' '0.000*"million" + 0.000*"decemb" + 0.000*"hold" + 0.000*"mind" + ' '0.000*"europ" + 0.000*"fiction"'), (7, '0.000*"documentari" + 0.000*"philip" + 0.000*"doubl" + 0.000*"ever" + ' '0.000*"million" + 0.000*"hold" + 0.000*"decemb" + 0.000*"mind" + ' '0.000*"europ" + 0.000*"poland"'), (8, '0.010*"philip" + 0.008*"million" + 0.008*"ever" + 0.008*"exhibitor" + ' '0.007*"doubl" + 0.006*"farrel" + 0.006*"distribut" + 0.006*"gobsmack" + ' '0.006*"25" + 0.006*"devon"'), (9, '0.021*"documentari" + 0.014*"hold" + 0.011*"ever" + 0.011*"niro" + ' '0.011*"item" + 0.010*"philip" + 0.009*"despit" + 0.008*"europ" + ' '0.008*"muriel" + 0.008*"doubl"')]
print('Printing Topics For Politics Articles')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Politics)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Politics Articles [(0, '0.000*"base" + 0.000*"issu" + 0.000*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"citizen" + ' '0.000*"identifi" + 0.000*"reduc" + 0.000*"job" + 0.000*"hiv" + ' '0.000*"previou" + 0.000*"india"'), (1, '0.000*"base" + 0.000*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"reduc" + 0.000*"issu" + ' '0.000*"identifi" + 0.000*"offic" + 0.000*"helen" + 0.000*"qualit" + ' '0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"job"'), (2, '0.000*"issu" + 0.000*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"reduc" + 0.000*"job" + ' '0.000*"identifi" + 0.000*"base" + 0.000*"citizen" + 0.000*"offic" + ' '0.000*"helen" + 0.000*"previou"'), (3, '0.000*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"base" + 0.000*"reduc" + 0.000*"issu" + ' '0.000*"identifi" + 0.000*"helen" + 0.000*"segreg" + 0.000*"prevent" + ' '0.000*"hiv" + 0.000*"india"'), (4, '0.000*"base" + 0.000*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"issu" + 0.000*"job" + ' '0.000*"reduc" + 0.000*"india" + 0.000*"mp" + 0.000*"helen" + 0.000*"segreg" ' '+ 0.000*"citizen"'), (5, '0.001*"base" + 0.001*"qualit" + 0.001*"bangladeshi" + 0.001*"issu" + ' '0.001*"reduc" + 0.001*"job" + 0.001*"previou" + 0.001*"high" + 0.001*"mp" + ' '0.001*"prevent"'), (6, '0.022*"humanitarian" + 0.015*"offic" + 0.011*"issu" + 0.011*"parliament" + ' '0.011*"safest" + 0.010*"base" + 0.009*"highlight" + 0.009*"irrespons" + ' '0.009*"attack" + 0.008*"identifi"'), (7, '0.000*"base" + 0.000*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"issu" + 0.000*"reduc" + ' '0.000*"identifi" + 0.000*"helen" + 0.000*"offic" + 0.000*"ad" + ' '0.000*"prevent" + 0.000*"job"'), (8, '0.001*"humanitarian" + 0.000*"base" + 0.000*"issu" + 0.000*"reduc" + ' '0.000*"identifi" + 0.000*"parliament" + 0.000*"safest" + 0.000*"offic" + ' '0.000*"previou" + 0.000*"helen"'), (9, '0.010*"base" + 0.008*"issu" + 0.008*"reduc" + 0.008*"job" + ' '0.007*"identifi" + 0.006*"mp" + 0.006*"prevent" + 0.006*"qualit" + ' '0.006*"citizen" + 0.006*"hiv"')]
print('Printing Topics For Sports Articles')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Sports)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Sports Articles [(0, '0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"day" + 0.000*"display" + 0.000*"debut" + ' '0.000*"goalkeep" + 0.000*"atletico" + 0.000*"dallaglio" + 0.000*"seen" + ' '0.000*"donnacha" + 0.000*"free"'), (1, '0.001*"day" + 0.001*"ad" + 0.000*"goalkeep" + 0.000*"display" + ' '0.000*"debut" + 0.000*"failur" + 0.000*"adapt" + 0.000*"guillermo" + ' '0.000*"slam" + 0.000*"creat"'), (2, '0.000*"day" + 0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"debut" + 0.000*"creat" + 0.000*"display" ' '+ 0.000*"donnacha" + 0.000*"failur" + 0.000*"28" + 0.000*"goalkeep" + ' '0.000*"demolit"'), (3, '0.000*"day" + 0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"goalkeep" + 0.000*"display" + ' '0.000*"debut" + 0.000*"import" + 0.000*"sidoli" + 0.000*"atletico" + ' '0.000*"donnacha" + 0.000*"hay"'), (4, '0.002*"day" + 0.001*"ad" + 0.001*"display" + 0.001*"guillermo" + ' '0.001*"failur" + 0.001*"figur" + 0.001*"debut" + 0.001*"goalkeep" + ' '0.001*"So" + 0.001*"adapt"'), (5, '0.000*"display" + 0.000*"day" + 0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"debut" + ' '0.000*"goalkeep" + 0.000*"donnacha" + 0.000*"slam" + 0.000*"free" + ' '0.000*"hay" + 0.000*"seen"'), (6, '0.000*"display" + 0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"day" + 0.000*"goalkeep" + ' '0.000*"debut" + 0.000*"disappoint" + 0.000*"creat" + 0.000*"figur" + ' '0.000*"failur" + 0.000*"fifth"'), (7, '0.010*"ad" + 0.008*"display" + 0.008*"goalkeep" + 0.008*"donnacha" + ' '0.007*"debut" + 0.006*"sidoli" + 0.006*"slam" + 0.006*"seen" + ' '0.006*"atletico" + 0.006*"free"'), (8, '0.000*"day" + 0.000*"display" + 0.000*"ad" + 0.000*"goalkeep" + ' '0.000*"debut" + 0.000*"failur" + 0.000*"figur" + 0.000*"disappoint" + ' '0.000*"gold" + 0.000*"guillermo"'), (9, '0.022*"day" + 0.015*"failur" + 0.012*"figur" + 0.012*"display" + ' '0.012*"guillermo" + 0.010*"ad" + 0.009*"czech" + 0.009*"disappoint" + ' '0.009*"So" + 0.008*"debut"')]
print('Printing Topics For Tech Articles')
lda_model, corpus, id2word = topicModeling(Tech)
pyLDAvis.enable_notebook()
vis = pyLDAvis.gensim.prepare(lda_model, corpus, id2word)
vis
Printing Topics For Tech Articles [(0, '0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"fan" + 0.000*"carolina" + ' '0.000*"still" + 0.000*"spaniard" + 0.000*"top" + 0.000*"action" + ' '0.000*"state" + 0.000*"bailey"'), (1, '0.020*"state" + 0.014*"abil" + 0.011*"convent" + 0.011*"tightest" + ' '0.011*"alreadi" + 0.010*"confidenti" + 0.009*"spain" + 0.008*"though" + ' '0.008*"chilean" + 0.008*"still"'), (2, '0.000*"state" + 0.000*"still" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"confidenti" + ' '0.000*"abil" + 0.000*"carolina" + 0.000*"song" + 0.000*"convent" + ' '0.000*"carson" + 0.000*"share"'), (3, '0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"state" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"carolina" + ' '0.000*"action" + 0.000*"denial" + 0.000*"sweden" + 0.000*"fan" + ' '0.000*"consid" + 0.000*"comput"'), (4, '0.000*"state" + 0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"carolina" + ' '0.000*"still" + 0.000*"collater" + 0.000*"artist" + 0.000*"creat" + ' '0.000*"top" + 0.000*"share"'), (5, '0.010*"confidenti" + 0.008*"tightest" + 0.008*"carolina" + 0.008*"top" + ' '0.007*"still" + 0.006*"denial" + 0.006*"collater" + 0.006*"action" + ' '0.006*"fan" + 0.006*"song"'), (6, '0.000*"state" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"carolina" + 0.000*"still" + ' '0.000*"share" + 0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"top" + 0.000*"sweden" + ' '0.000*"creat" + 0.000*"abil"'), (7, '0.000*"state" + 0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"abil" + ' '0.000*"carolina" + 0.000*"alreadi" + 0.000*"consid" + 0.000*"convent" + ' '0.000*"share" + 0.000*"allow"'), (8, '0.000*"state" + 0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"tightest" + 0.000*"still" + ' '0.000*"carolina" + 0.000*"consid" + 0.000*"bailey" + 0.000*"top" + ' '0.000*"fan" + 0.000*"collater"'), (9, '0.000*"confidenti" + 0.000*"state" + 0.000*"still" + 0.000*"tightest" + ' '0.000*"carolina" + 0.000*"top" + 0.000*"artist" + 0.000*"bailey" + ' '0.000*"action" + 0.000*"sweden"')]
print('Business Articles By Single Country:', CountriesCountBusiness,'\n')
print('Entertainment Articles By Single Country:', CountriesCountEntertainment,'\n')
print('Politics Articles By Single Country:', CountriesCountPolitics,'\n')
print('Sports Articles By Single Country:', CountriesCountSports,'\n')
print('Tech Articles By Single Country:', CountriesCountTech,'\n')
Business Articles By Single Country: {'Japan': 11, 'US': 105, 'Indonesia': 3, 'Europe': 11, 'EU': 1, 'China': 13, 'India': 12, 'UK': 48, 'France': 3, 'Italy': 4, 'Turkey': 3, 'Russia': 5, 'Australia': 4, 'Mexico': 1, 'Brazil': 4, 'Germany': 3}
Entertainment Articles By Single Country: {'US': 85, 'UK': 52, 'Canada': 2, 'France': 3, 'Japan': 5, 'India': 4, 'Germany': 2, 'Europe': 2, 'China': 1, 'Australia': 3}
Politics Articles By Single Country: {'UK': 92, 'US': 8, 'Europe': 9, 'EU': 4, 'Australia': 4, 'Indonesia': 1, 'Russia': 1, 'Mexico': 1}
Sports Articles By Single Country: {'France': 47, 'Australia': 18, 'UK': 5, 'Germany': 15, 'Canada': 1, 'US': 26, 'Europe': 14, 'Italy': 15, 'Japan': 1, 'Brazil': 3, 'Mexico': 1, 'Argentina': 3, 'India': 1}
Tech Articles By Single Country: {'China': 5, 'UK': 67, 'Italy': 2, 'US': 57, 'EU': 2, 'India': 5, 'Europe': 13, 'Japan': 7, 'Germany': 1, 'France': 2}
print('Business Artilces By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapBusiness,'\n')
print('Entertainment Articles By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapEntertainment,'\n')
print('Politics Articles By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapPolitics,'\n')
print('Sports Articles By Overlapping Countries:',CountOverlapSports,'\n')
print('Tech Articles By Overlapping Country:',CountOverlapTech,'\n')
Business Artilces By Overlapping Countries: {'Europe': 71, 'US': 145, 'China': 51, 'Russia': 34, 'UK': 57, 'France': 29, 'India': 34, 'Brazil': 8, 'Italy': 11, 'Germany': 33, 'Japan': 27, 'Mexico': 5, 'EU': 22, 'Argentina': 6, 'Australia': 13, 'Canada': 4, 'Turkey': 5, 'Indonesia': 12}
Entertainment Articles By Overlapping Countries: {'UK': 68, 'US': 76, 'Italy': 4, 'Canada': 9, 'Japan': 7, 'Germany': 9, 'Argentina': 1, 'Europe': 21, 'Australia': 7, 'EU': 1, 'France': 14, 'India': 5, 'China': 2, 'Brazil': 1, 'Russia': 1, 'Mexico': 1, 'Indonesia': 1}
Politics Articles By Overlapping Countries: {'Europe': 31, 'UK': 63, 'Canada': 4, 'Japan': 4, 'Germany': 12, 'EU': 31, 'France': 10, 'India': 4, 'US': 26, 'Italy': 2, 'Turkey': 4, 'Russia': 4, 'Australia': 6, 'China': 6, 'Indonesia': 1, 'Mexico': 1}
Sports Articles By Overlapping Countries: {'Australia': 26, 'France': 57, 'Germany': 3, 'UK': 5, 'Russia': 14, 'US': 14, 'Italy': 38, 'Japan': 5, 'China': 4, 'Turkey': 1, 'Europe': 10, 'Brazil': 4, 'Argentina': 11, 'Mexico': 3, 'Canada': 6, 'India': 3}
Tech Articles By Overlapping Country: {'Indonesia': 2, 'Turkey': 2, 'US': 89, 'China': 10, 'UK': 67, 'Europe': 68, 'Japan': 33, 'EU': 8, 'Germany': 14, 'France': 18, 'Italy': 7, 'Mexico': 5, 'Argentina': 3, 'Canada': 5, 'Australia': 4, 'Brazil': 1, 'India': 4, 'Russia': 2}
def returnSum(myDict):
sum = 0
for i in myDict:
sum = sum + myDict[i]
return sum
print('Total Business Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t\t',returnSum(CountriesCountBusiness))
print('Total Entertainment Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t',returnSum(CountriesCountEntertainment))
print('Total Politics Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t\t',returnSum(CountriesCountPolitics))
print('Total Sports Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t\t',returnSum(CountriesCountSports))
print('Total Tech Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t\t',returnSum(CountriesCountTech))
Total Business Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 231 Total Entertainment Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 159 Total Politics Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 120 Total Sports Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 150 Total Tech Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 161
print('Total Overlapping Business Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t',returnSum(CountOverlapBusiness))
print('Total Overlapping Entertainment Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t',returnSum(CountOverlapEntertainment))
print('Total Overlapping Politics Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t',returnSum(CountOverlapPolitics))
print('Total Overlapping Sports Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t\t',returnSum(CountOverlapSports))
print('Total Overlapping Tech Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned:\t\t',returnSum(CountOverlapTech))
Total Overlapping Business Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 567 Total Overlapping Entertainment Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 228 Total Overlapping Politics Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 209 Total Overlapping Sports Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 204 Total Overlapping Tech Articles In Which A G20 Country Is Mentioned: 342
print('Percentage Of Business Articles In Which A G20 Appears',((returnSum(CountriesCountBusiness))/len(business))*100)
print('Percentage Of Entertainment Articles In Which A G20 Appears',((returnSum(CountriesCountEntertainment))/len(business))*100)
print('Percentage Of Politics Articles In Which A G20 Appears',((returnSum(CountriesCountPolitics))/len(business))*100)
print('Percentage Of Sports Articles In Which A G20 Appears',((returnSum(CountriesCountSports))/len(business))*100)
print('Percentage Of Tech Articles In Which A G20 Appears',((returnSum(CountriesCountTech))/len(business))*100)
Percentage Of Business Articles In Which A G20 Appears 45.294117647058826 Percentage Of Entertainment Articles In Which A G20 Appears 31.176470588235293 Percentage Of Politics Articles In Which A G20 Appears 23.52941176470588 Percentage Of Sports Articles In Which A G20 Appears 29.411764705882355 Percentage Of Tech Articles In Which A G20 Appears 31.56862745098039
total = len(business) + len(entertainment) + len(politics) + len(sport) + len(tech)
sumOfG20 = returnSum(CountriesCountBusiness) + returnSum(CountriesCountEntertainment) + returnSum(CountriesCountPolitics) + returnSum(CountriesCountSports) +returnSum(CountriesCountTech)
print('Percentage in which a G20 Country Appears In The Entire Data Set',((sumOfG20/total))*100)
Percentage in which a G20 Country Appears In The Entire Data Set 36.89887640449438
total = len(business) + len(entertainment) + len(politics) + len(sport) + len(tech)
sumOfG20 = returnSum(CountOverlapBusiness) + returnSum(CountOverlapEntertainment) + returnSum(CountOverlapPolitics) + returnSum(CountOverlapSports) +returnSum(CountOverlapTech)
print('Percentage in which a G20 Country Overlaps In The Entire Data Set',((sumOfG20/total))*100)
Percentage in which a G20 Country Overlaps In The Entire Data Set 69.66292134831461